Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-08-07
AREVER DISASTER.
PARTICULARS OF TIE DIsAsTEK.

CINCINNATI, August 5.-The steamer
Pat Rogers was burned this morning, one
mile below Aurora, Indiana.
a later despatch says 1t appears that
several bales of cotton, which formed part
of the cargo. caught fire about five O'Clock
this morning it is supposed from sparks
from the chimney, and the boat was burned
TO the waters edge. Both the boat and
cargo, the latter consisting of cattle, sheep
and hogs, besides cotton, are a total loss.
The passenger register and all the books
were DESTROYED. The boat was valued at
ESQ, 600, aud WAS insured in Cincinnati for
S32, 900, and in Louisville for $4,000. The
value OF the cargo has not been ascertained,
The names of the lost so far ascertained
are j. II. Stuart and Mrs. Smith, of
Madison, Ind. w. c. Brown, of Cincin-
natl, son of II. W Brown, of the Union
Line Transportation Company; Charles
A. Dittman pilot, and Shirley Snyder and
Jacob Light, of the crew.
The following named persons are also
missing and are supposed to have been
drowned - Charles Reswiger, stoker a;
Minor Muntz, barber, and several lady
passengers whose names are unknown.
Mrs. Tuttle and child, of Harrison, Ohio,
were drowned.
STATEMENT OF THE ENGINEER.
Mr. Holmes the engineer Of the steamer
Pat Rogers, which was burned 1T Aurora,
arrived in Cincinnati on the noon train, and
was interviewed by reporter of the Gin
cinnati Times. He gives the following ac-
count of the burning -
1t was about six O'Clock when the steam
er was opposite Loughery creek, that flows
into the Ohio river, two miles below Au-
rOra, that l noticed a bright light among
some bales Of cotton in the after part of the
boat. | FASTENED to the spot, and found
the cotton burning rapidly, and beyond any
possibility of being cXtinguished. hurried
on deck and gave the alarm to the pilot,
and told him to run the boat On shore when
she became unmanageable. The pilot
states that be could turn the wheel, but
the steamer would not answer to her helm.
He thinks the tillcr rope had been cut.
From this fact it is thought that the fire
was the work of an incendiary.
Another theory is, that one of the deck
passengers, while smoking, dropped a spark
from his pipe into the cotton.
EAPID SPREADING OF THE FLAMES.
When the boat became uhmanAgeablc
she drifted on to the sand bar and there
grounded. The flames, instead of spread
ing along the lower deck, at once shot up
to the cabin and pilot house, and then
swept across the hurricane deck. The
passengers were all aroused and the boats
lowered, and many were carried ashore,
but others in their fright jumped into the
water, and those who were not drowned
reached a safe landing place after drifting
long time in the current.
There were nearly one hundred people on
board, but what proportion of this number
is actually lost is not known at this time,
as many of those reported missing were
seen on shore after the disaster.
THE NEW BONDS.-The Treasury De-
partment has concluded negotiations for
the remainder of the funded loan with Au-
gust Belmont & Co., on behalf of n. NJ.
Rothschild & Sons, of London, and J. &
w. Scigman & Co., for themselves and
their associates. They subscribe for S45,-
0O0,O 600 Of the loan at par, with the option
of taking the remainder a; any time within
six months, and receive } Of l per cent.
commission, these parties to pay all ex-
pense in making the transfer, &c. When
all the new loan shall be completed it will
save to the Government some five million
of dollars annually.
The Philadelphia Lodgcr states that none