, 1870-12-24
TIE LOWER MISSISSIPPI DISAS-
TER,
Sinking Of tho Steamer Nick Wall
LOSS OF over a Hundred Lives.


gives the following details Of tho accident to
that boat, on Sunday night, that resulted in
the death Of over one hundred passengers:
Tho Wall struck the enag At 1880 on tho night
named, and sunk In less than 40 minutes in
ten feet Of water. Her hurricane roof falling
ip, from the immense weight thereon, made
prisoners OF her cabin passengers, thereby
preventing their escape. Nj. Mouti Huetler,
the pasE engcr mentioned. states that At the
time Famed, eight or ten cabin passengeEE
were sitting about stovo, when they felt tho
shock. He then ran out tho front door Of tho
cabin, and WAS about to return when the cabin
roof csved IN, dasliug barrels. wagons, plows,
ard other articles ipto the cabip, wlaera every
body lad rushed who could get ont Of their
btatc-rooms.
Mr. uuatlars abatement ia a. follows:
Vas thrown against the sn:oke-staek on the
starboard aids, as she waa then fslling on tho
larboard side; vas twice tu", back by the
hair and third attempt was ra .de: aouas one
caught me By the feet in the struggle to save
themselves, and pulled my Shoes on; finally
managed 10 gain the hurricane deck, andthere
eaw no earthly chance OF escape, as tha roof
something on which to f1oat the boat was by
this time Under water. nothing remaining out
but the hurricane roof and pilot house; the
wreck was still doAting down the river; We
women were screaming Tor their husbands
and children. and children for parents. Just
as we thought aN hopes past VIC SAW the
lights OF \ boat coming up tho river, and
every one that could shouted for assistance;
James vandervoorst. assistant pilot, lit piece
Of paper In the pilot house anE showed It Il
signal OF distress. In about fifteen minutes
friendly Loaf foated slongsids and made fast
| to the wreck, when staging E4s thrown out,
| and all that were able got On bolrd the Semi
| mole. after tho Seminole came alongside,
yanderyoorst and Richard Dill, porter Of the
| ill-fated steamer, cut through the hurricane
wedged among lot Of barrels, boxes, and
| other freight. She was broI ,ht into the cab
\ in Of the Seminole, and, afief great exartious,
showed nigus Of life, and is now doing we'll;
! tho dead wore then brought in, and the scsne
ty.iise killed; cannot tell how many were
wounded. Mr. Taylor, from some, part Of
Missouri, Who Wa soouaing with me, il among
tho dead. He retired about i've minutes
before tho accident shsppened; 4
married few days, arc asnoag the desa ther
iuteded to get OF about one mile below. The
wreck Of the Wau hes aground about four
miles below Wotthtons Point, where aha
struck. The number OF lives lost By this acci-
dent cannot be accurately asccrtsined; eixty
place. Several ot theso, In the midst 1T the
ietrors OF the ecene, teaped overheard, and
were drowned, Many were taken ont Of the
water BY life-bosts OF the Seminole. PAssen'
gers say that the Seminole, Captain Mont
70 liglt and gently that there was not the
slightest perceptible shock. Then her life
boats almost Immediately surrounded the
Nick Wall. Captain Montgomery not only ex.
hibited coolncsa aud skill, but his Kindness and
| generosity we're bounaiess.
The steamer pargond passed the wreck o.
the Nick Wall about two hours after abe WA,
!. wrecked. md the CAPTAIN, officers and GREY
} rendered the unfortunate people taken from
the Wall every possible kindness. Those go
iDg down the river we're taken by the Pargous
to their destination
! Thomas J. nobinspn. Ca: ". L. SpraJhez1y
: Ga. Samuel ". Sca,lAp, Hugh Thouson. St
| Louis; William :, Fans, Kansas Cltv. No.
!. J. ". Monitor. Madison County, Ais: Augus
; Kaes. Emile ,1ess, Chicago, il: :E. ". Feasal
, VI. Charles. No !: y. ". Dsllin, 81. LOUIS :,
William Hoya s.; Loalss Il M H. SeTeft .-. ~.
I Miss II, E. Bowers, II. D. Bowers, Cheroke
: County, Ala.; william y. Smith. Ga; y
B. smith. Ga: Z. " Eclater, T. $. ltols
ter, II: ]. Rolater, Ala r. WhesenAnt, Mar
! WhesenAnt, Arinda Wnesenaut. LittlctoI
, Whesen1nt; Many Whesensnt, W'!nam Vines hss
Hupdricks Uhesenant, Atabams; WA Bowers
!, Love Bove1r. Alabaus; LabrsnA Harris, En-
! ma Harris, Newton Harris. ]. L. S2rayber1y
: Cherokee County, Ala: j. Il. Johnson, Titu
: County, Texas; Samuel Lyon, engineer; Geo
Y Aushutz, engineer; John ". Roe, elerl
= Georgetown, Pa: ". Il. Laughlio, cabin boy
= G. F. Fa,srow. Chicago. Cort. Kramer, Chi
j cago; 4. l. McGiunis. Robert DrAtten, dec
Q passengers: Edward floos, cook; D. Mack
! vile, and child; AlEankee; Charlie
u | Itaafs firefnen. Ellen y. KA{dr0p pssaeI
!. ser: Mrs. 8. Hltun1n, cook: 4. c. Lyou
}. Second clerk, Alton, III: Thomas POI
d master: George Hallway, Jonesboro, Clayto
= County, GtorEi1; Charles u. Scott, pilot
: ElithA h. WattoD, carpenter, ST. Louis
IS e Kiehard G. Dill. porter. St. Louis James ]
le Il. H. Hinton, Henry County, Georgia
r Monte Huet1er, st. Louis; William Il. Presto
u and J. II. Robinson. Henry County. Geozgia
= ", Hansron, r. Smidt, John Beck, Chris.;a
e Christopher, John " H.]lst1un, Anna Ha
I. ! siren. Il. n. H. kenar. Chicago; @. ".
Streedsnan and familE, Georgia; Willia
in Sykes and family, and 6. ". Dodd And fan
!. ", GeoTg.; J. l. Dosisf: Fayett1e Ce"r.' e
.s James G. pnce, Robert Schelle and James
:, Bates, St Louis
o. In e1t.icatirg Mr.. Poe, an sxe hal 10 !
III used 10 cut through the hurricane roo{. 81
+ wae struck with the IKE, bnt not serious
r wounded.
n Wm. Taylor, Of St. 1ouis, vas lost, and b
g BODY being recovered from his state roo!
= y | Fl 900 In gold Wis found on htcl
ID Seveutv etni :I4nts and twenty cahio passe
to gers boarded the Nick wall hero. She had
&c board $50 soule. all OF whom were lost oSce
a those named above. The disastez Is the ns
as s eson Of The sullaas, in 1885.
ae Among The lost are bridal rarsy that s
IIe | On bele.