The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-11
THE STEAMBOAT DISASTER.
THE DEAD AND MISSING.

THE DEAD AND MISSING.
THE STEAMSHIP PAT ROGERS BURNED TO THE
wATER's EDGE-THE LIST OF THE LOST AND
TIE sAvED-HERoIc INCIDENTS OF THE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ESCAPES FROM A
wATERY GRAvE-PERsONAL NARRATIVES
OF THE AWFUL SCENE.
From the Cincinnati papers of the 9th inst
full particulars OF the steamboat disaster
near Aurora are obtained. The Gazette says
that on the first receipt ofthe news the citizsns
were stricken, and newspaper reporters
were met at every turn by anxious inquir-
les. Soon it becsms known that the $40 A.
NJ train on the O. & NJ. road would bring
To the ci5y the survivors of the catastrophe,
hut that the train due at that hour was more
than an hour behind time, having stopped
to gather up the survivors. When il did
arrive the crew of the unfortunate steamer
were scarcely able, from nervousness, give
sny more satisfaction to waiting inqnirers
than had the brief dispatch sent. During the
afternoon, when the survivors had become
more settled, they were enabled to give clear
and distinct accom- s of the accident and
loss of life, which we viii endeavor TO give
in few words. The Pat Rogers was en-
route from Louisville to Cincinnati, with
about 90 passengers on board and had arrived
at point a mile below Aurora,
when her engineer on watch. James Holmes,
discovered that fire had broken out in her
deck room, AFT among some cotton, OF which
she was carrying but about 20 bales. He
was standing on the engine-boX at the time
of the discovery, ccnverSing with the watch
man of the boat. He Immediately called
through the pipe TO the pilot on watch,
Chas. Dufour, that the boat was on fire, and
the latter headed her for the Indiana Shore
which was the nearest. Capt. DufOur says
that the greatest mis- fortune consisted in the
fact that the fire occurred when the boat had
reached that particular part of the river; for
Just there the river was at such stage that
it was impossible for her to reach the shore,
drawing as much water as'she did. Steam
was up and the engines working. but Capt.
d. thinks that the tilier broke or that its
supports may have burned away, for
HER RUDDER REFUSED TO RESPOND
to his wheel, which continued to work, and
she struck on some object when within 80
yards of the Indiana shore. The FL re had
become so hot in the engine room as to force
the engineer TO leave before steam was eX-
hausted The limit of time between the first
alarm and the time when everybody had left
the boat, is said to have been 20 minutes
The engineer says that when he discovered
the fire it lacked 20 minutes to 5 O'Clock in
morning. So soon as the engineer gave the
alarm of fire, measures were taken to
awaken tie sleeping passengers, and make
them aware of their danger, and il is be-
lieved that not one was left on the burning
boat. But what an extremity Dry
land on the larboard side, and only
80 yards distant, but a wall of flame in
tervening Land i'm view OH the starboard
side, but broad body of water between.
The wind was blowing toward the nearest
shore, and drove the fire in that direction.
Those who tried to save their lives by pass
ing the flame, could, If they had so desired,
have wadsd to the shore, the water beng
not much over three feet deep. They suc-
ceeded in saving their lives but some of
them, poor fellows, are disfigured for life,
we fear, having had the expos I'd parts of
heir flesh actually roasted or scared by the
excessive heat. The other portion of the crew
and passengers who decided to
trust to the water on the starboard
side of the boat, met with various
results. Some, who were good swim
mers, passed around the whole length of the
boat to her stern, and were there caught by
the current winch was very swift, and car
ried down the river a mile and a half before
they could reach the shore. Others threw
overheard trunks, valises, doors, staging
planks and other articles which would serve
to keep their heads above water, and thus
reached The shore. Some of the least ner-
vous took time to properly attach the life
preservers provided for such extremities, and
these were all saved. One little child which
had, with assistance, got to the shore, died
afterward in the arms of its rescurer.
THE SAVED.
All the officers and crew ofthe Pat Rogers
were saved, except those named below as
missing Besides these, the clerks of the
boat saw and talked with the following pas
sengers after the accident: Lewis Noble
Vavay, Ind; Lum. Stepleton, Nevay Ind ):
Henry Foust, Louisville, KY; ID. Nj. White,
Louisville, KY. George c. Buchanan, Louis.
vile. Ky: Mrs. G. III. Och, Aurora, Ind.
Mrs. NJ: F. Eastman, Hanover, Ind; Miss
Rachael Sturgus, Hanover, Ind; Miss l.. j.
Williams, Louisville, Ky; A. NJ. Perine
Nashville, Tenn; DIR. III. III. Turpin, Wash
ingtOn, ID. c.; Mr.. futile, Cincinnati; Theo
Bunnell Patriot, Ind; w. G.. Jewe {, Cincin.
natl; G.. w. Baker, Cincinnati, deputy clerk
Hamiltan county Court of Common Pleas;
r. j. Moore, Rosewood, Ind; Miss Conner
Miss Ecbenrock; f. o. Ely, Oswego, n. Y
A. D. Morris, CINCINNATI; w. ii. Kinsley
Oneida, n. Y. VIM. Allison, Cincinnati
w. j. DuptoD, New York City; JnO. w
Miller, Louisville, KY; VIM, Barlow
Portsmouth, o.; f. Groves, Shelby Co., KY.
j. III. Yellman, Lexington, KY; Geo. Moss
mire, Chicago, deck boy): Fred. Madden
New Orleans, deck boy; his father missing)
Mike Graham, Madison, Ind, deck; A. j
Crone, Maysville, KY; Fred. Shute, Carols
ton, KY, deck; +. S. Wallace, Cincinnati
K. Myers, COyington, KY; Il. X. POttinger
New Haven, KY; Prof Plato, Louisville
Ky.
Iniured-Miss Emma RawdeD, Louisville
Ky; badly burnt about the head; +. Stone
North Carolina, burnt; Alex. ID. Quincy
Newport, KY. deck face burnt; G. T
Newell, Springfield, Mass, burnt Jno. v
Hughes, 1s3 w. Sd ST., Cincinnati, badly
burnt. newsman on boat
face burnt; VIM. Payne, Warsaw, Ind
| Missing-NIr. Madden, New Orleans, decl
passenger; Chas III. Dittmsn, New Boston
KY, pilot; j. r. Stuart, Madison, Ind, boat
builder; Mrs. Smith and child, Madison
Ind; Sherley Snyder Oldham county, KY.
third clerk; Jacob Light, Cincinnati, stew.
ard; Charles Reisinger, Covington, KY
striker: Mrs. Tuttle and child, Louisville
KY, formerly OF Cincinnati; VIM. Brown
Cincinnati; Jacob GARNER and daughter
Lizzie, Madison; Minor Munse, colores' bar
Der; Rudolph Drucker, Cincinnati, toarteer