Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-27

til the boats were wheel to 'wheel-aud ,the,
tney closed up with q heavy jolt and locked To-
| gether tight and fast in the middle of the hia
river under the flooding moonlight A roar AMI
hurrah went up from the crowded decks o.
both steamers-all hands rushed 10 the snsrS,
10 look and shout and gesticulate-the Teigh,
careened the YES sells over towards each other-
o o,n.,s new hither and thither cursing and
S'oIming, trying to drive the people amidshipsL
rom captains we're leaning over their railing,
| shaking their fists, swearing and threateniny
, niaek volumes OF smoke rolled up and canopied
Ihe sSene-deivering a rain of sparks upon the
Eesseis-two pistol shots rang out, and both
captains lodged unhurt, and the packed m asses
OF passengers surged back and fell apart, while
,he snrieks OF women and children scared above
And then there was q booming roar a thuu-
dering crash, and the riddled Amaranth drop
pea loose from her hold and drifted helplessiy
Instantly the fre-doors of the Boreas were
thrown open and the men begah dasbipo
puckets OF water into the furnaces-for 1t would
gines with such a head of steam on.
AS soon rs possible the Boreas dropped down
to the floating wreck and took Of the dead, the
wounded, and the unhurt-at least all that
could be got at, for the whole for ward half of
the boat was shapeless ruin, with the great
chimneys lying crossed on top Of 1t, and under
and wailing for help. While men with AYES
worked with might and main to tree these roor
fellows, the Boreass boats went about, picking
And now a new horror presented itself. The
wreck took fire from the dismantled furnaces
Never did men work with n heartier will than
Hld those stalwart braves with the axes. But
~ was OF no use. The fire ate its way steadily
despising the bucket brigade that fou ght it. 1t
scorcheC the clothes, ii singed the hair of the
aNemen-it drove them back, foot by foot-inch
Dy inch-they wavered, struck a final blow In
the teeth OF the enemy, and surrendered. And
as they fell back they heard prisoned voices
saying:
"Don't leave US! Don't desert us! Don't
And one poor fellow said:
am Henry Morley, striker of the ANA
ranth! My poor mother lives in st. Louis Tell
her lie for poor DEVILS sake, please. Saw |
was killed in an instant and never knew what
hurt me-though God knows I've neither
burn up in coop like this with the whole wide
world so near. Good-by boys-we'ye all got to
come 10 II at last, anyway"
, The Boreas stood away out of danger, and
the ruined steamer went drifting down the
stream an island of wreathing and climbing
lame that vomited clouds of smoke from time
to time, and glared more iercely and sent its
luminous tongues higher and higher after each
emission. shrek at intervals told of a cap
tive that had met his doom. The wreck lodged
upon saEd-bsr, and when the Boreas turned
the next point on her upward Journey il was
still burning with scarcely abated fury.
When the boys came down into the main sa-
loon of the Boreas they saw pitiful sight and
heard world of pitifui sounds. Eleven poor
OF pleading, or screaming, while q score Of
Good Samaritans moved among them, doin 2
what they could to relieve their sufferngse
bathing their skinless faces and bodies with lin
seed oil and lime-water, and covering the
places with bullying masses of raw cotton, that
gave to every face and form dreadful and in
little wee French midshipman of fourteen
lay fearfully injured, but never uttered sound
till physician of Memphis was about to dress
his hurts. Then he said
Can / get weilo Won need MT be afraid 60
tell me-"
"No-l-1 am afraid you canaot"
Then do not waste your time with me-help
those that can get WELL"
"Help those that can get well, 1t is not for
me to be girl. | carry the blood OF eleven
generations OF soldiers in my veinsi'
The physician-hlmself man who had seen
service in the navy in his time-touched his hat
to this little hero, and passed on.
The head engineer of the Amaranth, grand
specimen Of physical manhood struggled to his
teet, CHASTITY spectacle, and strobe TO wards his
brother, the second engineer who was unhurt.
He said:
" You were on watch. You were boss You
would not listen to me when begged you to
reduce your steam. Take that!-take it to my
wife, and tell her it comes from me by the hand
of nay murderer! Take it-and take my curse
with it to blister your heart a hundred years
and may you live SO long"
And he tore ring from his finger, stripping
flesh and skin with 1t, threw it down and fell
deadi
But these things must not be dwelt upon. The
BOreas landed her dreadful cargo at the next
large town and delivered Ii over to a multitude
of eager hands and warm Southern hearts-a
cargo amounting by this time TO 80 wounded
persons and % dead bodies. And with these
She delivered list of 96 missing persons that
had drowned or otherwise persisted at the scene
of the disaster.
jury of inquest was impanelle1, and after
due deiberation and inquiry they returned the
inevitable American verdict which has been so
familiar to our ears all the days of our lives
Nab0dv N blame.v