Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-17
Further and Authentic Particulars
Of the Loss Of the Steamer
Mceii
Fify-SsVen Persons Saved and
F~ifty-Eight Lost by Drowning
or by Fire.
a Soul SIckening Story by the
Second Clerk of the Steamer
Ysager.

| Clerk Ofthe steam r Heager, As additional
| to the full account of the awful disaster
| to the steamer McGil, published by us in
Yesterdays issue. It is authentic and can
be relied upon as cOrrect:
Editors ADpeGG-The Memphis DAILY
APPEAL, of this date, gives a long and
graphic description Of the burning Of the
steamer 4. s. McGill, and claims all the
honors for (the sslvatian Of passengers
and creW Ofthe iIl-fstsd bOat)fOr the steam
ers st. Francis and A.. J. White. 1 would
ask the vouchers for it, and where said
two steamers were at the time Of the
burning OF the boat, and never Mention
the real preservers of the sufferers. Now,
Mr.. Editor, 1 will give you a
TRUE STATEMENT,
And DEFY any person TO c~Ontradict
IT,, I az o. with them in thecOurs6 that
the boat pursued before shs took fire.
She was aground, and whilst there took
IRE, supposed 20 be from the nreman's
department. This steamer, Henry @.
Yeager, was lying q quarter Of a mile be-
low, the McGill lighting before coming
over the bar at the time, and at about
half past nius o'clock the alarm of IRE
was given in the cabin of this boat. We
all rushed out of the cabin to
see where il was, and found it to proceed
from the steamer T.. l.. McGill that
was aground Just s5Ove US. She had been
there about three hours. The officers and
crew Of this boat Immediately rushed to
the yawl and ufe-DOat and launched them.
We were not two minutes in getting
them sfOst. The clerk, the second mate,
a passenger and two rOustsbOuts took
charge Of the ife-bOat. We had to row
against a swift current. The night was
as cold as was ever experienced on that
part Of the river; the wind was blowing a
gale; there we're no clouds, but the star
light was dim. We worked to the full eX-
tent Of our ability. The boat that was re-
ported on fire was reached quickly.
There was no such thing as counting
time under the circumstances. Her stern
was toward Us, and that was all ablszs.
THE FIRST UNFORTUNATE RESCUED.
The first thing hat attracted our stten
ton, apart from the burning boat, was a
dark object floating on the water, which
we discovered to be a man on q barrel OF
-four which he had thrown overheard.
He had an ovsrcoat on him, the cape of
which was hosting over the water, while
his head was well above iC. He was
clutChing with his hands desperately
at the barrel, which kept turning !
round according as he grabbed at it. He
was pretty well exhausted, and we could
hear nothing from him but a prolonged, /
low, despsiring ali, uttered in 8 hOarse
voice. We reached him an oar, but he
was so numDed with the cold and eX-
hsusted by his efforts that be could not
take hold of it. We drew nearer to him, |
and when beside the vawl he could not
even take hold OfiJ. His reason, too, 8p-
peared to be partially gone, for he still
kept grabbing at the barrel and continued
his despairing, al. We took him by the
arms and dragged him into the boat.
SECOND UNFORTUNATE RESCUED.
We looked eagerly around and saw an
81 H. e---u-I HLa. -h,-a h-H .L--I ]
of us, toward which we stsered. It turned
to be a cOIOred man, on a hoop plank.
Don't know what be was on the steamer,
but we pulled hin into the boat, He was
pretty badly exhausted also. These were
in such a bad condition that we thought
it best to take them ashore, where a mum
Der of passengers and crew wereready
to take care of them. On our way to shore
came across another man in the water,
hanging on to a bale Of cotton, with the
nearly up to his chin. When we
on shore not one Of them
in a condition 70 help himself in
the smallest degree. We had to carry
hem out of the boat. We were nearly
frozen ourselves; our fingers were quite
stiff, M it seemed hardly possible for US
20 do anything more. We thought of
warming up a little. but as the wind car
lied the fearful cries Of despair and sui
.eriug to our ears, we hsd 10 forget our
we forgot the cold and pushed of
igain.
