BURNING OF A STEAMER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1204, 7 June 1872, Page 2

BURNING OF A STEAMER.

EIGHTY LIVES ;> LOST.

Cario, 111., April 11. Thestearaei? Oceariils,' t fronv Red River to St; Louis, when near Brook's Point, 30 miles above here at 4 a.m., exploded her boiler, blowing her upper works almost entirely away, immediately after whiclj the wreck took fire, burning to the water's edge. The pilot of the steamer John Lamsdeß, lying a few miles below, seeing the light from the burning wreck, manned a yawl and proceeded up. the river. He found a small party, of survivors on the head of the island, but passed on to relieve those on the wreck. Ten or twelve were clinging to the wheel, but it dropped before he reached them, and all . but four were lo3t. He found adeck passenger near the shore badly scalded, who died before he arrived at Cario. r The steamer Belle of St. Louis, bound up, took nearly all the survivors. Pilot Harris, who was saved, sayß that Wiggins, their Red River pilot, was drowned, and that Harry Triff, pilot on the watch, and Captain Reeder were buried in the debris, and were heard calling despairingly for help, but the fire spread so rapidly that they could not be reached and both were burned. Fisher, the carpenter of the Oceanus, reached here on the steamer Shreve. He was in bed when the explosion occurred, and though covered by fragments of* the wreck, escaped with only slight bruises. He says that the second engineer, Alex. Kennedy, was terribly scalded and 'was helplessly blind. Fisher, put him on the stage plank with some others. The /Stage soon capsized,; drowning : several Others including Kennedy. " George -Kenthley, First Engineer,? is supposed to be lost. Henry Worstam, First Clerk, was not seen after the explosion. He was expected to go through from Cairo by rail, but was seen on tho boat after leaving it. - Charles Worstam, Second Clerk ; Jules Dempo wolf, steward, and Charles Mavoy, cabin boy^i were found dead, floating in the river, all with, life-preservers on, and were brought here by Shreve. It is supposed that they were chilled to death. >■..... ■ ; Five lady passengers are supposed to be lost. The bodies of four ladies were seen floating past Watson's Landing to-day, but were not recovered, ' , * , ' The boat had about 40 cabin and 35 deck passengers, making with the crew about 100 persons on board, about 80 of whom are supposed to have been lost. Fisher describes the effect of the explosian as terrific beyond conception, the whole upper works being lifted bodily, and falling on the boat and in the water completely shattered, he saved himself by securing a plank and floating until rescued by the yawl of the Lamsden, Cairo, April 11, Later— The steamer Grand Tower, juat arrived, reports the first engineer and mate saved ; also, that 32 other persons are on the Belle of St Louis.. The second engineer was saved, but died of his injuries. ■;■■■■ .:::;■ f.; ; St. Louis, April 12. The steamer Belle of St Louis arrived here this morningwith 28 survivors of the Oceanus disaster, and the bodies 'of seven who died on the way up. The x books and papers of the steamer are lost, and the complete list of the passe.nge|» and crew cannot, therefore be given.' There is a list of 32 dead and missin?, and 28 saved as far as known. Robert Chew, one of the proprietors of the Atlantic and Pacific Circus, saved himself by means of a pjank, but was slightly biirned^ 1 He, thinks George" Constable and wife, ciroua performers, from California, who are missing, were drowned ; -also, Frank Slate and Frank Williams, circus men. The bodies of Charles Marsham, second clerk, and Charles Demperwolf, steward, arrived from Cairo this morning, in charge of C. Fisher, carpenter of the Oceanus. The dead in the boat presented a horrible appearance, the skin having been entirely scalded off. George Geightly, First ' Engineer, was on the watch when the explosion occurred. He says the boat had just struck the bar, and the engine had been stopped. He had just glanced at his, watch, to note, the time, when the. ft£plq? sion occurred, and one of the' boilers was blown back to the cylinders, and the whole forward part of the boat, including the pilot house and forward state-rooms, were scattered right and left. The boat took fire instantly, and the startled- and half nude passengers that were not killed, awoke to. the terrible reality. Geightly said he tried the gauges five minutes before the explosion and found water in all. All the boats were destroyed but one,' and that was badly broken. The officers who survived, did all they cQttld. to assist the passengers. Captain Reedec and firsts clerk Warshaw, both of whom are now missing, gathered together the life-pre-servers that were left in the back part of the cabin and distributed them to the passengers. There were but two females on board— Mrs Constable and a chambermaid' named Wallace. . v