The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-08-14
BURNING OF AN OHIO RIVER STEINER.

cotton bales in the after part of the
boat about G. O'Clock A. NJ. The boat
was Immediately turned for the shore,
but became unmanagcable. The pilot
thinks the tiller rope was cut, and the
fire the work OF incendiaries.
The boat dcifted on Il sand bar and
grounded. The flames, instead of
spreading along the lower deck, ut once
shot up to the cabin and pilot house,
and then swept across the hurricane
deck. The passengers We're all aroused
and the boats lowered, and many were
carried ashore, but others in their fright
jumped into tho water, and those not
drowned reached the landing place
after drifting Il long time with the cur
rent. There were nearly one hundred
people on board the boat.
The boat burned near tho shore, the
flames enveloping the shore side of the
vessel. The passengers who jumped
over on that side were nearly all lost or
badly burned. None who used life pre-
servers arc known to he lost, and two
ladies were saved without the use of
preservcrs. Many sank by cliuging to
each other.
The fire was discovered ut about $40
a. NJ. All the passengers Wcrc asleep.
'lIcartlcssness and heroism We're dis
tfttttt III skN ftt ttttttSt. tft ''ttt'f'
excrteu themselves nobly to save the
passengers. \ man, who claims to
have been the last to leave tho boat,
says the last object he saw was Il child
three years old beyond his reach, alone,
naked, dancing with pain, crying and
shouting, the flames burning it. Not
one OF six small children aboard was
saved; two men were brought ashore
dead.
-Four women, who were altcrward
saved, stool ON the hurricane deck and
shouted till hoarsc, imploring a river
pirate on the Kentucky shore to come
over and help them, but he refused. \
brave man came down the river later
barely in time to save them ut his own
great peril.
One young man, Robert Moore, says
a woman came to him with Il child,
begged him to save them. He threw
II mattress in the river, told her to
jump. Half II dozen men sliced the
mattress, the woman rushed away hall
frantic and bcwildcred. Moore lost
sight of her. He thought she bnrnch
with the boat.
Capt. David says the officers were
awakened promptly and ran I" the
rooms of tho passengers and tried t"
save them.
Farther investigation has shed no
additional light on the origin of tn"
fire, except to dissipntc the suspicion
which rested on II negro man discharged
from the boats employ.
Tho number on board, all told, is
supposed to have boon scvcnty-two to
persons. An exact list
have ranged from sixteen to twenty
eight people; probably Twenty-Five is
the number nearest the fact. The citi-
IONS and passengers do not attach amy
blame to the Captain and officers. AT
all events it has not been expressed.
Suspense and uncertainty a5 to the fate
of tho missing has added intensity to
the painful interest felt in the calamity
here. At this time forty-Iivc persons
are known to have been saved.
One Of the most thrilling and niracu
lous escapes was that of Miss l.. j. Will
liams, of Louisville, who threw away
her valiSc and extra clothing, and after
securing the services of 4 gentleman i'll
throwing overheard Il crate of peaches
she lCapcd into the water after IL witha
life prcscrVcr. When she attempted
to cling to the crate it rcv0lvcu like Il
reel, and for two terrible hours she
struggled with the crate, and had just
closed nt'I tN'n III t'SIhii, W N'i'''
was drawn into II skin by Mr.. Hun,
who rendered similar services in several
other eases.
Miss Rowdcn, of Louisville, jumped
from he boat toward the Indiana shore,
and hungry tongues of llanic, licking
along the surface OF the water, horribly
burned her head and face. She had no
life prrSrrvcr and only secured one end
of q plank by clinginG to tho pantnloon
leg Gf some person who swan past her.
She SAYS that while moving through
the water several gasping drowning
wrrtchc5 rendered their hands toward
her, some even SraspinG her hair, and
tearing it out by handful.
The last living object seen on board
was Il little child three or four years
! Old, running about SCrchniinG with
fright, surrounded By Hnnt"1, ana IL
legs, arms and face exposed to tn" terri
! bic heat. The negro crew hcnhF"h
badly, hurryirg Off the boat before
| there was any imminent danger, ana
/ mpnopolizing all the available means
| of safety Two colorCd men anh orc
wbitn man rDWcd away in Il iii"b'at