, 1881-10-30

1aa mercy Of the relentless current There
of the great bridge with its frowning picrs upon
which nov realized we must strike; When
the great danger was appreciated ali was at
in searcn Of u place Of safety when the great
crash should come The women upon the deck
Nrung their hands and
THEIR AGoNIZING sInIEks
for assistance only added to the now general
confusion: The pilot, who was in the wheel
house ut the time of .he oreak ia ehe uuchinerv,
u company With Indy ana gentleman, learn
sprang from the deck above to tha barge below,
followed by ais com panons."
The Captain, who was in hts state room
asleep when the alurU7 was sotiutad rushed
Upon the deck. and. taking tho in situation at
once. sprung aboard tue bsr:ze. no doubt rccog-
niztng the ract thai the barge would pass safely
under the bridge. Ht seemed TO hav no pres
ence Of mind whatever, and iustead Of giving
hf3 advice to passengers regarding plce OF
safety, he simply yelled save yourselves; We viii
slrlko the bridge and then sprung aboard The
barge.
- IN the meantime the current, running ten or
twelve miles per hour, Was bearing us toward
The pier which proved the doom IT twelve or
fifteen hutnAu beings. About three minutes
must have clapsed from the breaking Of the
1nathinery Until we struck, and God only knows
the suspense Of liz thirty beings rs we drew near
the pier, all of US expecting there to meet our
ooo!n.
bow swung around driven by the fierce current,
and With q dreadful crash we struck the IRON
liPptu plcr Alnlusnip5. ln5tAnt3y After striking,
the steam poured out over tho deck in torrents
and the bouts top striking the bridge, she
cureencd over. and the sweeping current rushed
III over her guards, e1t:uguisbinE lights and
sweeping several
EXCITED BEINGS TO w-NTEEY GRAVES.
The light from the bridge. above shining
through tho steam gave Il ghustly view Of the
wreck beneath. Whtu the shock cnine l WAS
thrown truin my feet, Il great volume OF steam
poured upon me, scaidng MY face. arms, and
Hunts a oauiy, but ut once got W ano went on
board tha Nearest barge, aud with the assistance
OF another man cut loose tia stern end nnd
spring line, aud the barge swung around with
tiie current. m1ssMg the pier aud placing us
safely upon the other side Of tho brlluc. We
n0Ateu down the Stream about three miles and
run ngruund ou an island. Short as was tho
space of time from tho crash unti was safe,
III those fc" Seconds saw scents which hope
never to sec aguin. After the boat struck tue
pier amt as she was gc.lg over l sAw Il woman
struck by tho falling s;!,okeslack and knocked
head'opg into the raging wutcr beneath. man
ncur her was struck u terrible blow by d timber
aud Knocked overheard. Another man, who In
attempting to crus5 from 1ne bout tu The barge
As 1ney separated, WIZ crushed between the
great stone pier aud the steamers guards aud
killed. 4 negro who was -c!Gglng to the gun
walls OF the barge upOu Whlcu / was standing
was swept oH into the water and nearly
drowned, hut was pulled cut by a nun on the
purge.
After VIC went aground below town We were
held there, III great suspense for some tlne but
were Ut lust tukcn ou by the steamer Evansville
and Carried IL davenport, where the wuunded
Severe, ant concluded to starl for NY huue ut
Hubbard, o., Oil the irst RocK Island 1ruln, and
have succeeded Ia getting thus tar."
Mr.. ThOl1Ipsou'S llrNl5 aud hands were badly
scnded, the SKIN being or in many places, anu
quite a lurge confusion appeared upon tie buck
OF his heAd> where ha was struck BY 4 timber.
He kntW nothing with regard to the conduct Ut
the crew previous to the accident.