, 1872-11-13
THE LOSS OF THE MISSOURI.


From. tho Netc York World, Nop.9.
b. the arrival Of the Moro Castle from Ha-
7ana yesterday, ne are enanlsd 1eaa morning TO
overlook the steamer Missouri, OF the Atlantic
Mail Li11p, on the 22d ut. Five OF the survivors
of the ill-fated vessel have arrived in this city,
and thus far they are ignorant IS to the late OF
most Of their fellow-su1erers-
THE EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS THE FIRE.
Samuel Cone. seaman, gave the following
account OF the disaster: was On deck naming
out the reef-tackle Of the fore-topsai1 when the
alarm of fire was given, and in about tWo MN
'all right" and few seconds later another alarm
was given. Iwent with the second officer and
got the hose on tho donkey-pump after that
won't to get the hoso On the main deck pump,
but found it had already been attached, and
the pump was playing on The FIRE, and then |
pumped but short time when the flames broke
OUT covering space OF about fifteen feet on the
starboard side Of the steamer, making it m
possible to get of on that eide: The next thiRg
/ beard was an order from the Captain to thu
Engineer to stop his engine. ard then came the
order to get out the boats. There VAS no
panic, and all the passengers and crew behaved
wen, m a9d z.s d,d their utmost to get the boats
with the ship rolling heavily Of course as soon
as the engine VAS stopped she fell off into the
trough Of the eea. There mas D small boat on
the hurricane deck, and We dragged that to the
4CC Hudit6E uIu IAUucuEu IL emu Qf9t anu let 04T
hang by her painter. We then lowered the port
atter-boat. lhelped to do this myself, and next,
/ believe, the starboar1 after-boat was lowered.
We raw her afterwards bottom up, with two men
hanging to her. After the port after-boat was
cut adrift and swamped, I made for the boat We
had launched over the lee quarter, and got into
her. There were twelve Of us in all that got
into her, which was as many as she could carry,
md she WIS cut adrift. We pulled up towards
the ahip for about two hours, but we could not
Ioo 1YCo1y o:ocf ftn IN fret
boat which got of had nine men in her, but she
swamred. We lay around the ship till quar-
ter-past II, and then, seeing nobody to whom
We could render any assistance, We pulled away
mass Of flame. T!:o last saw of the Captain
he was on deck with Mr. Cleveland, trying to
get the forward port boat in the water. I had
to jump overheard then to save myself. We
finally landed on Great Inagua Key at 6 p. N.
The place where the fire. broke out was in
any more in our boat. # anybody had offered
NC $50, 900 would not have taken him in. 4
man is fool not to save himself. When Z
jumped into the water had no shoes on, and
hurt my feet terribly while walking on shore
with the thorns, which we're sharp rs needles.
HOW FIFTEEN LIVES WE'RE sAvED-sTAIENENT OF
RICHARD MURPHY.
was second pantryman On board the Mis-
eouri. At quarter before 8 o'clock On the
morning Of the 22d the sea was running very
high, and strong breeze YVES blowing from the
northeast. The passengers we're all at break
fast with the exception Of three, who
had theirs late, and we're tardy in putting
in IN appearance at the breakfast table. WAS
busy in my pantry when one Of the Baloon-boys
came in for the basket used for carrying off the
dirty plates. He stopped down and opened the
port locker, where the basket was kept, when
tlame burst out and scorched him on the face
He jumped back and called out '' Fire. II and one
of the pant1ymen got bucket Of water and ahot
it through the opening. This settled the flame
for moment, but to make the matter doubly
safe, l tore up the carpet that covered the pam
try-door, which was soaking wet, and thrust it
in the locker. This seemed to overcome the
flames efectually, and the saloon-boy, who had
meanwhile rushed into the saloon shouting
"Fire," returned and quieted the passengers By
telling them that it vas falae alarm. l then
walked aft to the engine-room and look
ing from the gang~way saw into the
pantry, and was surprised to find it filed
with fire and smoke. 1ruahed up stairs to the
upper deck and on my way up saw q colored
lady and five children near the head Of the
stairs. I rushed up stairs partly on account OF
the dense smoke and partly for the reason that
wanted to give an alarm Captain Green had
evidently heard Of the fire, for he was talking to
Captain Culmer about it. By this time all the
hurrying about and falling over one another in
their endeavor to reach the upper deck: In
less than ten minutes from the time that first
saw the fire that part OF the ship nearest the
pantry was burning. fercely. As said before,
Culmer, and as ran past them I heard the
Captain say something about stopping the en-
gines. a few minutes later, and, coming
near him again, / heard him say that
he was going to set the boats out. Every
body seemed excited, but there Was no
confusion. OF course, We all eaw that we would
have to take to the boats, the passengers and
crew divided themselves into squads, and each
squad kept close to q boat. have no idea how
passenger that saw being the colored woman
and her FIVE children. The fore-starboard boat
waA burnt before she could be launched and the
aft-starboaEd boat was pitched out bottom side
up. She drlfted OF with one seaman hanging to
her, and another man jumped overheard and
swan to her. The last ne saw Of them the
two men c1inging to the keel OF the boat. As
there was no possibility of her nghting, these
men must have been drowned Noticing Cap
tain Culmer working at 3 boat lent hand, and
after few eecouds work ne managed to drag
tbs boat, which was q new one, and lying
loose on tho deck, over to the
lee quarter, where We pitched her into
the sen. painter having previously been fast
s passenger On the boat at the time, but is also
the Captain OF fruit schooner trading between
Nassau and New York, jumped overheard with
tho other eud OF the painter IN his hand, and,
aud then kept her within short distance-ot the
Missouri. Five OF the crew and six passengers
then jumped on the Missouri and swan to the
boat, Captain Culmer helping them in. Had it
not been for Captain Culmer's brave conduct we
would all have persisted. Captain Culmer took
the helm, and we then pulled towards the aft
port boat, which had been launched and was
half full Of water, In the boat were the
porter, barber, two oilers, and three fro-
men. Having two buckets in our boat, We
threw them one to bail out with We
then laid on our oars some two hours,
but, as the sea was running tremendously high,
were unable to anything Of the other
boats. Tho Missouri, soon after our leaving
her, was burning in every part, and at about 5
o'clock the magazine exploded, but that caused
but little difference in the appearance Of the
burning steamer. Mr. Culmer, who had charge
Of the boat, steered her towards the land, which
WAS sighted at o'clock. On getting nearer We
discovered breakers, but our helmsman selected
a part OF the coast which WAS free from surf,
and at O'Clock. without having had anything to
eat or drink through the entire day, with very
little clothing on, and that little wet through, We
safely beached our boat on desert place called
Great 1naugua: Tired out, most Of us lay down
to sleep, while others walked up and down
through tho night. In the morning we