The Portland daily press., 1871-01-16
ANoTHER MISSISSIPPI HORROR.
BURNING OF STEAMER T. L. NJ GILL AND LOSS
OF THIRTY LIVES.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. 15.-Steamer r. l..
McGili,'from st. Louis for New Orleans, was
burned on Shoe Fly bar at o'clock last night.
The fire broke out ait. Owing to the gale pre-
vailing the flames spread rapidly and the pas
sengers had barely time to rush to the bow and
plunge into the water before the fire was upon
them. To add to the horror of the scene the
weather was intensely cold, and many who
jumped into the river chilled and sank to rise
no more. The survivors give imperfect and
conflicting accounts. The boat had been
aground two days and had unloaded two hun
bred tons of freight in order to get over the bar.
She was laden with 900 tons of merchandise,
including pork and coal oil. just as the pas
sengers were preparing to retire an alarm of
fire was raised ard general stampede ensued.
Steamers ST. FraDcis and Anna White, which
had passed Der, were several miles above, but
seeing the fire turned back and arrived Just in
time to render valuable assistance. The II. G.
Yerger, lying Eear by, also rendered assistance.
The Ann White brought up twenty-sx Of the
crew and ten passengers, picked up along the
shore. Probably the total number of lives lost
is about thirty, including four women and
children. Thomas r. Evans, barber, of ST..
Louis, died soon after he was placed on board
the St. Francis, from wounds and exposure
In addition to Capt. Tompkins and VIM. Nc
Farland, first mate, who are supposed to be
lost, German and his wife are missing; also a
carpenter from St. Louis. bound for Greenville
Miss. two women, three children, the colored
phia. Mr. Everett of Sc. Louis, who came here
on the st. Francis, says man and his wife
who were cabin passengers foated past them
holding to stave plank AS they went by
with the current the woman said to her bus
band, II am freezing; let's die together" She
then let go the plank and her husband grasped
her, but was too much exhausted to maintain
her above water, and both sank, locked in each
others embrace. Cottrell, engineer, thinks at
least fifteen persons were lost. Pilots Kelley
and Murray were saved, kelley badly froza u
also VIM Woodruff. second clerk, John Groan-
ing, steward and Geo. L. RUSSELL cook The
former was saved by the ex ,rtions of the off
GERS of the st. Francis, and was badly chilled
when found. Woodruff remained with the
freight. Capt. Tompkins and Mcfarland, first
clerk, were last seen on board using every ex-
err0n to save the passengers. 1t is feared they
are lost, though hopes are entertained that
they reached shore.
Later.--By the arrival of the Alice tonight
pilots Murray, Kelley, Clark and Woodruff re.
port the following persons as being lost: Mel
son Brown, second engineer; John Shcckey,
carpenter; John Snyder, deck sweep; the sec
Ond steward and porter, c. G. Cormough,
nephew of Capt Dave Silver. Of the thirty
six on the roster, only thirteen were saved.
Charles Hazlett, the book keeper, was the last
to leave the boat. He jumped on bale of hay
and the wind blew him ashore. The passen-
gers and crew lost everything. Only 100 of the
200 tons of freight were taken off. This was
left in charge Of the acting mate aud two deck
hands