The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-01-14
''I wish I'd a stopped for him, that's


" What is she carrying now?"
"A hundred and sixty-fve, sir !"
"How's your wood?"
"Pine all out-cypress half gone
eating up cottonwood like pie 7"
"Break into that resin on the main
deck-pile it in-the boat can pay for
it -
Soon the boat was plunging, and
quivering, and screaming more madly
than ever. But the Amaranth's head
was almost abreast the Boreas' stern.
"How's your steam now, Harry ?"
Hundred and eighty-two, sir p
Break up the casks of bacon in the
forard hold Pile it in Levy on that
turpentine in the fantail-drench every
stick of wood with it -
The boat was moving earthquake by
this time.
Chow is she nOw?"
"a hundred and ninety-six and still
swelling-water below the middle gauge
cocks-carrying every pound she can
stand-nigger roosting on the safety
valve w
"Good! How's your draft ?"
"Bu!ly! Every time niger heaves
a stick of wood in the furnace, he goes
out the chimney with it!
The Amarantl1 tlrU7v steadily MP till
her iack-staf breasted the Boreas'
wheel-house-climbed along inch by
inch till her chimneys breasted it-crept
along, further and further, till the
boats were wheel to wheel-and then
they closed up with heavy jolt, and
locked together tight and fast in the
middle of the big river under the flood
ing moonlight A roar and hurrah |
went up from the crowded decks of
both steamers-all hands rushed to the
guards to look, and shout, and gesticu-
late-the weight careened the vessels
over toward each other-oficers flew
hither and thither cursing the storming,
trying to drive the people amidships-
both captains were leaning over the
the ratings, shaking their fists, swear
ing threatening-black volumes Of
smoke rolled up and canopied the scene,
delivering rain of sparks upon the
vessels--two pistol shots rang out, and
both captains dodg ed unhurt, and the
packed masses of passengers surged
back and fell apart, while the shrieks of
women and children scared above the
intolerable din
And then there was a booming roar, a
laundering crash, and the riddled ANA
rauth dropped loose from their hold and
drifted helplessly away!
Instantly the fire doors of the Boreas
were thrown open, and the men began
dashing buckets of water in the fur
naces-for it would have been death
and destruction to stop the engines with
such head of steam on.
As soon as possible the Boreas drop
ped down to the floating wreck, and
took off the dead, the wounded and the
unhurt-at least all that could be got
at, for the whole forward half of the
boat was shapeless ruin, with the
great chimneys lying crossed on the top
of it, underneath were a dozen victims
imprisoned alive and wailing for help. |
While men with axes worked with might |
and main to free thef poor fellows, the
Boreas's boats went about, picking up
stragglers from the river.
And now new horror presented it.
self. The wreck took fire from the dis
mantIed furnaces Never did men
work With heartier will than did those
stalwart braves with axes. But it was
of no use. The fire ate its way steadily, |
despising the bucket brigade that
fought it. It scorched the clothes, it
singed the hair of the axmen-it drove
them back foot by foot-inch by 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 don't do it p
Add one poor fellow said:
"I am Harry Worley, striker of the
Amaranth! My mother lives in st.
Louis. Tell her lie for poor devils
sake, please. Say was killed in an
instant and never knew what hurt me-
though God knows I've neither scratch
nor druise this moment It's hard to
burn up in coop like this with the
whole wide world so near. Good by
boys-we've all got to come to it at last,
anyway
The Boreas stood away out of danger,
and the ruined steamer went drifting
down the stream an island of wreathiDg
and climbing fame that vomited clouds
of smoke from time to time, and glared
more fereely and sent its luminous
tongues higher and higher after each
emission. A shrek at intervals told of
a captive that had met his doom. The
wreck lodged upon a sandbar, and
when the Boreas turned the next point
on her upward journey it was still burn
ing with any scarcely abated fury.
When the boys came down into the
main saloon Of the Boreas, they saw
pitiful sightand heard a world of pitiful
sounds. Eleven poor creatures lay dead
and forty more lay moaning, or pleading
or screaming, while score of Good
Samaritans moved among them doing
what they could to relieve their suffer
ings bathing their skinless faces and
bodies with linseed oil and lime water,
and covering the places with bulging
masses Of raw cotton that gave to every
face and form a dreadful and unhuman