I was a passenger on the steamer _Belle Zane_ during the winter
season, and navigation was expected to be closed soon, as the river
was full of floating ice. We had a large number of passengers on
board, and were getting along very well until we left the Ohio.
We had left Cairo, and were steaming down the Mississippi, when
the boat struck a snag, and in a very short time had sunk down to
the cabin. It was about four o'clock in the morning, but I was up
(as usual). We had the passengers out of their rooms in quick
time, and got them up on the roof in their night clothes, as there
was no time for them to dress. In a few moments the cabin separated
from the deck, floated off, and then sank down until we were standing
in the ice and water nearly knee deep. It was a terrible sight;
such a one as I hope and pray I may never see again. Men, women,
and children standing amid the floating ice nearly frozen to death,
and expecting every moment to sink into a watery grave. Some were
screaming for help, others were praying, while others stood as if
they were lost. I caught up one poor woman, who was nearly frozen
to death, and held her in my arms above the water. Others did the
same, while the crew and some of the passengers tore the boards
off the pilot-house, and tried to paddle the wreck to shore. We
floated down until we struck a point. The men that were doing the
paddling jumped off onto the shore, and then held on to the wreck
until they swung it around into an eddy. We got all the passengers
off, but it was about a mile to the nearest house. We were all
nearly freezing, and there was not one of us that did not have our
feet frozen. We had no fire, nor any way to make one. Some of us
who were lucky enough to have coats took them off, and wrapped up
the women and children. We then took them to a house that was
about a mile distant, and the good people did all in their power
to make us comfortable. The news reached Cairo, and they sent a
boat, with blankets, provisions, and medical aid to our relief.
Three or four men jumped overboard, and tried to swim ashore, but
got chilled, and were drowned. Some of the women were frozen so
badly that they did not survive. I feel the effect in my feet to
this day, and the accident happened over thirty years ago.