New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-16
THE STEAMBOAT DISASTER.
Report of the Local INSPECTORS

BOARD UNITED STATES Local INSPECTORS
| OF Steam Vessels District OF New Orleans.
| New Orleans, May Is. 1875.
! William Rogers, Esq, Supervising Inspector Tent
SIR-The board hereby reports the burn
| ing of the steamboats, John Kyle, Charle
| Bcdnlann and Exporter, and consequen
| loss of life in this port on the afternoon o
| the twenty third ultimo, under the follow
ing circumstances:
The boats were moored in the usua
manner side by side, at the upper steam
boat landing in the order named, the Xvi,
| the lowermost A fresh breeze from the
north was blowing Oft shore and diagonal
across the river making the Kyle the wind
| ward boat. The eddy at that point and the
wind combined pressed the boats up river.
The fire was discovered about four O'Clock
in the stOreroOm on the starboard anC
| windward side of the Kyle. The utmost ex
ertions were made to arrest the fire, but
famed by the strong wind, in q very few
minutes it burned into flame and enveloped
the cabin amidships. The people on board
were hurried on shore by the captain, and
no lives We're lost.
The Bodmann and the Exporter were
cast off, and they had commenced floating
away, when most unfortunately the Kyle
was also cast off. and drifted against and
out with them. The Bodmann Immediately
took fire, and the people on her their re
treat to the shore being cut off were driven
and the rest onto the bow of the Exporter.
In few minutes more the Exporter also
took fire. which spread with great rapidity,
and very soon all the people on both boats,
except nine taken off by small boats, were
forced by the flames to jump overheard
about 100 yards from the ehore. The pro-
gress of the fire was so rapid that in less
than fifteen minutes after it was discovered
the three boats were ablaze from stem to
stern. 1t is not known that any person
was burned to death. Most of those who
Jumped overheard were saved by small
boats, and the witnesses who have given
evidence before the board in this case
testify that rowboatmen and skitfmen made
active and heroic efforts to save life; in
several instances they were burned while
rescuing persons from the water near the
burning boats.
We regret our inability to report the
names of the boatmen who acted thus
nobly. The witnesses did not know them,
and with characteristic modesty they have
not made themselves known.
In marked contrast with the efforts of
these men was the conduct of those in COM
mand of the tugs Tyler. Dime and Nellie.
who were promptly at the scene, but each
to a greater or less extent, as stated by
mapy whine o evipced very reproachable
indifference to the loss of life in disregard
I'M the calls to them for help by persons in
imminent peril, and we regret that further
action upon our part in their case is barred
for want of jurisdiction.
The information obtained by careful
leads to the conclusion that
there were LOG persons on board the Bod
NJ an and Exporter, that eightysix were
: .ypd and twenty lost
Although the precise locality IN which
the fire originated is known, yet the man
ner of its origin is somewhat shrouded 10
doubt, for it appears that the second engi-
neer of the KYLE was at work in the black
smith shop, adjoining which, forward, was
a storeroom used by the steward for his
amps and oils mineral sperm), both rooms
being raised from the starboard guard.
Under this storeroom some thirty or forty
bales of hay were slowed, and there being
40 other fire in the vicinity, and the store,
DOM locked, it is our opinion that in some
way spark from the forge found Judgment
n the hay, and thus originated the fire. No
,lame appears to attach to the officers OF
INV of the boats during the fire, nor does
here appear to be any for neglect as to Its
anse.
Very respectfully, your obedient servants,
w. C. FLANDERS,
j. A. MOFFETT,
United States Local Inspectors, District OF
Now Orleans,