The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-07

lieve the men at the pumps, and some contln-
ned their labors, with short fntermlsslons, Ior
hours, 3 working hercicany, and with lull
knowledge Of the fact that merry furnace was
| burning below the decE on Wnicn tney $1,000,
and which each hour was becoming sens seIsloly =,
any moment fall, under the superintendent
weight above, and precipitate them into the
tery vortex. Those who particularly distln-
gnished themselves were Mr. Harvey W.;
Hatch, of New York; Mr.. Henry W. Cramp, OF
| Philadelphia, and Mr.. I. n. DeHoney, OF
Louisville. MIR. Hatch especially was unre-
hitting In his eXerti0ns, and did much 10 keep
up the spirits of others.
THE FIRE GAINING.
About 9 O'Clock in the morning 1t became
apparent to the officers that the fire which had
been seemingly held in subsection Tor some me
hours was gaining upon them. The smoke
ayain increased in the fire and engine rooms,
| and the engineers and flremen would emerge
] from below with their eyes bloodshot and so
blind as to be unable to distinguish any ooJect
| for several minutes. Their suterlnSs were IN
tense; but with marvellous heIoism a. eaca 1,a
man returned again and again to his post, aud
remained until some one OF his compe Mons
was able to come to his RELIEF.
At 10 o'clock 1t became certain tnat ere long
the steamer would have to be run on the oeacn
and scuttled as the only hope of saving her. AT
IL O'Clock the engineers reported That u was
| impossible tor them to remain below any long
er, and at once the steamers course was cnang,
ed to land, and In few minutes she ran head
on the bottom, about FIVE lengths from the shore
She strEck in about ten feet of water, with the
tide near the close OF the ehb. The sea-cocks
were then opened, and at once the steamer
commenced filling with water. The locality
where the vessel was run on Is an unlnVlcing
narrow sand bearh, insular In its SITUATION,
without tree or shrub or blade OF grass upon
it. and with not sign OF human haoitau0n
Iipon the main land beyond It is about mile
/. above the northern mouth of Little River,
North Carolina, and about thirty-fve miles be-
low the mouth of Cape Fear River.
LANDING THE PASSENGERS.
The work of debarkation was commenced
at once. Boats were lowered, and tne passen.
gers were landed on the beach Within nan
hour, the ladies and children being first put on
shore. Next, spars and sails for shelter, and
additional provisions and water were carried
to the shore, and until nightfal the boats con-
tinued going to the steamer, latterly brought
mattresses, pillows and blankets to add to the
comfort of the passengers.
From the steamer to the beach was transl-
ton from comfort to discomfort, no less than
1t was change from danger to safety. Having
been sent Immediately after with the pilot, Mc.
Davenport, for relief can only speak of the
.eyperiences on shore from the statements Of
others. There was not green spot on the
beach, The sun beat down with an Intense
heat, and the hot sand was blown in clouds by
the sea-breeZe into garments and hair. Even
when the tents were put up the annoyance OF
the drifting sand was as great as ever. 1t con-
tinued into the night; the ladies who laid down
to sleep were sometimes awakened with their
a. ,5n srr,r rnaf nj htfr
led to this was the annoyance OF countless
crabs, who had been startled by the invasion
of unheralded and unwelcome comers. They
moved up the beach to where the eleepers
were lying, on, expeditions Of investigation,
and crawled over! taces and hands anu up
trowsers legs or skirts, startling the sleepers
from their slumber, and causing them TO spring
At three O'clock in the afternoon hot coffee,
brought from the ship, and bread aud bacon
were furnished to the passengers and eaten
with keen zest.
ts.Yte7 THE coNFI.AGRAT1oN.
1 In the afternoon it Was apparent to oilcers
and men that the fire had got between decks,
and that all efforts to save the steamer would
prove useless. But they remained by the ves-
sci until s o'clock, when the smoke was dis
covered issuing through the interstices OF the
forward deck. Officers and crew then took to
the boats and went to shore, returning, how.
ever, from time to time for things which could
be removed, until O'Clock, at which time the
smoke began to ascend in large volumes. Later
flashes OF light burst, from the forward deck.
Soon the flames came through aud caught in
the light work on the deck, and thence crept
along until they reached the woodwork form
ing the state-rooms and cabins. Thence 1t
darted up the nasts tempted by the close
reefed topsails, the burning fragments of which
were carried of by the night winds into the
ocean like shower of brilliant meteors, at
from bowsprlt to stern rail, lighting up Tue
heavens with q lurid glare, and present.
ing o spectacle Of awful grandeur and
InSrnifcence. The : wire rigging became
red hot, and looked like lines Of fire,
extending ND to the cross-trees above
Gilded balls which surmounted either mast,
and In the day time flashed With glare OF the
SUMS reflected rays, wore now burning spheres
overhanging the vortex OF flame, and seeming
ly suspended in the .b!ackness OF Ereous.,, a a
While after, the sides Of the vessel assumed
red heat in spots, the rich color OF which pass
ed from centre to circumference into beauti.
FIJI gradation Of tints. As the flames reached
the rosin, they would flash up In orllllant
bursts of fire and light, followed by dense over
hanging clouds of black smoke. The sea De-
tween the vessel and the shore shone Ike mol
ten gold In the ever4chaDging form OF blllow
and breaker So light was it on shore that one
could read as easily as under the sunlight AT
2 O'Clock in the morning OF Thursday the Tore
mast fell to starboard With tremendous crash
into the sea. a half hour subsequently, the
malntopmast tumbled from Its height into the
vessel, and from the crash were emitted un-
told thousands of scintillating sparks which
went ap into the air, spangling the black back
ground of smoke, and presenting view OF In
conceivable brilliancy. Passengers and crew
say they never saw spectacle so grand-and
vet so aWful-from the moment the flames
began to ascend from the deck until the dawn
of morning left nothing but dark clouds OF
smoke to be seen rising from the vessePs null.
They ceased to think Of the annoyance oil their
situation In their enthusiastic admiration OF
the ever-changing aspect of the colossal pyro-
technics ey--
q THE RESCUE.
When the passengers had been landed, MI.
Davenport, the pilot, myself, and four seamen,
at the REQUEST Of Captain Chichester, LETT In q
small boat for Smlthville, at the mouth OF
Cape Fear River, to procure assistance TOR
passengers, crew and vessel. We left OF noon
on Wednesday. Soon fresh breeze sprang
up: and, under hot sun, and skimminS over
Waye-crests, I alternated my time between
sea.sickness and writing q dispatch, giving
full account of the disaster up to the hour
wheI the passengers were landed, for the AS
socated Press.
The distance to Smithville was thirty-fve
miles. and we reached our destination at .
o'clock in the evening. at once sent
steam TUG to Wilmington with my dispatches
and to procure wrecking vessel, and then