Year: 1874

were thrown open, and the men began dashing buckets of water in the fur. naces for it would have been death and destruction to stop the engines with such head of steam on.

 As soon as possible the Boreas drop ped down to the floating wreck, and took off the dead, the wounded, and the unhurt at least all that could be got at, for the whole forward half of the boat was shapeless ruin, with the great chimneys lying crossed on the tor of it, and underneath were dozen vic tims imprisoned alive, and wailing fo1 help. While men with axes worked with might and main to free these poor fellows, the Boreas's boats went about picking up stragglers from the river.

 And now new horror presented it. self. The wreck took fire from the dis mantled furnaces. Never did men work with heartier will than did those stall wart braves with axes, but it was of no use. The fire ate it's way steadily, de- spising the bucket brigade that fought 1t. It scorched the clothes, it singed the hair of the axemen it drove them back foot by foot, inch by inch; they wavered, struck final blow in the teeth of the enemy, and surrendered. And as they fell back they heard pris- oned voices saying:

 "Don't leave us Don't desert us Don't, don't do it 1! "

 And one poor fellow said

 1T am Henry Morley, striker of the Amaranth My mother lives in St.. Louis. Tell her lie for poor devils sake, please. Say I was killed in an instant, and never knew what hurt me though God knows I've neither scratch nor bruise this moment 1 It's hard to burn up in a coop like this, with the whole wide world so near. Good-by, boys-we've all got to come to it at last, anyway ]"

 The Boreas stood away out of danger, and the ruined steamer went drifting down the stream, an island of wreathing and climbing flame, that vomited clouds of smoke from time to time, and glared more freely and sent the lumin- ous tongues higher and higher, after each emission. A shriek at intervals told of 8 captive that had met his doom. The wreck lodged upon sand bar, and when the Boreas turned the next point on her upward journey it was still burning with unabated fury.

 When the boys came down into the main saloon of the Boreas they saw 8 pitiful sight, and heard world of pitt full sounds. Eleven poor creatures lay dead, and forty more lay moaning, or pleading, or screaming, while score of Good Samaritans moved among them, doing what they could to relieve the1r sufferings, bathing their skinless faces and bodies with inseed oil and lime water, and covering the places with bulging masses of raw cotton, that gave to every face and form dreadful and inhuman aspect.

 A little wee French midshipman of fourteen lay fearfully injured, but never uttered a sound till 8 physician of Mem phis was about to dress his hurts.

 "Can I get we'll .? You need not be afraid to tell me"

 "No, TT am afraid you cannot"

 Chen don't waste your time with me-help those that can get we'll"

 "But -"

 Help those that can get we'll It IS not for me to be girl. I carry the blood of eleven generations of soldiers in my veins p

 The physician-himself a man who had seen service in the navy in his time touched his hat to the little hero and passed on.

 The head engineer of the Amaranth, grand specimen of physical manhood, struggled to his feet, ghastly spec tacle, and strode towards his brother, the second engineer, who was unhurt. He said

 "You were on watch. You were boss. You would not listen to me when beg ged you to reduce your steam. Take that !-take it to my wife, and tell her it comes from me by the hand of my murderer Take it land take my curse with it to blister your heart for a hundred years-and may you live so long p

 And he tore a gold ring from his finger, stripping flesh and skin with it, threw it down, and fell dead

 But these things must not be dwelt upon. The Boreas landed her dreadful cargo at the next large town, and deliv- cred it over to multitude of eager hands and warm Southern hearts-a cargo amounting by this time to thirty nine wounded persons and twenty-two dead bodies. And with these she de- livered list of ninety-six missing per- sons that had drowned or otherwise perished at the scene of the disaster.

 A jury of inquest was impaneled, and after due deiberation and inquiry, they returned the inevitable American yer dict, which has been so familiar to our ears all the days of our lives Nobody to blame."

 Tn 8 note the authors vouch for the entire authenticity of the above ac, count.