Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-21
FLAMES
The Steamers Grand Republic and
Carondelet Destroyed by Fire.
An Exciting Midnight Scene on the
RlVer-The Origin Of the DIsas-
tsr-Descripti0n OF the B0ats,

The Grand Republic, the largest aud
finest river steamboat in the world, was
destroyed BY fire last night while lying
tor repairs at the foot Of Lesperance
street. When the alarm from the fire de-
partment was sounded at ll:45 the sky
IN the southern part of the city was red
With reelection from the Ere and a large
volume Of smoke rolled up from the
burning boat.
A few minutes after the alarm struck
several engines were rafting along to the
scene of the fire, aud the streets in the
vicinity we're fast filling with people
About fifteen minutes after the fire.
alarm, the whole leveefr front was throsged
with people-men, women and children
many Of them but half dressed, and
not q few Of them in their night clothes.
Nothing but the skeleton work of the
upper portion of the finest boat on the
Mississippi river was left, aud hat was
being rapidly eaten up BY the ~devouring
flames.
The fremen of engines Nos. /, IL, Z
and l6 were standing on the bow Of
the boat and on a gang plank at the side
aud near the front, throwing water on to
the FIRE. but the rear half Of the boat had
to be left to the mercy of the flames.
The iremen gradually made their way
toward the middle of the boat, putting
out the FIRE as they moved along, but il
was slow work, and at 2 o'clock this
morning the timbers ia the stern were
still burning. SSsa
The Csrondelst, an iron-clad stern.
wheeler, running between Memphis and
New Orleans and lying alongside the
Grand Republic, awaiting repairs, was
also ablaze upon the reporters arrival,
but the upper portion Of the boat soon
burned away, leaving the iron hull in ap
parsntly an u~ninjured condition.
HISTORICAL.
There have been other fine steamers
on the Mississippi in times gone By, hut
nothing to compare with the Grand Re-
public. The Eclipse, which made her
appearance in 1851, was 365 feet in
length, was regarded as a monster, and
was very elegant and speedy, but the
Republic had more than three times her
carrying capacity, and was proportion
ately her superior in maEnifcence OF
finish and elegance of adornment.
The new hull Of the Republic was built
by the CarOndelet Marine Railway and
Dock Company in 1875. The contract
for the work was made in July and the
hull was launched in December, 1875.
The boat was built throughout of selected I
material, and was considered one of the
best jobs ever turned out in this country.
The steamer was completed, with the ex.
eeption Of painting, ornaments, etc, ia
March, 1876, and was formally launched
in the presence Of hundreds OF ladies and
gentlemen, and it was on that day that
Captain Thorwegan changed her name
from Great to Grand Republic, at the
suggestion Of q lady that the steamer
vas worthy OF being called grand.
The texas or upper deck cabin had &C,
commodations for 100 passengers and
was fitted up for colored people. The
pilot house was very large, aud decorated
with stained glass, scroll work, etc. The
barber shop, store room and blacksmith
shop we're en- the lsrbcard side and the
pantry, cook house and mess room on
the stsFboard guard.
The engines we're Hartupee compound
engines. The two large cylinders we're
fifty inches and the smaller ones twenty.
* inches in diameter with t%en.foot
stroke, and connected with them were
two improved air pumps, which could be
used 10 taking water from the hall. cana.
bic Of throwing $4,000 gallons of water
per minute. She also had two doctor
engines, two Ere engines, two engines to
the forward aud q to the after caps.an
and one engine to the freight elevator.
making fourteen in all. When first re.
built she had seven boilers, twenty.eigbt
ieet long, foIty-two inches in diameter.
and having two return hues fifteen
inches in diameter, and we're made Of
he best steel. But a few weeks ago the
work Of lsngtheniIg these boilers several
feet and putting in an additional one.
making eight in all. was contracted for
and was scarcely finished last night when
the steamer burned
Her ohimneys we're 70 inches IN di.
ameter, rs feet high from the hurricane
roof and ll3 from the water. The shafts
we're 26 feet long, ls4 inches 10 the jour.
mails, 4 h8nges on each, % arms in the
hange, wheels 30 feet in diameter. Is
feet BUCKETS. Her standing rigging was
made Of wire rope, and her derricks.
spars, stages, etc, were all worked By
steam.
The fire department Of the floating
palace consisted Of one large stationary
engine, with 600 feet Of hose attached.
There we're several smaller engines in
various portions Of the boat available for
hand nse.
The Grand cabin was the most hand.
some steamboat apartment sfoat. Ill
was fitted up in The Gothic style, and or
nameuted with columns, scroll work, etc.
The magnificent saloon was ventilated
With extra high skylights and there were
numerous p~assagewsys leading to the
main and upper decks. The furniture
vas toe most luxuriant
The boiler-deek was 30 feet long with
20 feet prouensding guards on each side
and outside Of the cabin.
The main or saloon cabin was 2T0 feet
10 length, 80 feet vide, Is feet high and
was elegantly ftted with 50 t%en-foot
staterooms and two 6fteeu.foot bridal
chambers.
The maia stairway leading from the
main to the cabin or boiler deck, a dis
lance Of seventeen and a half feet, was
very elaborate, geometrical open ban.
n~isters, with scroll Rork spd holdings
and heavy double hand rails, forming e
handsome main entrance.
The fore and aft bulkhead was braeed
~diagonally to form a bridge truss With
solid three-inch bulkhsad on each side.
It had flush boiler deck guards and sta
tionary tenders. Every seam was
Gsulked with nine threads Of oakum,
and ell seams, spike.heads and butts
were whiteleaded and nuttied. hottom