Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-08-13
STEAMER PAT ROGERS BURNED
Sixteen Lives Lost.

Sixteen Lives Lost.
The operator at Aurora reports
that the steamer Pat Rogers took fire
and was burnd to the waters edge
about one mile below Aurora. About
twenty lives were lost, principally
ladies.
The above was posted on the Ga
zette's bulletin board at an early
hour yesterday morning,an attract
ed the attention of the thousands
who pass the corner of Fourth and
Vine during a forenoon, and its sub
stance was soon circulated through
out the city. Our citizens were
stricken, and newspaper reporters
we're met at every turn by anxious
inquirers. Soon it became known
that the $40 a. m. train on the o.
and NJ. road would bring to the city
the survivors Of the catastrophe, but
that the train due at that hour was
more than an hour behind time, hay
ing stopped to gather up the suffer
ers. When it did arrive, the crew
Of the unfortunate steamer were
scarcely able, from nervousness, to
give any more satisfaction to wait
ing inquirers than had the brief dis
patch quoted above.
During the afternoon, when the
survivors had become more settled,
they were enabled to give clear and
distinct accounts of the accident
and loss of life, which We will en-
deavor to give in few words.
The Pat Rogers was enroute from
Louisville to Cincinnati, with about
so passengers on board, and had ar
rived at a point a mile below Auro-
IA, Ind, known as Laughrey's bar,
when her engineer on watch, Jas.
Holmes, discovered that q 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, conver-
sing with the watchman 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 near
est. Capt. Dufour says that the
greatest misfortune consisted in the
fact that the fire occurred when the
boat had reached that particular
part of the river; forjust there the
river was at such a 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 tiller broke, or that its supports
may have burned away, for her rud-
der refused to respond to his wheel,
which continued to work, and she
struck on some object when within
thirty yards of the Indiana shore.
The fire had become so hot in the
engine room as to force the engineer
to leave before steam was exhaust
ed. The limit of time between the
first alarm and the time when every
body had left the boat, is said to
have been twenty minutes. The en-
gineer says that when he discovered
the fire it lacked twenty minutes to
Z n'olooIy IN tho ~, ornspr
So soon as the engineer gave the
alarm of fire measures were taken
to awaken the sleeping passengers,
and make them aware of their dan
ger, and it is believed that not one
was left on the burning boat. But
in what an extremity! Dry land on
the larboard side, and only thirty
yards distant, but a wall of flame in
tervening. Land in view on the star
board side. but broad body of wa
ter between. The wind was blowing
toward the nearest shore, and drove
the fire in that direction. Those
who tried to save their lives by pas
sing the flame, have waded TO the
shore, the water being not much
over three feet deep. They succeed
ed in saving their lives, but some of
them, poor fellows, are disfgured
for life, we fear, having had the ex-
posed parts of their 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 swimmers,
passed around the whole length of
the boat to her stern, and were there
caught by the current, which was
very swift, and carried down the riy-
er mile and q half before they
could reach the shore. Others
threw overheard trunks, valises,
doors, staging, planks, and other ar
ticles which would serve to keep
their heads above water, and thus
reached shore. Some of the least
nervous took time to properly at
tach 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