BURNING OF THE STEAMER STONEWALL ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 102, 22 January 1870, Page 6

BURNING OF THE STEAMER STONEWALL ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

A special despatch to the ." Chicago Tribune," under date Carbondale, Illinois, October 28th, gives the following particulars of the burning of the steamer Stonewall on the Mississippi, by which 200 ])Lissengers perished :—: —

One of the most terrible disasters that ever occurred on the Western waters took place at Noely's Landing, below Geand Tower, on«the Mississippi River, List night, about 9 o'clock. The St. Louis and New Orleans packet Stonewall, J. S. Shaw, master, commanded by Captain Thomas Scott, was burned, and about 200 lives lost. She had a great quantity of hay on board, which caught fire from a passenger's pipe. The alarm was given while at supper, and every possible effort was made to subdue the fire. In the meantime, the bow of the boat was turned towards the shore, but she soon ran upon a sand bar in water seven feet deep, and two hundred yards from the shore. The only yawl attached to the boat was cut down from its fastening by a few deck passengers, who floated away from the danger, without oars. In fifteen minutes, owing to the quantity of inflammable material on board, and a strong breeze blowing through the cabin from the stern, where the fire had originated, the entire boat was in flames, and every man, woman, and child had thrown themselves into the water. Shutters, blinds, mattresses, furniture, planks, and everything that could be obtained, had been thrown out to assist the drowning. A great many, owing to the coldness of the .water, soon went down. Many died while nearing the shore, and some after reaching it. In an hour all was over. From thirty to fifty had struggled to the land, and nearly two hundred l\ad found watery graves. There were about two hundred and fifty souls on board, including officers and crew, when the fire broke out. The steamer Belle Memphis, coming up the river, reached the place of the disaster about 10 o'clock. She picked up and kindly cared for all that could be found along the shore. None in the .w^ater. were alive. All the officers and crew. are. supposed to have been lost, ejscepjb one. engineer, the assistant engineer, one. pilot, the carpenter, and one fireman/ Among the "supposed lost

were Captain Scott, commanding, and Captain Doley, of New Orleans. All the books and papers were consumed, while the boat and cargo were a total loss. The assistant engineer arrived in this city to-day, and to him I am indebted for these particulars. The conduct of the passengers and officers is said to have been heroic, Such an appalling scene has- not been 1 witnessed on the Mississippi for many years. The saved were kindly cared for by the officers of the Belle Memphis, and were carried to St. Louis/ where they will arrive some time today. The people at Neely's saw the light and hastened to assist ; one man rescued; sixteen persons with a skiff. The scene on board was heartrending in the extreme. The flames spread with wonderful rapidity under the action of a strong wind, and the passengers, wild with terror, crowded the forecastle until they were forced overboard in a mass, and drowned each other in their desperate struggles to free themselves. Others would jump into the water, whirl round in the strong current, and disappear for ever.