Nashville Union And American

The Memphis Bulletin of the 26th inst. gives some additional particulars in regard to the burning of the Steamer Ben Franklin.

It appears that smoke was first seen issuing from the hold while the boat was lying up on account of fog, near Mr. Ashton Landing, at about 4 o'clock on Friday morning, the 22d inst., and that notwithstanding every effort was made to subdue the flames both by turning the steam into the hold and attempts to scuttle the boat, yet they continued slowly to spread, and that fully four hours elapsed from the time of their discovery before sufficient progress had been made to reach the boiler deck. The slow progress of the fire was fortunate, as it enabled all the passengers to save themselves and their baggage, and the clerk all the money and papers of the boat. Much of the cotton on board was tumbled into the river, but no goods whatever was saved—bales, quantities all on fire, floating down the river and presenting a sight at once picturesque and sad to behold. The boat and cargo, as heretofore stated, are a total loss, not a vestige of either being visible at or near the scene of disaster. The origin of the fire as yet remains in the completest mystery, but the belief on the part of some of the officers of the ill-fated steamer is that it was caused by the carelessness of some one or the other of the deck hands, and the probability is that it had been burning a considerable length of time before being discovered.