The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-01-27
Burning of the Steamer McGil.

The steamer r. Il. McGill, from Cairo
to New Orleans caught fire at "Shoo
Fly" bar at 10 o'clock Thursday night,
the 18th inst, and burned to the waters
edge, her upper works being consumed
in less than two hours. She had on
board fifteen cabin passengers, fifteen
deck and about ninety roustabouts and
deck crew, making the total number
on board one hundred and twenty, of
whom seventy are all that are known
to have been saved The scene on board
of the boat, after the fire broke out,
was one of indescribable horror. Men,
women and children were screaming
and rushing to the forward part of the
boat, crowding it to such an extent
that many were pushed overheard,
while others, frantic with fright, jump
ed overheard and were drowned. Some,
while in the water, clung to the sides of
the boat and were chilled so badly that
when the yawls of the boat We're sent
to their relief they could not be induced
to let go and make an effort to save
themselves and reach the yawls which
COULD not get close enough to release
them on account of the intense heat.
Some ten or fifteen persons were lost in
this way, and others threw overheard
cotton bales and plaDks, and, plunging
in after them, tried to reach the shore,
but the wind being strong and the
water extremely cold, they perished.
One negro saved himself by clinging to
the tail of mule, which carried h'"'
safely to shore. One '-iii.e man had
clambered r.. cotton bale, when two
neg oes seizing it, the bale turned and
all three drowned. Another man was
on bale of cotton and was carried by
the eddy Immediately under the guards
of the burning vessel, where he was
compelled to keep his head from burn
ing by throwing water over it. One
German and wife, cabin passengers,
saw their two children fall through the
cabin into the burnining mass below,
and then making their way to the guard
jumped overheard locked in each 9TH
er's arms. Thirteed Mexicans, en- route
to Texas, were burned in the after part
of the boat while asleep. The first en-
gineer attempted to attach the hose to
the pumps but was prevented by the
flames. He then made his way TO the
safety. valve and, nearly blinded by
smoke, opened it and prevented an ex-
plosion. Captain ToMPKINs, although
repeatedly implored to leave the burn
ing boat, would not do so until he had
done all in his power to insure the safe.
ty of his passengers and crew. He re-
mained on board till the flames COM
pelled him to jump into the river,
where he was undoubtedly drowned.
At the time the fire broke out, the
Yeager was lying at the shore four hun
dred yards below her, and Immediately
sent yawl to rescue the McGill suffer,
ers. With her yawl and the life boat
belonging to the McGill, which had
been taken to the shore by three of the
deck crew of the McGill and abandon
ed, she succeeded in saving those whose
names have already been given, besides
two other gentlemen, capin passengers,
and four Mexicans, who were sent down
the river on a passing steamer. The
officers of the Yeager report that forty
five persons were saved by their boats,
making the total loss of life seventy.
Captain THoMPKINs is undoubtedly
lost.