American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-03-04
BURNING OF The STEAMER MARY
BELL, At VICKSBURG.
Narrow Escape%..of the Passengers
LOSS, OYER HALF A MILLION DOLLiRS.


stIucted for the Mississippi river,
and one of the finest of passenger
packets, is 10 more. For some time
past it has been known that she
would leave Memphis on a special
t,ip for New Orleans, reaching that
city in time for the Mardi Gras car
nival. Many passengers expected
to ioin her here, including number
of ladies, who had their trunks
packed tor grand holiday cXcur-
sion. Shortly after noon, Sunday ,
the Lleviathan steamed into port,
with a large cargo of cotton, her
decks lined with passengers and her
band playing saily. AS she passed
down tho river she attracted the
attention of hundreds OF people,
who had gathered along the wharf
to take a view of the
GREAT7MARY BELL,
and when she landedeat the cotton
ward. below the elevator, she was
visited by a great many NIckSburg-
ers. both ladies and gentlemen. 1t
was found that she had already in
her cabin 1853 passengers, which
WAS ali she had accommodation FOR
i'm that quarter. 1t was therefore
necessary for the Vicksburgers to
take quarters in the texas, the Off
GERS giving up their staterooms for
their accom- mediation. When the
forty or fifty people had been added
here, there were
OVER TWO. HUNDRED PASSENGERS
registered. Many of the excursion
lists left the boat soon after she
landed, to walk or drive around the
city. There were three bridal par
ties an board, and music, mirth and
dancing had been the order since
the boat left Memphis.
The change came suddenly. About
30 O'Clock in the afternoon, smoke
was seen issuing from among the
cotton bales directly under the
baggage room, little att of the
stems. a few sacks of cotton seed
were pulled out, and the fire dis
played itself, but did not appear to
be at all dangerous, as it was
thought few buckets of water
would quickly extingnish it. One
of the gentlemen, who saw the fire,
went hastily into the cabin, and
whispered to the clerk,
+ "TIIE BOAT Is ON FIRE"
Although he merely whispered the
intelligence, and was anxious to
avoid creating a panic among the
passengers, some of them, noticing
the pallor of his face, suspected
danger, and were quickly on the
alert. Meanwhile, the engineer and
greaser had brought the hose to
play on the fire, but the pipe burst
before they succeeded i'll accom-
plishing anything, and the fire grew
so hot that the greaser, who held
the hose, was forced to retreat. The
alarm spread quickly. The pilot
ran up to his post and blew signals
of distress, the bells rang, and the
GREATEST EXCITEMENT
prevailed. The ladies', many Of
whom were in the texas, had hardly
time to realize their danger, when
caught hold of by friends and urged
to leave the boat. Some of the ID
dies actually laughed at the pecu.
liarity of the situation, while others
tainted, and others still ran and
jumped, and seemed crazed with
fright. Within two or three min
utes after the alarm, the stairway
caught, and the flames and smoke
assembled into the cabin. Half a
dozen of the first to start ran down
tho steps and reached the shore by
the stage plank, but they had hard.
~ done SO before
THE STAIRWAY WAS IN FLAMES,
and all agress by that route cut off.
Luckily, the Parisot Line steamer
TaIlahatchie was lying between the
burning boat and the shore, loaded
with cotton, which she was dis
charging on the Mary Bell, and the
passengers of the latter, by jump
ing over the guards on to the Falla-
hatchie, were afforded a means OF
escape. Very fortunately, the first
effort to pull the Ta!lahatchie from
her perilous position was unsuccess.
fuI, and she remained there until
everybody had gotten ashore, the
wind blowing to the larbOard, anu
carrying the flames away from her
Another Parisot Line steamer, the
Yazoo, laid on the larboard side OF
tile Mary Bell, transferring cotton
to her, and was pulled away by the
tug, and permitted to drift down
the river out of danger.
Several of the passengers were
eager to save their baggage, and
wished to turn back after they had
started ashore; but the roaring OF
the flames and the ascending smoke
warned them that they had no time
to lose, if they would save them,
selves.
NOT MORE THAN SEVEN MINUTES
had elapsed after the fire was dis.
covered, before the whole boat was
enveloped i'll flames; and it was
utterly impossible, i'll that short
time, to give much attention to any
thing but the saving of human life.
Several ladies and children were in
their staterooms, some with their
doors locked, and in some instances
the doors had to he broken down,
and the stupe6ed inmates literally
carried ashore. Some heroic gen.
tlemen stood on the burning boat,
and passed frightened children to
parties on the Tallahatchie, whence
they were taken ashore, They also