Year: 1868




Account of n Michigan Editors Ex-


perience.


The steamer Magnolia was blown up on
the Ohio river some ten miles above Gin
cinnati, in March last. Mention was made
at the time of the supposed fatal injuries
received by Charles B. Lewis ('s En- Quad '),
ex-local of the Lansing Democrat, who was
OF his way to accept situation on the
Maysville (Ky.) Bulletin. Being now, nj
ter lapse of more than three months, par
tally able to resume his duties, he thus
writes up an account Of his accident for the
Jocksonian:


"When bought my ticket | asked the
clerk if the Magnolia was considered safe
boat. He looked at me with half sneer-
ing, half plying expression, and replied by
inquiring if had ever travelled much.


"'Well, no-not above the average


"Then you'll learn something, by and
by he continued.


"I did. Was seated in the cabin between
an ex colonel of q Georgian regiment and q
Cincinnati pork dealer, and we were all
talking over the impeachment matter. My
fellow-passenger soon became heated and
angry. They were cursing Congress and
the President across my head-each one as
he felt-and I was looking for q muss.
Their angry talk soon collected crowd.
had just got up from my chair to keep clear
of the coming fracas, when / heard yell
of agony, and before you could have counted
three, up through. the cabin, and almost
under our feet, came huge jagged mass ef
iron.


"For an instant thereafter I was con-
scious of everything going on. l saw the
cabin roof lifted up, heard the angry hiss OF
steam, the crashing of timbers, and cry
from the injured and frightened passengers
that never will be forgotten. Then l was
lifted from my feet; felt an intense pain
in the back of my head, and a biting, sting
ing sensation over my entire body. Sixteen
days afterwards awoke in the Commercial
Hospital in Cincinnati. l knew that l was
badly hurt, but could not remember how
or when | was injured.


"As afterwards ascertained, was blown
out of the cabin into the river. When the
explosion occurred the steamer was just
rounding the bend above California, hug
ging pretty close to the Ohio shore to avoid
the heavy current. | must have taken q
Jump of at least two hundred feet, as | was
picked up close to the bank. The survivors
were conveyed down to the city on tug
and here comes the only joke l can discover
in the whole affair:


"From some cause or other, my face was
turned to as deep black Us negro ever
wore, and | was accordingly treated as one.
A dcad-cart was sent down from the hospi-
tai, and side by side with two wounded
darkies, lying on the mattress, | was car
ried up. The mistake was not discovered
until the surgeon commenced shaving the
hair off my head to get at my broken skull.
| was supposed for the first two days to be n
deck hand, but telegram from my wife to
the editor of the Enquirer, who came and
hunted me up, soon set the matter right.


"On awakening in the hospital, inquired
how badly was hurt. The only answer l
received was to keep still Considering
that | could move neither hand nor foot, |
regarded this advice as entirely thrown
away. But it did not take me long to find
out that, first, there was an uncomfortable
'air-hole in the back of my head second,
the sight entirely gone from my left optic,
anu tHe ShlA pceieu oI my lhSe aHA S"A o ;
third, that had been steamed or rather
cooked, from head to heels, including both
arms; and lastly, that the doctors had just
pulled me through severe attack Of pneu-
monia. Remained in the hospital twenty
nine days, and then concluded to 60 home.
Had not been able to leave nay bed, but,
accompanied by my brother-in-law, c. IL.
Rullison, Esq, who had nursed me FROM the
third day, ! made the journey.


"Getting home-my friends had been
looking to see me come in cotiin-my
wounds had all filed up with proud flesh.
This of course had to be burned out
driving me crazy for night and day, and
compelling me to use solution Of blue
vitrol twice day for forty days. So you
can form a slight idea of the pain and suf-
fering, and how much 'ye local can en-
dure without becoming dead natter


"Now, after lapse of almost one hun
dred days, find myself once more about,
but condemned to wear the savage marks Of
the steam-tiend to my grave. A bald spot
where the iron missile crushed my skull, q
'piebald eye, q face that resembles beet,
and over my arms, body, and limbs are
scars that resemble great slices Of fresh
beef laid upon the skin. But, after all, l
am yet alive, and getting ready to once
more pursue the itemizing business,
which you know is vastly better than being
ished out of the Ohio some torpid day, with
no coroner handy for an inquest"