The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-01
THE MISSOURI DISASTER !
The Terrible Loss of Life
Confirmed!
Full Particulars Of the Awful
Scene.


KEY WEST, Oct. 31.-The following particu-
lars of the burning of the steamship Missouri
have been obtained from survivors who have
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 it. The
rescued boat lay for two hours by a swamped
boat containing nine men, including the engin-
GERS, fremen and the 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 no seamen in the swamp
ed boat they were unable to properly manage
it, and in this condition they were left. 1t 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 compa-
ny with a ship from 915 a. m. till 8 p. M, when
she was lost sight of. Forty minutes after the
rescued boat left the Missouri, they saw the
passengers and crew who remained on board
crowded on the after part of the vessel!
1t is said the fire was first discovered on the
floor of the locker in the pantry, and the cry of
fire was Immediately given. Wet carpets were
Immediately put on the fire by the pantrymen
and others, and the stewards reported to the
passengers that the fire was out. The alarm
was given while the passengers we're at break
the fire had been extinguished breakfast was
resumed and the fears of the passengers quiet
ed. Within two minutes, however, several
voices screamed Sire from the stake hole. All
was then confusion, and within 20 minutes the
boats were launched. In the rescued boat with
the exception Of few pieces of sugar cane,
there was neither food or water There We're
only two small oars and large one, but no sails
or anything to make them of. 1t was from a.
M of the 22d until 2 in the afternoon of the
hafn f,1,t n.r md A fI,zt
time schooner Spy was sighted and the rescued
party pulled vigorously to her. The Spy took
the survivors to Hopetown of Elbow Key,
where they arrived about Z p. m. of 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 on the 24th
and reported having seen nothing of the boats
or passengers The sea was then breaking
heavily on the reefs. The party left Hopetown
at 10 o clock of the 25th aud arrived at Nassau
at 80 p. m. on the 2Sth. 1t is said that the
donkey pumps of the steamer were never start
ed, one OF the passengers asserting he had hold
of those some time and that no water was fore
ed through it on the flames from the donkey.
The deck pumps were worked for few min
utes only. Within fifteen minutes after the
alarm of fire was given the twelve survivors
were in the boat and the flames coming from
the stoke hole in volumes The ships course
was never altered, and consequently the flames
were carried athwartships, burning up one life
boat on the lee side and making it too hot to
get the others off Only three boats were launch
ed 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 was heart-rending. Not over twenty
minutes elapsed after the fire was discovered
before three boats were launched. The Missou-
ri's engines were stopped but her sails were left
spread and speed of four knots was main
kof, 1oS No 1t,,,, n
working with Purser Hampstead and some of
the crew trying to get off the lee boats, sur
rounded with smoke and flame. Eleven of the
survivors say the boat was never launched, but
the twelfth, Capt. Culmer, says it was launch
ed full OF people and Immediately swamped.