Year: 1874

Louisiana, and therefore when she
was struck nearly midway of the lat
ter most of the damage was done be-
low the water line, the stout sides of
the Norfolk steamer being crushed
like an egg shell, causing a flood of
water to be let in filling her rapidly.


1t is fortunate that the boilers of the
Louisiana were not on the guards, as
when built in 1854. Afterwards when
rebuilt in 1871, the boilers were placed
In the hold to guard against such a
contingency as that of Saturday. Had
the boilers been OH the guards at the
time of the collision an explosion,
fire and scalding steam would have
added horror of loss of life to the dis
tressing casualty, When the bow of
the Falcon crushed through the wheel
house and fast turning paddle-bOxe
of the Norfolk steamer, the two ves-
sells seemed for a moment locked in
conflict. Almost Immediately the Fall
con swung around, her broadside meet
ing that of the Louisiana, and the two
vessels were separated by wind and
tide.


TRANSFERRING THE PASSENGERS.


1t was not necessary to use the life
boats thai had been lowered, The
two vessels were brought together, a
hawser was given out and the sinking
steamer tOwed In with the hope of
reaching shoal water, the shore being
three to five miles off, before she
should finally sink. Gang planKs
were put out and the passengers pass
ed safely on beard the Falcon, which
which was only slightly injured by
the collision. In a few minutes all
the passengers and crew and most of
the furniture of the Louisiana's main
saloon except the piano, all the bag
gage, aud even an iron safe filled with
valuables belonging to the Adams Ex-
press Company, were transferred in
safety to the deck ofthe Falcon, whose
crew-the first mate, Mr.. Kirby, in
particular-were unremitting in their
exertions, while the colored deck
hands of the Louisiana behaved admi-
rably. .N


THE LAST TO LEAVE.


At ten minutes before two o'clock
the Louisiana had sunk so low that
the gang planks leading from her up
per deck to the Falcon were almost
perpendicular, and the hdwsers were
creaking and threatening to break eve-
ry moment. All had left except one,
and that was Captain Mayo, who
stood upon the upper deck of his fast
sinking steamer and with deep con-
Germ watched her now gradually dip
ping and lowering. 1t was a dramat-
ic spectacle that of the dark -hulled
Falcon, her deck rail lined with hu-
man freight that, saved as by mira
Gle from death, with anxious faces
wa ched the movements of the sOlita-
~ tffgure on the then half-hidden
steamer. The captain, after looking
below and satisfying himself that q
horse on the lower deck, which was
prancing and snorting to get free,
could not be saved, left the vessel and
was drawn to the deck of the Falcon.
The only living creature that remain
ed on the steamer were the horse and
canary bird, both of which perished.
After sinking, the Louisiana's smoke
stack, pilot house, and a portion OF
the hurricane or upper deck remained
above the water, but it is probable
that before now she has settled so as
to have all her decks hidden. One of
! the LOuisiaua's lights in the rigging
was left burning, a solitary beacon OF
! the disaster, after she had settled com
/ fortably at the bottom of the sea.