The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-07
THE BURNING OF TIE TENNESSEE.
A. Fuilana interesting Narrative of the
Disaster.

.-s mI.-E
official reporter of Judge Carpenters Court,
!, who was one OF the passengers on the illfated
steamship Tennessee, gives, in the New York
Tribune, detailed and graphic narrative OF
!; the loss OF that vessel, which will be interes-
ting even to those who have read the full ac-
counts of the disaster already published IN THE
!, News. After describing the pleasant depart
,9ure of the Tennessee from Charleston harbor,
Mr.. Underhill writes
nj -After supper many of the passengers return
i: ed TO the deck and there remained until the
light Of Cape Roman was seen OF our port
- bow. One by one they retired to their state.
abaft the Wheels The night was uncomtort-
yably warm. n courted sleep in vain. Ny room
simateawas son of General William Gurney,
EIOtmerly OF New York, but now q merchant in
bChatleston.
e;% e.ih THE ALARM.
"a, About halfpast IL o'clock we were both
aroused by the noise OF seamen rushing past
ior stateroom with rapid and heavy tread.
i1sa'Cses out that hose, lively, boys we heard
In q moment more, coils ofhose were un-
rolled along the deck. We sprang from our
.berlbB and hurriedly put on our garments. A
spassenger-the first who had got forward
whence the alarm came-passed by our door
on his return.
,4fsWhats the matters" eagerly. asked young
&ufney.. "a
sg-.1 think she's caught-they a1e getting
ready to pump water down her hold" was the
idgnifcant reply. .}--
ID Anew minutes we were dressed and for
sW9rdlo Other passengers, to the number Of
.bah stdozeH sooR followed From the move
.ments We saw that there was fire in the for
sSx,ur !, o.. huf of w
d6tafrnfned not to arouse the other passengers
Until we saw that the danger was near.
~, Two. or three minutes before we were star-
tied by the noise outside, Mr.. Kane, the second
assistant engineer, who was then on duty,
smelt smoke coming from. the direction Of the
menM there was any waste burning therein.
AS nothing was found, he ppassed aronnd
through an alley!way that lied from the. fire.
room, to. the forward hold, and, on looking
thionGha small aperture. In the iron bulkhead,
be, saW smoke and fame beyond It required
bnt as minute to:turn the stream Into the, hold,
and inform Mr. Collins, the second matt, who
was officer Of the deck. Then the steam
pumps were sset TO work, and Immediately
four streams OF water were poured into the
hold. In the meantime, Captain Chichester
chief hataSBecket and all Of the officers and
crew had reached the deck. .. -
when the fire Hfas discovered, the Tennessee
WaE about thirty miles from shore, about east,
nertheast from Cape Romaln, and steaming
dp' the G6ast in q general northeasterly, ,dlrec.l
ton. Captain Chichester, OF once ordered her
colirSe changed to, north-northwest, to head
hspdirecty toward the land: =, -
rgs :'et,it.E!4i q: THE FIRE. ~ !:, I'M
: lAS SOON as this was accomplished the upper
and lower forward hatchest were opened, and
jumping down upon aheL lower deck. the off,
Gers end men could see dreiinl the cotton stow
eaint ehold, apparently three or four bales
forward of the hatch By this time the hose
: had been connected with the ,hand-pumn on
deck, aud, with eight stalwart seamen at the
brakes, two additional streams Of water were
turned from the lower deck to the point where
thee cotton was seem burRing.' But smoke and
steam came through the hatch IN dense vol.
umne5, NEARLY sitting those who were holding
the discharge pipes below, and soon they were
compelled 70 ascend. "A few minutes later, as
lower Hold, and Immediately aiter. the flames
swept ont from under the lower deck.a Men
agafn Jumped down to: the lower deck and
made an effort to close the hatch; but the heat
.wAsts6 intenr. and thesmoke so dense In vol
ume that thf 3 were driven above in. an almost
suff0cated condition. Sails had been unbent,
and soon these were wet; and lowered over the;
open hatch, which were soon securely covered
with Ehalfdozen thleknesses of drenchipg.
sailcloth.f Then the upper hatch was closed, ,
and through itR hole was quickly cut with an
a1e., through which two streams OF water
were turned snithe canYas below, i; Il. =. ,, Il.
:. TaKs ORDEAL, or smoke AND STEAM. d
4 With thAe l0stng of the matches, smoke and
steam we're forced through the bulk head into
thesire,s sandii engne-ro0ms The heat. was
gfeAtand dcould scarcely be endured; bnt the
smoke nearly blinded the eyes e0f the
engine { and ldi fremen, en- and In the course
or an hour they were. compelled TO- divide
stheit' force Into short reliefs, each one taking
volume r0f steam and smoke gradually in!
cre8sSds and efforts 9were made to- stop
the ofiaees m4thH bulkhead through which It
came. o Implugging 'upione Of them MI. Kane.
Waa0Fercome with the intense heat and faint
ed.ysHe was Hfted by others and taken to the
upper. deck, Where, II halt an hour, he had
Wien ths flames flashed MP np from i, the hold,
as ] haze described, the few passengers who
were slp deemed 1t prudent to awaken the
others This was quietly accomplished, and,
theughi intense alarm was felt, yet the assur-
aneeSWei gave Of safety which we did not feel
ourselves tended t0preVent apanic. Garments
were ghfcEly put on, and ltfe-preservers
brolght out and tied around the waists of'the'
passengers.;SThe few of us who had been
forwara5talked like oracles to the others,
ubIUR Suc. .efAtVE tCIuoSuldfs nc huSW,
and ,geod IDEAL that we did not know,
about the coast, land the bearings, and the
lifeIboats and their carrying capacity, and the
steam lets, and the bulkheads, and the depth
of water. and the absolute certainty that the
fre.Ww being put out, and the probability that
wewould:g go on to New York with the steamer,
andinotbe compelled to, rely unon our life
saving appliances at all except to keep up our
courage, 4 question whether our words were
comprehahded even by ourselves; but as the
general idea conveyed was that there certain
" ywasia0immediate danger, and this was con-
flrmed blythe statements Of the officers, have
no doubt that some Of the passengers will go
down. to their graves under the delusion that
we,%h9 talked 30 .1earnedly on subjects We
knfW Nothing about, were profoundly versed
In the theory and practice OF navigation.
Somepfthe passengers, and among them la
dies, asoended the hurricane deck. The prospect
was disheartening Nothing but the ships
lights and .the dim, twinkle Of an occasional
star shone through the darkness Of the night.
When told that land was near, with the wish
father to the thought, we assumed that IT.
could not be more than few miles of, and
toward It. we were slowly steaming-abou six
knots an hour -as fast as we could move with
the limited amount Of steam left for the en-.
gines' after Keeping the forward hole filed, in
the hope Of eXtinguishing the fire. But, be-
low the assumed confidence in our safety,
there Was IN each breast alternating intervals
Of DESPAIR. and this vacIllation Of feeling be-
tween hope and despondency amid darkness
and peril, prolonged minutes almost into
hours. 1t seemed US If daylight would never
come.