The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-15
A WOMNN'S CURSE.
the burning OF Two Great steam
ers on the Ohio Years Ago.

LOUISVILLE, KY, April l2.-There
are not a few people who have vivid
recollection of the terrible river horror,
when the two splendid Sc amers, the
United States and the America col
lided on the Ohio, near Florence, and
burned to the waters edge, each with
nearly 200 passengers IN board, the
night of December 4, 1868
Among the passengers that night on
the United States wss Col George @.
NoTthup, now city passenger agent of
the Jacksonville, Madison and In
| dianapolis railroad, and the grand
commander of De MOlay Command.
cry Of Knights Templar. To a party
Of friends, at little social gathering
in the Office of the new Grand Thea
ter last night, Col. Northup told the
folio wing story in connection with
that tragic affair, and as il has never
been printed, il Is worth it now:
waH never supersitious in the
slightest" said the colonel, "but
witnessed one thing that came near
making me believer in almost every
thing of that nature. 1t was in No
vember, 1868 that the incident oc-
cured. / was working for the Penn
sylvania road at that time and had my
headquarters hCrs, as now. 1t was
custom OF ours TO visit all the boats
when they landed in order to catch On
TO some Eastern business, and on the
day speak Of, several OF us went 10
the wharfboat as usual. The splendid
gfnuTnar ApnaNtau had s.,aN l,,,I,l
having gone down from Cincinnati.
We walked into the Office and sat
down near the stove to wait until
things got Strengthened up. While we
were sitting there woman and two
children entered They were all !
poorly dressed and carried bundles
wrapped up in handkerchiefs, which
stamped them 80 emigIants. They |
had a decidedly foreign appearance,
and it developed when the woman
walked up o the clerk that she WAS an
Italian, nnd could not speak a word OF
Euglish. She tndeavoIed to make
known her wants, bui the clerk could |
not understand her. WLhe tne PNnto-
""' guinR On an Italian who |
could speak Euglish happened to en-
ter. The woman made known her
wants to him. 1t appears that she had
emigraut tickets at Cincin-
nan Tor s. Louis and was to have
Jakan passage on the United States,
which went TO her destination,
Through mistake, however, some one
put her on board the America, which
only came as far down as this city.
She was allowed to keep her tickets,
md what she wanted the clerk TO do
ives to take her back TO Cincinnati for
nothing 30 she could use her tickets TO
st. Louis, as they were not good
rom any other starting point.
The clerk refused to comply with
Ter request, and she grew terribly ex.
,ited. Walking to the stove she took
he poker and laying it on the floor
proceeded to go through number of
notions with her hands, at the same
lime uttering some words. She kept
his up Tor several moments, then
ilaIted for the cabin door. Before
eAching IT, however she stopped AID
aking of her boys cap threw it on
he u or and went on through another
'Xhlb zion Of pantomime, winding up
With the same words as before, hen
walked out, crossing the gang-plant.
vent up the levee. We asked the
Italian what she meant, and he re-
'lled she had Cursed the two boats"
'h,eh had been the means
" her failing to reach her
proper destination, and prayed
bat some harm might befal
hem. 1t was not thirty days alterward
lntil the terrible collision occurred,
md both OF them were burned. No
'ne knows how many persons were
est that night. All the books of the
United States were burned and the
'ecotd OF passengers destroyed. 1t is
hought, however that ABOUT eight
os their lives. Ever since then,
when recall thai night, cannot help
of the Italian woman's curse
md wondering at the coincidence. l
pave never seen OF heard of her from
hat day TO this