The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-25
Latest Particulars of the Terrible
Calamity.
Incidents and Scenes on the
River.
What is thought Of the Action Of
the Tugboats.
Proposed Indignation Meeting.

The disaster of Friday is still the absorbip
theme throughout the city, and along the leve
this morning there was nothing to be heard bu
conversations and comments touching tia
shocking event.
It appeared as though everybody was relatin
one to another what had been his experience O
what he had seen in connection with the circum
stance which appeared particularly appalling
There was general comment on the action of tn
two tug-boats, Nellie and Tyler, which arrived Of
the scene, it is claimed by every one, in ampl
time to have rescued from the steamer Exporte
every person who stood upon her forward deck
Their assertions are that all told there were ap
parently seventy-fivc or eighty people on THU
steamer, being her crew, persons who were OF
BOARD at the time she was cut loose, and those
who had rushed to her from the steamers Kyle
and Bodmann, and that the tugs, without en-
countering any danger, for the Exporter was OH
fire astern, could have ranged alongside and
easily have recovered the terrified people who
were pleading for assistance.
1t is true that the officers of the Nellie rescued
dozen or more persons from the water, but the
complaint is, that had she or the other boat, the
Tyler, acted rightly, there would have been no
have taken to the water. The great loss of life
ensued when the heat, becoming unbearable
devouring in fact. the unfoounates were
compelled to plunge promiscuously into the
stream, and take the chan :es Of rescue bv the
small boats that piled in the vicinity of the burn
ing steamers. There prevailed wide spre ad dis
position among merchants and steamboatmen Of
every class on the levee this morning to hold a
meeting to express indignation at the action Of
the two tugs named.
1t Is now estimated that not more than twenty
lives were lost, few of their names, however,
being known. none, in fact, further than those
already published.
All those who were injured are doing WE'LL
None, it is thought, are fatally injured.
Mr.. Browne, clerk of the John KYLE, who ia
now lying at the City Hotel, is very seriously
burned, but will recover. Capt. Shinkle, Can't.
Stein and others, who are at present on the
steamer Louisville, are suffering severely from
their burns, but there is assurance that thew will
recover speedily.
Ofthe ten persons sent to the Charity Hospital
two left this morning quite recovered, and the !
others are in fair way Of coming forth soon, |
with tho exception of John w. Maxwell, whose
leg is broken.
The statement in some Of the papers, and the
assertion OF the second clerk OF the Eodmanu.
that the boat Ella Wood No. was near the Bod
mann and Exporter, and declined to so to the
assistance OF persons, is proven to have been err
rOneous, as the Ella Wood was not present. but
lying without steam on the opposite side Of the
river.
Statement Of John +. Ford, Captain of the
TxghOaf Nellie.
It having appeared in tho morning papers that
the officers of the tugboat Nellie were deserving
OF great censure for dercliction OF duty in not
making efforts to rescue the victims of ycster-
days horrible cal4mity, Capt. Ford called upon
us this morning and requested us to publish his
in reference to the matter He saws
We were lying alongside of the steamship Cor
ties, opposite the French Market, when the alarm 6
OF fire was given. At the time our engineer was G
working at the donkey pump and, Of course, We =
or no steam on hand, bu. without wait
ing to raise more, we Immediately started out Il
Our progress was necessarily slow at first until h
We raised steam enough to increase speed. This
resulted in our being the last boat upon the a
scene, and all three Of the steamboats, were
wrapped IN flames before We got anywhere near
hem. 1900 '
Our pump is so large that it is with great diff
guilty we manage the hose a: all and this time to ).
make sure we lashed it before reaching the burn
ng vessels. Seeing so many people struggling b
N the water we abandoned tile idea OF putting r
,ut the hres and devoted our entire energy to II
ne rescue OF the struggling victims We ne h
;IecIeu 10 stop the pumps and as a consequence =;
mere was continual stream Issuing from the q
lose and this doubtless gave rise to the opinion CT
'mong those on.the banks that we were wasting al
ur time IN fruitless Efforts to extinguish the "
Tres. ~
When we reached the blazing vessels thero =,
yere no persons visible on the boats. The a.
ould not have stood the heat. We padded Iii -
round the Bodmann and Exporter, rescuine te
'hOever we could. l saw no one drown or hnrn Sc
p, and stayed there until there was no one ysi th
le IN the water. Even then might have STAYED w
tier, but saw tho two burning boats float over CO
'ward the coal fleet the Algiers side and. in 81;
vet, set two of the fiatbosts ON fire. 81.
MY services being absolutely needed then. I Oh
teamed over, and fastening my line to the Bod
lann, drew her into tho middle Of the stream on
nd let her go. Returning, fastened line to an
yer. When reached the bend blew several in
mes Tor the Continental, which soon came to hi
y aid and together took the steamboat ba
miles down the river opposite Magee's plant no
ion and fastened her to the shore Her wheel o1
'en raining OIL her stern went down and she az
'pioly Hled with water, and soon sunk out Of "
Sht close to the shore. The Bodmann sunk Wi
'ou! nan mile further down. Instead of ne sill
s.."is we sufferers we saved nearly twenty Of tut
eiii' among whom was one lady. tin
The captain feels deeply the remarks published 4 s
MN IN the morning papers, especially tel
ne mad labored so hard to rescue the upfor- OF
mates. In justice to him we publish this state oil
ent at the same time rcgretting the necessity res
his yindication. Tor
---- me
milwaukee, chap kssed his Girl about forty apl
mes right straight along, and when he stopped tin
9 TEARS came into her eyes and she said in 4 We
tone OF voice: "Ah! John, fear YOU have san
- 70 ipve me; NO l haven't" replied Of
- Col
. Have we two brains 2" inquiries the CHICAGO ligl
.e,.Vcean IN an editorial head line As God is the
witness; We aon know, but it may be re- bro
not yet convinced the public that it las even !
e.-S. Louis Republican,. 1"' e'e"
IIr Moncure D. Conway is to deliver . ,cst,ro tia
Chicago on the devil. We would have sun pro
'ed that Chicago knew more in single nd. the
mt about her patron saint-if that's what 81 for