The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-02-04

cries OF 'nelp help! from those who were
about to perish and who had been suddenly
thrown into the river by the force ofthe ex
plosion, while the groars and shrieks from
the wounded and the dying stretched about
the deck caused the hearts of the stoutest to
quiver with emotion, as they felt that it was
impossible to render that suceor which was
so much required.
Never before, perhaps, were the upper
works forward of any boat so completely
wrecked. When the explosion took place
the Fpilo5Hsdse was oecuried by both pilots
of the boat, Mr.. Joseph Bryant and Mr.
George Richey, while the texas was oceu-
pied by Captain Brolaski, Mrs Brolaski,
their little boy one year old, Miss Arnott,
Mrs BrolaskTs sister, Mary Miller, the
nurse girl and the seamstress. The pilot
house and texas both went whizzing through
the air, and the former must have ascended
at least twenty feet and was then carried
aft about thirty feet falling upon the texas,
crushing in the roof and burying the in
mates of both completely beneath the ruins.
The chimneys were leveled with the deck
and the deck itself burst open in hundred
places. With the very greatest difficulty
Captain Brolaski, his wife, family and the
two pilots above mentioned were rescued
and made their way to the ladies' cabin,
where the other passengers had sought shell
ter. The fire in the forward part of the
boat was advancing slowly but surely toward
the cabin, being famed by the bitter cold
wind that prevailed.
The Captain organized his passen gers
and crew and armed them with buckets, by
which they were able to retard the progress
of the deyeuring element While this was
goingon many of the passenger. were pro-
viding themselves with, ifepreserFers
Doors were wrenched off the staterooms, and
the ladies, who, as usual, had been cool and
firm in the midst of the great danger, pre-
par ed to commit themselves to the Father
of waters on tiny RATS which were hastily
material An attempt had been made to
launch the life boat, but such was the anx-
iety Of number of persons to get aboard
before it could be allowed to touch the
water, that it was capsized and carried away
by the force Of the stream. The yawl was
torn to pieces by the explosion, so that all
had to depend upon extempOrized RATS and
cotton bales to reach the shore, which was
over one hundred yards distant with a cur
rent running at the rate of four miles au
hour, and on dark, temPestuous night,
Meantime the iIl-starred steamer had been
rapidly drifting down stream, stern fore
most, aud those engaged in the work of ex-
tinguishing the flames found their efforts in
that respect likely to be rewarded. In a
few moments, however, these hopes were
completely blasted. The alarm was sound
ed that the steamer was sinking, and new
terrors were added to those that had before
prevailed. Shrieks pierced the air on every
side, and many in their terror leaped into
the dark and angry water, only to meet a
watery grave. Some were lucky enough to
seize cotton bales, stages and planks, on
which they foated down the river, shouting
continually for help at hetop of their voices.
The Arthur, after floating down the river
about three miles, suddenly grounded on a
bar swung around, gave lurch, and pre-
cipItated large number of persons into the
water At this moment the steamer seemed
to part in two, as the forward part sank, and
completely extinguished the fire, while be-
tween the cabin and the forward portion of
the steamer, the water made clean breach
over the deck. Several Of those who were
thrown into the water when the vessel
struck the bar, managed, with extreme diff
Guilty to get on board again, where they re-
mained, suffering from the intense cold, with
scanty clothing, saturated with rain and
river water Many of those who fell into
the river were Immediately drowned, while
those who were successful in seizing spars,
ladders or cotton bales, clung to them with
death like tenacity, and shouted ''help!'
'help p at the top of their voices as they
went down the stream. These cries were
first heard By the man in charge of the coal
/ flats belonging to Brown d Jones, at the
mouth of Wolfe river, who came to the city
without delay, and notified the Captain o
the staunch tug, Little Giant, who proceeded
as quickly as possible to the scene of the
catastrophe, picking up several persons
found floating in the water on the way up
The Captain Of the ferryboat Excelsior, Ri
pont, was also aroused by the cries, and see
ing bright light up the river, he at once
came to the conclusion that it was a steam
er on FIRE. lie got up steam Immediately
and in few inmates the Excelsior was pro
ceeding up the river at a rapid rate on it
errand Of mercy. The Little Giant was tht
first to reach the i'll -fated steamer, and pro-
ceeded az once to rescue the passengers