coming like cattle across an open field where scores of men were nothing but skin and bones a volcanic fury of thundering noise a shower of flaming coal shot into the night raining down on the crowded boat which in moments was engulfed in hellish flames too many man swam in the icy spring runoff or burned with the ship and died in mouring on their long way back home the burning wreckage began to drift slowly downriver and hundreds of men died they died in memphis sailors stood on the decks of u.s. navy gunboats they watched the reddish glow from that huge dying steamer that lit the northern sky