The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-11-01
Terrified Passengers Warned Of Death
at the Breakfast Table.
LAUNCHING AND SWAMPlNG THE BOATS
Captain Greene as Last Seen Bat.
Ting with the Flames.
ADDITIONAL VICTIMS
Names of Those Not Given in
the First List.

KEY WEST, Fla. Oct. 81, 1872.
The following particulars Of the burning OF the
steamship Missouri have been obtained from the
survivors who arrived here:-
When the boat which was saved left the burning
ship one boat was seen with Its keel upwards,
which had two men on 1t. The rescued boat lay for
two hours by swamped boat containing nine men,
including the engineers fremen and ships barber.
bucket was given to the inmates of the swamped
boat to bail with, there being two in the rescued
boat. AS there were no seamen In the swamped
in this condition they were left. It Is not likely
that any Of them were saved.
NO SAILS HAD BEEN SEEN
for two days previous to the fire. On that day the
Missouri was IN company with ship from quar-
ter past nine A. M. until three P. NJ, when she was
lost sight Of. For forty minutes after the rescued
left the Missouri they saw the passengers and crew
who remained on board crowded on the after part
of the vessel.
WHERE THE FIRE WAS DISCOVERED.
floor OF the locker in the pantry and the cry Of fire
was Immediately given Wet carpets were i'm
mediatey put on the fire by the pantrymen and
Others, and the stewards reported to the passen-
given while the passengers were at breakfast
but on receiving the stewards report that
the fire had been extinguished the breakfast was
resumed and the fears Of the passengers quoted.
Within two minutes, however, several voices
screamed "Fireln from the stokehole. All was
then confusion. Within twenty minutes
THREE BOATS WERE LAUNCHED.
In the rescued boat. with the exception of few
pieces OF sugarcane, there was neither food nor
water and only two small oars and large one;
neither were there any sails nor anything to make
them OF.
1t was from nine O'Clock in the morning OF the
GOD until two O'Clock in the afternoon Of the 23d
before assistance was obtained At that time the
schooner Spy was sighted, and the rescued party
pulled vigorously to her. The Spy took the survi-
vors to Hopetown, on Elbow Key where they
arrived about seven P. M. on the Esd.
On the oath q schooner was sent towards the
burning ship, with charts and full directions where
10 find her, and with instructions to
LOOK FOR THE ships BOATS
and skirt the coast The schooner returned about
midnight on the 24th and reported having seen
nothing OF the boats or passengers The sea was
then breaking heavily in the reefs. The party left
Hopetown at ten O'Clock on the 25th, and arrived
at Nassau at halfpast two p. M. on the 2sth 1t is
said that the donkey pumps OF the steamer were
started one of the passengers asserting that
he had hold 81 the hose some time aud that no
water Was forced through 1t on the flames from the
donkey. Two deck pumps were worked few
minutes only.
Within fifteen minutes after the alarm OF fire was
given the twelve survivors were in the boat, and
the flames were coming from the stokehole In
volume. The ships course was never altered and
consequently the flames were carried athwartships,
burning up one lifeboat on the lee side and max
ing it too hot to get the others OF. Only three
boats were launched, two OF which were swamped.
1t Is said that
SEVEN FEMALES AND SEVEN CHILDREN
were aboard the Missouri none OF whom got into
the boats. The scene presented was heartrending.
Not over twenty minutes elapsed after the fire was
discovered before the three boats were launched.
The Missouri's engines were stopped, but her
sails were left spread and speed Of four knots was
maintained.
THE LAST SEEN OF THE CAPTAIN
when last seen Captain Greene was working with
Purser Hampstead and some Of the crew, trying to
off fha Lao 0at nj od w m nd
name Eleven OF the survivors say that the boat
was never launched, but, Captain Gunner, the
twelfth, says 1t was launched full OF people, but
that it was Immediately swamped.
Strange Conduct OF Customs Officers at