The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-29


"Break up the casks Of bacon in
the forward 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.
"How 10 she now?"
"A hundred and ninety-six and
still swelling-water below the
middle gauge oocks-oarrying every
pound she can stand-nigger roosting
on the safety valve!'
"Good! How's your draft?"
"Bully! Every time . nigger
heaves q stick Of wood into the fur
mace he goes out the chimney with
it,"
The Amarsnth drew steadily up
till her jaokstaff brested the Boreas'
wheel house-climbed along inch by
inch till her chimneys breasted it
crept along, further and further, till
the boats vere wheel to wheel-and
then they closed up with q heavy jolt
and locked together tight and fast in
the middle of the big river under the
flooding moonlight! A roar and q
hurrah went up from the crowded
decks Of both steamers-all hands
rushed to the guards to look, and
shout and gesrieulate--the weight
careened the vessels over toward
each other-oficers dew hither and
thither cursing and storming, trying
to drive the people amidships-both
captains we're leaning over their rail
ings shakings their 6sts, swearing
and threatening-black volumes Of
smoke rolled up aud canopied the
scene, delivering . rain Of sparks up
on the vessels-two pistol shots rang
out, and both captains lodged un-
hurt, and the packed masses Of pas
sengers surged back and fell apart
while the shrieks Of women and chill
dren scared above the intolerable
din
And then there was a booming
roar, laundering crash, and the
riddled Amaranth 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 furnaces-for it would have
been death and destruction to stop
the engines with such a head Of
steam on.
As soon as possible the Boreas
dropped 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 for
ward half of the boat was shapeless
ruin, with the great chimneys lying
crossed on the top Of it, and under,
meath were dozen victims impris-
oned alive and wailing for help.
While men with axes worked with
might and main to free these poor
fellows, the Boreas' boats went about
picking up stragglers from the river.
And now a new horror presented
itself. The wreck took fire from the
disman,led furnaces! Never did
men work with a 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. 1t scorched
the clothes, it singed the hair of the
axemen-it drove them back foot by
foot-inch by inch-they wavered,
struck final blow in the teeth of
the enemy, and surrendered. Aud
as they fell back they heard prisoned
voices saying:
"Don't leave us! DON, desert US !!
Don't, don't do it!'
And one poor fellow said:
II am Henry Worley, striker Of
the Amaranth. My mother lives in
St. Louis. Tell her q lie for devils
sake, please. Say l was killed in an
instant and never knew what hurt
me-though God knows I've neither
scratch nor bruise this moment! It's
hard to burn up in coop like this
with the whole wide world so near.
Goodby boys-we've all got to come
to it at last, anyway"
The Boreas stood away out of dan
ger, and the ruined steamer went
drifting down the stream an island of
wreathing and climbing fame that
vomited clouds of smoke from time
to time, and glared more 6ercely and
sent its luminous tongues higher and
higher after each emission. A shrek
at intervals told of q 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 burning
with scarcely aba,ed fury.
When the boys came down into
the main saloon of the Boreas, they
saw a pitiful sight and heard a world
of pitiiul sounds. Eleven poor crea-
lures 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 sufferings
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 dread
ful and unhuman aspect.
A little wee French midshipman Of
fourteen lay fearfully injured, bu,
never uttered sound till a physi.
clan Of Memphis was about to dress
his hurts.
.sCan | get well? You need no,
be afraid to tell me-
..No-I-I am afraid you can not.
"Then do not not waste your time
with me-help those that can gel
WE'LL"
"Help those that can get well. l.
is not for me to be girl. l carry
the blood of eleven generations o
soldiers in my veins"
The physician-himself man whe
had seen service in the navy in hi
tlme-touched his hat to this littl,
hero, and passed on.
The head engineer Of the Atnar
an,h, grand specimen of physica
manhood, struggled to his feet {
ghastly spectacle, and strobe towar.