The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-04-08
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
Burning ef.Ae steamer l;olAen City.

MEMPHIS, TENN, March 3O.-The
Golden City, Of the Southern Trans.
pottation Company Line, when APP.
proaching the wharf this morning at
$50 O'Clock, was discovered to be on
are. The boats bow was at once headed
for shore, and In four minutes after
wasds she touched the wharf at the foot
OF seale street, where a coal feet Is
moored. A line was hastily thrown
and made fast to one of the coal barges,
bat the current being swift It soon
parted, and ,barnine, the steamer float
ed on down the river q mass of flames,
with many OF her passengers and crew
aboard, who were unable to reach the
shore, and were lost.
The Golden City left. New Orleans
last Saturday en- route to Cincinnati.
She carried q crew OF about sixty. She
had aboartl forty cabin passengers, Af-
> teen OF whom were ladies and nine
children. Her cargo consisted Of 900
tons, among which was lot of Jute.
Stoves circus was taken aboard at
Vidaifa, Louisiana, and six cages
Of animals and birds, together with
. ticket and band wagon, tents end
horses were lost.
All the rescued passengers had mar
row escape and thrilling adventure.
Pilot Purcell remained In the pilot
house until enveloped by smoke with
the flames leaping around him, battling
with desperation to effect landing.
When he first attempted 1t the tug
Oriole was run down, and three negroes,
who leaped aboard of the tug at the
moment she went down, were seen no
more.
w. G. Jewett says he was aroused by
q cry OF fire aud sprang out Of the bunk,
but the floor was SO hot 1t was torture
to stand upon It. He gathered up his
clothes and reached under the bunk to
get his valise, when suddenly the flames
broke through the hoor and licked his
face. He got cut into the cabin, which
he found full of smoke. and had to
crawl to the guards, escaping to the
deck by sliding down spar. He made
his toilet ON the river bank. f
Among the circus horses lost was the
noted Selfm. Three trick horses quickly
obeyed the call OF the keeper and
spraug ashore. A buffalo broke his
halter and dashed through the crowd
to the bank /; every hair was burned
from his hide, he having passed through
the fire. --r.
Mrs. Stowe. wife Of the proprietor of
the show, was lost. She was formerly
Lizzie Marcellus, once Barnum's great
eat attraction.
A bear, which escaped, swan to a
skim In mid-stream and climbed In.
The skidman was in doubt whether to
swim from 1t or to remain, and as the
bear quietly laid down he buckled to
his cara and pulled his strange passen-
ger Ashore, where the circus peo-
pie took charge of 1t. One man
chung to the buffalo, which swan ashore
with him. ..
The scene as the boat drlf,ed oat into
the stream was heartrending, the cries
of the men and shrieks OF the women
rising above the roar of the flames.
A man named Butler, who was on
the Inflated steamer with his wife and
three children, had the most thrilling
escape Of all. When the alarm was
given he dragged his wife and children
out into the cabin, which was filled
with smoke, and finally managed to
get them to the head of the stairway,
up which the flames rushed In a grand
volume, cutting off escape by that
means. Butler saw man standing ON
the swinging stage plank, and called
out to catch his babies. The man stood
Arm, and Butler threw the two young
est children one at time into his arms.
and he put them In places of safety.
The Oldest girl, thirteen years of age,
was next thrown, but the man below
was unable to catch her and she fell to
the deck further. He then helped his
wife to spar, down which they slid to
the deck. The inscnslble girl was then
picked up from the deck, and all es.
capped.
The Are xs,as IA lls6Al INV the xvafchnnn