SECOND TRIP.
This second trip we got close up to
he wreck Of the boat, where We OBJ
q series of objects that looked like
lights which we had often seen before-a
OF OF ducks in g row. A nearer iuspsC-
showed them to be people on a
tsgs-plauk, which was ahoat. As we
reared them they pitsOusly cried out,
Gods sake save US, we are drown
Here is q mule coming; save US, or
le viii drown US all" There was a mule
'ur8 enough, swimming with all his
toward them. ard if he had reached ,
he plank, would have done damage I
When we has got along side, the cieIk q
aised up in the yawl and told them to be .
.uist, that we would save them all, ,
caring that they would get excited :
when we began to receive them; eau :
Toned them not all to grab the
,Ost at the same time or she would
and We should be all drowned.
They agreed that the advice was good.
OF them showed any selfish
less. They behaved like martyrs and
We succeeded in transferring them all, y
ne st a time, the pilot being the last
10 leave the plank. They were al
frcz5n to death. There were eight T.
q all.
N CROWDED OFF THE PLANK.
They aftsrward informed US that
hey had two women on the stage when
hey started. The fear they bad of the
lule is supposed to have caused q panic
mich crowded the Oms of the stage.
ONE Ofthem could not say how the WO- !
were lost, but they were a~llOfOpiniJn Z
nat they mast have bseD lost in that
We rOwed the boat ashore. The
wing freight and the water we had a
lowered her in the water near to B
be- guuwall. When We puJ them on 4
men and passengers took charge 3
them and brought them aboard this Q
as quickly as possible. We then 2
.arted out on our
THIRD VOYAGE. /,
We rOwed close up to the boat n blocked Il
round on the water, but seeing no per- y
pa we steered u boat for shore and got y
ut and went up to the steamers =
yhite and st. Francis and told the captains 3
)drop alongside Of the steamer Yesger to F"
IKE of The people We had rescued As we
no accommodation for them on this
The scene that we Witnessed when
e returned to the boat is not easily for
)tten. The sufferers were in every pos
condition of torture. We had picked
D eleven. Our other boat had been at
equally successful, and the floor Of
Or LEFT deck was covered with them, some q,
nconsciOus, many %groaning from tor r
ramps, sblysring and chatt6ring Of a
Al the appliances within our n
.sch were freely used, and we fetched "
rem all round. It required the utmost I
lertiOn to save some OF them. We saved =
We Mexicsns, fOur OF them we took OF
ls stage. We sent down W cabin pas q,
and the five Mexicans on the r. 4,
Walt; one OF the passengers had his y
and badly burned. p
BRUTAL DEPRAvITY. r,
1t may not be- improper to mention 4
lere were some evidences Of human de- y
shown by a lot Of raltsmen that o.
lsrated around there during the excite N
ent. Their raft was sgrOund on the bar a
ID the men were camped on shore. N
hey At once engaged in the business le
plundering, utterly needless Of the "
les for help Of those VINO burning and o,
-owDing under their very eyes. They q
o employed by what is called the q
merican Timber Company. Two OF az
Iese were in a skih, While n renamed 10
} shore, taking charge of the plumber.
7sY continued their depredations, not D,
lily under our noses, but actually came Ia
our way ia our efforts to save life. m
grabbed everything in sight except b
human being. They always passed an al
ject of that sort, and looked beyond for az
box, a carpet-sack or anything in the v,
apb GA BAA44HLs ms EAtAh u kAAa Ruas u
them have a trunk and a valise which, di
I'M description, Is supposed TO have be- 80
1ged to the clerk OF the McGilL. Ga
FOURTH TRIP. On
the yawl of the n. L. McGfu sr- ~
on shore with the first load, every m
o deserted her-f0rgot those who were 4.
hind in the Jaws Of death. The cold. ~
was intense, and they may have -
en unable to do anything. However, M
3 men of the Yeager took the yaWl y
ortly afterwards and went towards the
eek. On that trip they succeeded IN y
- 1919 PooP-g - ml