The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1916-03-03
Burning of the Liza Battle.
;sor the Courier Journal, by William
Longfellow Haynie.

the Tombigbee, was burned TO
the waters edge, Christmas
night. 1860. The pilot succeed.
ed IN steering her to where the
unfortunate victims took shelter
in the tops of the trees. The
river was very high-ocertlow
ing ITS banks and deluging the
lowlands-aud the water stood
many feet in depth for rods on
that side of the stream. The
steamer was run among the dense
forests, but failed to reach the
shore. and seventy five or hun
dred lives were lost. A ball was
in progress at the time the fire
alarm was sounded The night
was perhaps the coldest ever ex-
perlenced at that season OF the
wear in that latitude. Gallant
men and beautiful women rushed
from the gay halls of dance and
pleasure to most terrible death.
Most of the victims were froz.
en- to death.
The scene, as related by an eye
witness md passenger, one who
almost lost his life by freezing.
beggars description. The re-
cent Milwaukee confiagration re-
called the sad incident TO 10Y
mind.
atbvart the surface of tho turgtd stream
No starbeam fell to light the steamers way;
Grandly she moved, seeming TO pfohdiy
breathe,
AS screaming from her husky thrOats OF steel
without is deepest night. within tis rairer
than the day;
The sweet acclaim of joyous music stirs the
blood OF youth,
And beauty such as Ife'er could De sofpasseu
Lives there beneath the pictured dome SO falr
A reyelry of song and dance finds here the
The 1amsel blithe as Naiad hears the loving
word
OF wooing youth. and chatty brides OF but
day,
With forms as perfect as true symmetry are
The old, the young, ali smiled giadsoiie
smile ,,,
And waved the hand and flashed the Wiling
eye
&la hi no
The second watch had passed and the dehc-
ious hours
Melted like a summer breath into the third
When from the dire and deathiy shadows OF
the night
The cold relentless demon merged and laid
his hand
0ftron 'pon the beautiful. the young. the
fair.
And luridly the King of Fire lent his aid.
Till all the steamer seemed floating he'll
JJnon the bosom Of a fatal stream.
spitefuily the winds like serpents Kissing
Gave a. voice unto the growing flames.
Until from bow to cabin a wild yell arose,
Not like the wall of sorrow, mournfully, long
and sad
Fut In its stead a shrek as of dying soul
In triple Agony expiring ere its God
Did utter pardon, only furious and frantic.
wild
Beyond expression, and tearing the heart
strings asunder.
At length the wild plunge came, and the heart
grew sick
Atsights and sounds SO terrible. The pite-
Gus moan
OF child, the wilder sore ans of the fond wife.
The gurglings coming up from those who
died
When 1t was all the sweeter to have lived
All. all gaveto the spot terror far
Above the power of language to unfold.
still there was hope In all that hopeless
scene;
The infant on its mothers breast dreamed
not it's grave
Would one so soon and woman. with faith
supreme.
Trusted confidingly to the strong arm,
AS still the hollow tones of murky death
sounded along the gale.
Amid the trees.
Whose branches seemed a shelf ring moekeryl
The revelers of that sad hour found
A vain and idle subuerfuge, and death,
behaved now came within the sheeted ice
that Termed for them their shrouds not made
by hands.
Ever and anon the moan of ruthless winds
whispered the story to the victim, and a thud
Told that form had watery grave
shriek. and scream. and groan now filed the
awful night;
rarewells and kisses fell like the widest
notes
or music from soft lips as pure as rosy tin o
ocean shell.
Darkness held her undisturbed sway, and