New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-10
SIX STEAMBOATS, BURNED.
Exciting scenes and Incidents.

Exciting scenes and Incidents.
Cincinnati papers Of Thursday morning
bring us details of the destruction of six
steamboats, in that city, the night previous.
We copy from the Gazette:
At half-past twelve O'Clock this morning
the first sign of fire appeared issuing from
the deck-room Of the st. Charles, lying at
the wharf, between Sycamore and Broad
way. Persons who were passing along the
wharf at the time relate seemingly marvel
GUS stories of the spread of the conflagra-
ton 1t leaped from deck to deck of the
boat on which it first laid the seal Of destruc-
ton, and spreading on either side was COM
municated, on the west side, to the Kate
Robinson and on the east to the Argosy
From the latter boat the flames eaped into
the Major Anderson, the next in order on
that side, and from the Major Anderson
they leaped over into the Champion. On
the west side, after the Kate Robinson had
been enveloped, the flames seized upon the
Altoona, and in a trice spread through her
lower and upper decks, and hungrily
reached out for still other prey
But by this time the astOnished firemen,
who had not been able to reach the scene
before the fire had obtained Roadway that
placed control altogether at defiance, were
ON the ground. The hose carriages were
quickly disburdened of their loads, and the
long lines of hose stretching from Front
street to the river bank were soon swelled
almost to bursting with the force of the
water propelled through them by the pant
ing engines. People came pouring from all
portions of the town, summoned partly by
the changing of the alarm bells, but chiefly
by the glare of the confiagratiOn. Nerved
up to high pitch of excitement by the
thrilling spectacle before them, they could
hardly be held in check by the police, but
the crowd pressed forward as tar as heat
would allow them.
The firemen, of course, paid no attention
to the mass of burning material that soon
took the place of the St. Charles. Argosy,
deavor to save the end boats of the doomed
fleet. The hose was drawn upon the
Champion, at the foot of Broadway and
upon the Altoona, just above Main street,
and line after line, as the various engines
arrived, was thus called into play. When
the first water issued from the first nozzle
of the first line of hoze aboard the Cham
pion, her immediate destruction seemed in
evitable. The Major Anderson being
heavily loaded, burned fercely, and the
flames were hurled in compact masses
against the Champion.
For time the tiremen kept the flames at
bay; but at last her upper deck caught, and
the fire began eating its way below. Fresh
streams were then brought forward. and,
after long continued struggle, the fire was
finally subdued in this quarter, after it
had destroyed the best part of the boat and
cargo.
To the west, the fremen. from their stand
point on the wharfboat, kept up constant
play of water from half-dozen lines of
hose upon the burning Altoona, and their
unremitting labor was rewarded by seeing
the fire checked with its work upon this
boat. The roof of the whartboat was some
what damaged. but beyond its front the
fire was not allowed to progress.
A remarka BILE feature of the fire was the
great tierceness with which a quantity of oil
on board the St. Charles burned. 1t drifted
into the river on the inner side of the boat,
and Missed and cracked with tremendous
vigor but fortunately did not float down
stream. A large amount of the debris from
the boat drifted down the river. all atlame:
and created considerable apprehension for
the safety of the boats below.
During the fire rumors of very startling
nature were circulating through the crowd
regarding the presence of powder aboard
the boats. and it was not long before
confirmation of the reports was had.
With a boom, a volume of flame, sur
mounted with myriads Of sparks, shot up
out of the forepart of the Kate Robinson.
The crowd shrank back for moment, aud
were on the eve OF panic which another
explosion would have precipitated. But it
did not come at once, and they had become
composed again. when of sudden another
and five times louder explosion occurred on
board the same boat. The people now be-
came convinced that they were in dan
gerous neighborhood, and. as the fire had
spent its force, they began to leave the
spot. A rumor prevailed that the Altoona
had powder aboard. but the tiremen who
were at work on her stuck TO their posts,
and. happily. the report was Untounded.
The St. Charles was a sdewheel steamer,
built at New Albany in 1864, and was twin
to the st. Nicholas, which was sunk about
three years ago, ana the st. James, the
Maysville and Cincinnati packet. She was
originally in the Peoples Line of Louisville
packets. but several years ago was length
ened and introduced in the Cincinnati and
Pittsburg trade, and was commanded by
Captain j. I. Russell. She was owned at
the time she was burned by Captain C. A
bravo (who was in her Office, Joseph Smith.
Jr., and others; valued at about 100000,
and insured in Cincinnati and Pittsburg
offices. as Captain bravo says, for $4,000.
Having arrived in port last Monday night,
and laid up on account of low water and ice
at the upper end of the river, the St. Charles
had about $4,000 worth OF freight aboard.
The Major Anderson, another sidewheel
steamer was eight years old, and until two
years ago was owned by the United States
Mail Line Company, when she was sold to
Captain Charles Muhleman. John X. Booth.
Chris G. Young, and others, to ply in the
Cincinnati and Wheeling trade, in place of
the sternwheeler Potomac, which had been
burnt at the marine railway. She was also
valued at $4,000, and was insured in Gin
cinnati and Wheeling offices. The Major
Anderson had also arrived Tuesday night,
and was laid up awaiting water and an
open river, and had but little cargo aboard.
Captain Muhleman, who owned seven
eighths interest in the boat was insured in
Cincinnati companies as follows: American
$3.50; Eureka $3.50: Citizens $3.50; and
National $3.50. The other One-eighth inter
est was insured in the Franklin, of Wheel
ing.
The Champion was a sternwheel steamer,
formerly OF the Cincinnati! and st. Louis
Express line of packets, valued at $4,000
and not insured. Since the reopening of the
old canal the present season she has been
engaged in the Red river trade from here,
and was partially loaded for that stream
when she was burned. Her owners were
Captain John A. Williamson and j. G.
Isham and she was commanded by Captain
Lon Bryson. She was to have departed for
Red river on her second trip in the trade
next Saturday.
The Argosy belonged to A. J. Schench, of
yevay, Indiana, and was used as tow5oat
for towing hay and other produce to New
Orleans. 1t was her practice to come to
Cincinnati every trip and receive general
merchandise. which she carried on her own
hull. She was loading for New Orleans.
and had good load aboard, consisting OF
whisky, pork, bacon, furniture, etc. 1t was
valued at about 0.00O The boat was
worth about $4,000, and was uninsured.
The Kate Robinson and Altoona were
sternwheeI boats of the same class. owned
h, the same narties as the Champion, exc