Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-25
FROM THE WRECK.
The Saved from the George C. Wolff
Heard frOm-What they Have
to Say About the Ac.
cideDt.
Where the Boat was when the
Explosion 0ccurred-The Mi
raculOus Escapes-HerOes
and HerOiHes.
Fifteen Persons KiIIed-Names
and Injuries Of the Wounded
The Good People Along
Shore.
Captains Carter, Widin, and P,cber
Officers, NObly Did their Duty
Full Stateme-nt of
Facts.

Inc s'es .ner Phil AIlin arrived here
yes'elu y morning at seven o'clock from
tue F.reek Of the Geo. C. Wolff, now lay
l8g at the bank at st. Francis Island
eighty miles below here, and brings sew
eral of the surviving cabin passengers,
among them Mr.. Ellis, of this city, and
young lady in his charge; w. Solo,
monsky, Of Paris, Texas. and Miss
Beckie COhn, Of Jefferson, Texas. The
two latter are on the way to st. Louis
to their relatives, NJ. Drossner, at 2205
franklin avenue. Mr.. and Mrs. Ellis
were but slightly injured, but Miss Cobn
wss severely bruised about the head.
though not dangerously. She left bv
rail at noon for st. Louis. From a state
ment made by her and Mr.. Solomonskv
we learn that at the time
THE WOLFF EXPLODED
her three boilers, she was In midstream,
Just soove the mouth of the st. Francis
river, with a light cargo, in fact nothing
but p few bales of cotton and light
freight; and ali or nearly all of her cabin
passengers having finished dinner some
time before, were sitting on the port
boiler deck. These, including with those
already named, are Miss Felis, and Mrs.
Frisbee and her daughter, twelve years
old, from Shreveport, and Mr.. Nelson
Of this city, making the cabin list num-
Der fourteen souls; five ladies, six men
and three children. While they were
talking a heavy rain storm came UP.
and they were about TO start for the
cabin when with a terrific crash
all three of the boilers exploded simulta-
neously, the deck upon which they were
standing opened, and part of them
were thrown sixty feet in the air,
coming down in the river among the
debris and the falling timbers from the
wreck, while those in the aft-cabin or
near that portion of the boat We're not in
jured in the least. The two parties first
named caught at tsomep planks and floated
down the river nearly half mile, when
their planks lodged against some drift, !
and they were subsequently taken out
by boats, the officers on the Nashman
rendering great
ASSISTANCE,
and saving the life of Miss Cohn. Mr.. |
Nelson was badly cut by the falling tim /
bers and drowned in sight of Miss Coin. |
Mrs. Frisbee's little daughter was stand |
ing at the side of Miss COhn when the |
accident occurred, and fell through the |
break in the hOOr to the lower deck un-
injured. Miss Felis was uuhurt, and
Mr.. Ellis and wife We're only slightly /
scratched, they not being blown over
board. Mrs. Frisbee suffered a sprained |
ankle, and Mrs. Freeman and two chill
dren were injured but little, and are
still at the wreck. Captain |
Carter is badly bruised and scalded |
somewhat, but paid no attention to his
injuries until twenty hours after the ac-
cident, when he could hold out no |
longer, and was compelled to place
another in charge. John Widen, clerk
of the boat, is dangerously
BURNED AND BRUISED,
and it is feared that he will never fully |
recover from his injuries. His son is
with him at house near the wreck, and
the good people of Helena are
doing everything in their power
for him and the other wounded. |
Pilot John DOnOhue had a leg broken /
while being eXtricated from the wreck. |
The bodies of Mrs. Dawson and two
children, deck passengers, were found,
but her husbands was not. The bodies !
of two negro firemen were also found, /
literally roasted, in the wreck near the I
fire-doOrs, and another dead negro's
body was found aft the boilers. Those
who make the statement say that the
boats officers, Immediately after the ex-
plOsiOn, eXtinguished a fire that
caught below and then manned
a yawl, and after about half an
hours laborious work, got a line TO the
shore and hauled the wreck to a stump,
where it was made fast, and then work
was commenced to pump her out. The
cabin was not blown off, as first report
ed, but only as far back as the stateroom
in the rear of the Office, the balance re-
naming intact.
THE SAFE AND BOOKS
are supposed to have gone overheard, IS
they have not yet been found in the |
wreck. Owing to the illness of the first |
engineer, the second had been on duty
foTty-eight hours, and undoubtedly /
fell asleep at his post and permitted I
the explosion, which cost him, as well /
as at least thirteen others, including 4
the Dawson family, the firemen and |
rOusters and two Irishmen, one belong
ing to a party Of five employees Of the
circus, one of whom,
while in the water, nObly saved the life
Of Miss Cohn. All the passengers in-
teTyiewed bear testimony to the heroic
conduct Of Captains Carter and Widen,
as weh.as other officers, and state that
but for eir bravery and great presence
of mind The boat would have sunk after
the explosion, as she was taking water
fast, and Eas got to shore just in time.
The erewAnd officers are expected upon
the Julia, and go to st. Louis on her.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS.
nnl.o .4o.,-,., Tr.Tsa I