Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-15

Steamer B@Fmed.
.THE ASSESSOR LINE sTEAMER CITY OF
CHEsTER TAKEs FLRE At THE KLR-
vAF0s AsD BURNS TO THE WATER's
EDaE.
Memphis Appeal, TIL
Al half-pAsl two O'Clock this morn.
lug the AnchoF-liue steamer City OF
Chester, which arrived 81 the elevator
ct twelve o'clock lest Bighi, caught
hre, which was not discovered until
those who escaped from the vessel did
20 barely with their lives. Captain
ZsIRler. who was sick on arrival In
pOri, pat the boat In charge Of the
mate, Ton Hill, aud went TO bed, Of
which time everything vas ell right
aud lhe boat was landed by the mSte.
The clerks aud remainder Of the crew
retired 10 their beds Ouly TO be ava
ksDed TWO hours and q half later oil.
most suaOcated will smoke. The wind
Vas not blowing al the time or the ele.
valor would have also been consumed.
The alarm was passed up tue levee
until the crew Of The Tug DeSOto heard
IL an1 immediately put out for the ele-
vAtOr, attached q liue aud soon had the
burning boat out 10 the middle Of The
stream, thus saving the elevator and
the vast amount Of freight slowed
thereon from 81 g destruction. II is
very certain that some lives were lost,
but how many or v ho they we're 1t is
impossible 81 this hour 10 ascer-
tain, as the boats books, papers and
sale were not saved, aud the First
Clerk, Mr.. DIETRICH, had not been seen.
The Two chAmbeFmaids, one fireman,
and q striker of the crew were also
missing. Captain Zsigler states that
there WeFe but few passengers on the
boat but be could not say whether
they were saved or not. TIE boat had
9 cargo Of about three hundred tons oil
general merchandise, nineteen mules
and four head OF horses. None Of the
stock was saved. The tug DtSolo
pulled the boat, which was but 4 solid
mass Of fire and flames, over to the
point on the Arkansas shore opposite
Fort Pickering, where she was held
sc she burned. The transfer boat
PiersOn got up steam in the mean
while, and went down to as close
proximity to the boat as possible, aud
may have rescued come OF those IT.
ported missing. No alarm was sound.
ed by the fire department until long
after The boat bad been pulled away
from the elevator, bat the hook aud
ladder truck arrived at The foot ol
Beale street after the Chester had been
beached on the point mentioned
above.
Az we we're going TO the scene W.
heard sounds proceeding from the boat
as Of q human being In agony, but they
were 80 indistinct as to make II uncer-
tain whether they proceeded from hu-
man beings or the stock known to have
persisted in the fire. Il was impossible
TO get from anyone any r, liable pSrtic'
ulars in the confusion that prevailed 81
The elevator, but a further investigation
may result In discovering that q hOrrl.
BILE catastrophe has transpired.
LArER.-rhe chaInbermAid, Frank
Finney, and . stockman named Myert
were picked up by & yawl, aud sewers
others swan ashore and we're brough
back to the elevator BY the tug DeSoto
The General PiersOn remained along
side the burning boat TO render what
ever service she might be able. AT
quarter past four o'clock q terrific ex,
ploslon, supposed to be the boilers, oc,
Cured, making q report like thunder
that shook the ground like an earth
quake.
LATEsT-All her crew and passeu,
gers have reported or are known to bC
safe except Mr.. Herman, son Of Thomai
Herman, Of this city, who was recently
appointed mail agent on the Chester
and the probability is that be went Il
HE fathers residence on Manassas
street Immediately on arrival III port.
Mr.. Deltrick, the clerk reported q
fret &c missing, reached the TENNESSEE
shore safe aud uniDjured, by clinginl
to q foat.
The boat 10 q total lOss, her hull burn
ing even 10 the water-line.
No one knows anything about tht
origin Of the Gre, but there are strong
suspicious Of incendiaFism.