The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-11-07

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TIE MISSOURI Ho1ooAusr.-The fol.
lowing particulars OF the burning of the
steamship Missouri have been obtained
rom the survivors who arrived ut Key
West, Florida: ~,
When the boat which was saved left
ehe burning ship one boat was seen with
It's keel upwards, which had two men on
it. The rescued boat lay for two hours
by swamped boat containing nine men,
including the engineers, firemen and
ships barber. A bucket was given to
the inmates of the swamped boat to bail
with, there being two in the rescued
boat. As there were 20 scnmen in the
swamped boat they were unable properly
to manage it, and in this condition they
were left. It is not likely that any Of
lem were saved. No sails had been seen
Tor two days previous to the fire. On
tnaI DAY the Missouri was in company
With ship from quarter-past 8 A. NJ.
uutll T. NJ. when she was lost sight Of.
For forty minutes after the rescued left
tho Missouri they saw the passengers and
crew who remained on board crowded on
the after part OF tho vessel.
1t is said tho fire was first discovered
on the floor of tho locker in the pantry,
and the CRY of fire was Immediately
given. Wet carpets were Immediately
put on the FIRE by the pautrymen and
others, and tho stewards reported to tho
passengers that the fire was out. The
alarm was given while the passeng gers
were at breakfast, but on receiving tho
stewards report that the fire bad been
extinguished the breakfast was resumed
and the fears Of the passengers quieted
Within two minutes. however, several
voices screamed "Fire!" from the stoke
hole. All was then confusion. Within
twenty minutes three boats were
launched. In the rescued boat, with the
exception of G few pieces of sugar -cane,
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 8 o'clock in the morning
of the 22d until 2 o'clock in the after
noon OF tho 23d before assistance was
obtained. At that :ima the schooner
Spy was sighted, and the rescued party
pulled vigorously to her. The Spy took
tie survivors 10 Hopetown, on Elbow
Key, where they arrived about 7 p. NJ
on the 23d. On the Oath, schooner
was sent towards the burning ship, with
charts and full directions where to find
her, and with instructions to look for the
ships boats and skirt the coast. The
schooner returned about midnight Oh
the Oath, and reported having seen no
thing OF the boats or passengers. The
sen was then breaking heavily in the
reefs. The party left Hopetown ut 10
o'clock on the 25th, and arrived at Mas.
sau mt ha!f-past 2 T.. NJ. on the 2Sth. It
is said that the donkey pumps of the
steamer were never started, one of tie
passengers asserting that he had hold Of
the hose some time. and that no water
was forced through it on the flames from
the donkey. Two deck pumps were
worked fuw 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 stokchole in u volume.
The ships conrse was mover altered, and
consequently the flames were carried
atLwartsLips, burning up one life boat
ON the lee side and making it too hot to
get the others OF. Only three boats
wero launched, two Of which were
swnmped. 1t is said that seven females
anu seven children were aboard tho Mis-
souri,, mono of whom got into the boats.
The scene presented was hcart-rending
wv WV L"Ctt1 IliduLCS Ciup pSCll
the fire Was discovered before the three
boats were launched. The Missouri's
engines were stepped. hu. lie. sails were
left spread and u speed of four knots was
maintained.
When last seen. Captain Greene was
working with Purser Hampstead and
some OF tho crew, trying to get off the
lee boat, surrounded with smoke and
tlamo. Eleven Of the survivors say that
TIE boat was never launched, but, Cap
tain Culmer, the twelfth, says it was
launched full OF people, but tha. it WIS
Immediately swamped.
In the list Of passengers lost by The
steamship Missouri occur five servants Of
Mr. Cleveland. who went out to take
charge of the Nlt!ini Hotel, at i'assuu.
The company allowed them to go under
that designation at half price. Ouo of
them was DR.. Babcoch, of New York
another TGs Colonel Cecil Cleveland Of
Buffalo. who served in the war under
General Banks; another was Joseph
ThrockmortoD, Il clerk in philadelphia,
and woman named Mary Blank, of
Oneid. County, who was going to Nassau
as ii house keeper
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