Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-31
THE AWFUL CALAMITY.

Yesterday morning, between 4 and )
o'clock, the steamer Golden City, Cincin-
natl boat, Captain Mcintyre commanding,
approached the city, near the foot of Beale
street, and signaled for landing. Just then
the boat was discovered to be on fire. She
was directed to the shore notwithstanding,
and into number of coal-fats. The
fire spread with the rapidfty of lightning al
most, and 800 barrels of oil fed it into a
fury in a moment. The pilot of the boat,
who CALAMITY remained at his post, tried TO
attach it to the city dump-boat, but could
not succeed in doing so. The flames began
in the center of the boat and spread both
ways, and the people rushed pell-mell out of
their sleep and many of them jumped over
upon the dump-boat and coal-fats. The
efforts to attach the boat proved unavailing,
and she drifted away down the river, a thing
of glittering splendor. Quite number Of
people were still on board; and as the whole
boat was a mass of flame, fed by the oil, they
must all have been burned to death.
QUICK AS DEATH.
1t was unlike most fires. 1t was so quick
and deadly in its results that women did not
have time to shrek nor men to call for help.
Every body was paralyzed with horror. A
great crowd soon collected on the river
banks and watched the fire. All sorts of
rumors were soon spread about the disaster.
The loss of life was yariously reported at
from twenty to one hundred souls. An AP-
PEAL reporter was present at the fire, and
as soonsas men lost something of their ex-
citemen! he gathered the nature and extent
OF the disaster. The FIRE was caused BY the
captain OF The watch, who went through the
engine-room to see if any one was in il.
Accidentally the bottom dropped from his
lamp into some hemp, which caught fire i'm
mediately and spread rapidly, and in almost
an instant the boat was doomed.
SCENES ON LAND.
Those who escaped had to do 50 speedily,
and they were not very particular how they
got away. One individual was seen to leap
over upon coal-hat in his night shirt, hold
ing his clothes in his hands at the same time.
When he reached terra frma, be was SO pos
sessed with fear that he skirted away up the
levee with the speed OF a Kentucky thorough
bred. When last seen he had stopped and
was pulling on his pants. One gentleman
aboard, who had two or three ladies,
and the same number of children
under his charge, pitched the children over
upon the float, knowing that they could
never get off otherwise and then Jumped
over with the ladies. Several persons who
were about to be left jumped in the water
and were pulled ashore, or swan ashore or
were drowned. The condition Of those whe
escaped with their lives was pitiable in the
extreme; women had but
sCANT CLOTHING
on and men were ne better of. Many of
them had sustained pecuniary loss. One
gentleman sat alone by himself in his night
clothes shivering and crying. His wife and
children were lost. He seemed to be totally
unconscious of his plight. For some time
so great was the excitement that no atten-
ton was paid TO HIM, but kindhea lady
living on Shelby street sent him her hus-
bands dressing gown.
As the boat was carried away by the cur
rent it was noticed that several women an |
children, in their night clothing, stood in