Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
The Steamboat Disaster on the Ohio
River.

CINCINNATI, Aug. 5, 1874.
The operator at Aurora, Ind, reports
that the steamer Pat Rogers was burned
this morning on the Ohio River, one
mile below Aurora, and about twenty
lives were lost, principally ladies.
The boat burned near the shore, the
flames enveloping the shore side of the
vessel. Passengers who jumped over on
that side were nearly all lost or badly
burned. None who used life-preservers
are known to be lost, and two ladies
were saved without the use of preserv-
ers. Many sank by clinging to each
other in the water.
The scene of the wreck is thirty miles
from here by river, and was above
Laughery Creek and short distance
below Aurora, Ind. The fire was
discovered about twenty minutes before
five O'Clock. All the passengers were
asleep The crew don't know much
about it. Heartlessness and heroism
were displayed in awful contrast. The
officers eXerted themselves molly to save
the passengers A man who claims to
have been the last to leave the boat says
the last object he saw was child three
years old, beyond his reach, alone,
naked, dancing with pain, crying and
one of six small children aboard was
saved Two were brought ashore dead
-Four women, who were atterward saved
stood on the hurricane deck and
shouted till hoarse, imploring the river
pirate on the Kentucky shore to come
over and help, but he refused. A brave
man came down the river later barely in
time to save them at his own great
peril One young man, Robert J. Moore,
says woman came to him with child
and begged him to save them. He threw
mattress into the river. He told her to
Jump. Half dozen men seized the
mattress and the woman rushed away
half-frantic, bewildered. They lost sight
| of her. She is thought to be burned
with her baby.
Capt. Davis says the officers were
Weakened promptly and ran at once to the
rooms of the passengers.
Mr.. Holmes, the engineer of the steam
er, arrived in Cincinnati on the noon
train and was interviewed by a Cincin-
matt reporter. He gives the following
account of the burning of the steamer:
a" 1t was just about six O'clock. when
just opposite Laughery Greek, that flows
into the Ohio River a short distance below
Aurora, that | noticed bright Toht
d1ilOES SOulS DdI6S VI COtlOh III the after
part of the boat. / FASTENED to the sDot
and found it to be burning rapidly, and
beyond any possibility of Immediately
| eXtinguishing it. | FASTENED to the hur
ricane deck and gave the alarm to the
pilot that the boat was burning, and told
him to run her ashore The pilot at once
| turned the boats head to the shore,
| and Immediately she became unmanage-
able. The pilot stated that he could
turn the wheel, but the steamer would
not answer to her helm. He thinks the
! tiller-rope had been cut. From this fact
1t Is thought that the fire was the work
OF an incendiary. Another theory is that
| one of the passengers, while smok-
ing, dropped sparks from his pipe into the
/ cotton. When the boat became unman-
! ageable she drifted on a sand-bar and
! there grounded The flames, instead of
/ spreading along the lower deck, at once
| shot up to the cabin and pilOt-house, and
then swept across the hurricane deck.
/ The passengers were all aroused, and the
/ boats we're lowered, and many were car
rled to the shore, but others, in their
/ fright, jumped into the water, and those
! who were not drowned reached a safe