On Saturday night, January 28, 1854, the steamboat Georgia was burnt on Alabama river, between Montgomery and Mobile. She had two hundred arid thirty passengers on board, thirty or forty of whom are believed to have perished. When the fire was discovered, the boat was run ashore as speedily as possible. The scene which followed was one of indescribable confusion. One who saw it declares that women and children were “pitched on to the shore like logs of wood ;” the necessity of getting them out of the burning boat with the greatest despatch seemed to require such rough and unceremonious handling. Several who were thus thrown out of the boat fell into the water and were drowned, and others struck the ground with such violence as to cause serious injuries. Nr. Jackson, of Barbour county, Ala., and one of his children, were lost. His widow and eight surviving children, who were on board with him, were left at Mobile, in destitute circumstances. Mr. Jackson had on his person checks or drafts to a considerable amount, which were also lost. Mr. Jolley and his family, of Randolph county, Georgia, were on the boat. The wife of this gent’eman and one of his children were drowned. He lost besides, $900 in specie, and was left penniless. B. F. Lofton, of Lenoir county, N. C., lost two slaves. Rev. J. M. Carter, of Clinton, Ga., lost three negroes. His wife was badly burned. Dr. J. M. Young, of Hancock, Ga., lost a valuable slave, all his medical books, surgical instruments, and everything, in short, except the clothing which he wore at the time of the disaster. Mrs. Davidson, from Macon county, Ala., lost several negroes. Mr. Graham, from Williamsburg, S. C., lost two negroes and $500 in gold. Thos. J. McLanathan, of Bristol, Conn., was drowned. A gentleman from Stewart county, Ga., lost several slaves. A wbman who fell or leaped from the cabin floor to the main deck was caught on the horns of an infuriated ox, and thereby received several severe wounds, but the animal threw her into the water and she was saved. A father, who had rescued his wife and six children, went back into the blazing wreck, hoping to save the seventh, but lost his own life. A young man who had escaped to the shore, returned to the boat to bring away his sister, but he was seen to fall into the blazing hull, from which he never emerged. Another man saved three of his children, but his wife and six other children were consumed on this funeral pyre. A young man, who had lost his wife in the wreck, sat on the wharf to all appearance an indifferent spectator of the frightful scene. It appeared afterwards that his grief had reduced him to melancholy madness, or idiotic apathy. Another young man who had seen his father and mother perish in the boat, loudly lamented the loss of $1,000 which the old gentleman had deposited in the safe. This bereavement seemed to be the only one which occupied his thoughts. W. B. Rhenn, of Newbern, N. C., saved himself, his wife, and his five children, but lost nine slaves.
Of the forty persons who perished in this conflagration, twenty-two were negroes belonging to the cabin passengers, and more than half of the others were children. From the moment the flames broke out until the fate of each person on board, for life or death, was decided, only three minutes elapsed; so quick was the work of destruction. Nearly all of the passengers were dressed, only two or three having retired to their berths. It was a fortunate circumstance that so many of the passengers were awake, otherwise the loss of life would have been still greater. Some were kept up by a desire to see the various landing places, and others were listening to the music of a violin which a young nian was playing in the cabin.