The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-06
STEAMER SUNK !.
DOWN IN THE DEPT HIS.


The Sentinel has reported b : te,.rrar,
the sinking Of the steamer st. I.nke IN ~,
Missouri. The following fun pa rticrlars ar,
from the st Louis Globe: The steamer 81
Luke. bound from Leavenworth to s.. Iou;s
struck a pier of the 81. Charl, . br;,;,.a =.
Sunday night, and sunk In tina rs;ss,rr;
river within faw minutes afte rwa-d c.
lsls t1sdFenWorJn. at ; O'Clock iass -Fridev
evening, and taking advantage OF the ris;,',
water In the Missouri river. car~,e yla---s,
IN g0od style, making her landings ar.i
promising 2 swift aa5 rennuferas;Sre -.
mere was nothing 70 indicate csauper. 81,
the contrary, everything promised we'll tor
tnefe was more water than or5-narslz, in
the river, and there was less threatened MI
hculty a. tho bars and shoals. She arr,xad
IN sight OF the st. Charles bridge light 81
twenty minutes past 10 on Suns.zv r,Ssybt
Ioe light IS white, aud hangs inllneS1iatelv
between tse piers between which sbs
nehded. captain Keith says that vixen he
straight through the csn car. bnt
as sbe neared the niers on
Sunday night, and when witain $40 vnrSs
ana TOO lste to stop, it was discovered
that the current had changed. ana Wss sat
ing 10 northwaro, an6runnipg hard upon
the roc1>s near TIE north pier. The boat wae.
then heading for the light, and making well
to larboard because of the current. rhera
was hnt oAe shing TO do. Every ounce a.
steam was put on TO carry her through. b,It
the cEErent swept her upon the north mir
ana she struck upon The attainment, catching
upon her larboard, just forward OF the an
gines, and hanging there for fully two'n,in-
utes, careened to starboard, WITH the sTv;s.
wafer rushing through
THE CRUEL RENT IN Her SIDE.
There were altogether some forty or Eftv
DDOHiA no
shock, they rushed out, terrified in sae be-
lief they were lost, Above them the dark
bridge hung heavily, aud under them the
cold, rapid-running river washed past with
low, monotonous. hollow sound. that
gave no encouragement. The night hung
sombre and starless, and the shad0Wy piers
OF the bridge gave back the hollow murmur
OF the river in a hopeless zaonstone
The rushing steam, the changing bells, and
tho helpless FLASHING of the wheels. the
pounding OF the steamer on tbs, cold, pitt
less aou5ment; the frantic rushing hithsr
and thither of sae passengers, aIl combined
to scene of horror beyond, description.
For two minutes she hung there on the
ebutme8t, and then the swift current tore
her away and carried her or. Through the
great ragged hole in her side the watsl
poured as II to seek resting place
after It's long, wild labcrs. SLOWLY
she settled down, until over her
deck the angry current ran slowly down.
uItil the angry current had reached her
hurr'cana-TOof, washing over Il IN trium
plant celebration offs victory. As the boat
sVnk, those who remsned hudCiled togsther
on the afE part Of tho hurricane deck. The
nges had been eXtinguisaed by the water
slncst IS soon q she boat struck, and, after
the iTst signal OF distress, there was nothing
10 indicate her trouble or her whereabouts
HER LIGHTS WERE GONE
Her smoke stacks fell over her side with a
sudden plash, and tie shivering group saw
but little hope in the dull, threatening s!eh
in the swift rushing watsr that wasntd
sullenly by the crippled and dismantle ed
hulk. The was then but little prospect
for relief. Up and down the Missouri al
was darkness and discouragement. With
every angry swell the boat raised a. q fell
upon the bar, and in their fear the sufier, rs
pictured a cruel death in store Tor them. She
n tgbt 20 10 pie css or the current might carry
her into deeper water. The boa sunk with
in fifteen minutes, On the bar Just out the
mouth Of the river, and about two miles
from the bridge, nsar the reef. Her bow
lies in about twenty-five feet, and her stern
in fifteen. As she went down, Mrs James
Oman aud two OF her children, Chris. LAM
tez, peddler deck psssengers), one of be
hTemen, and two rOuster8 were swept of
and drowned. James Oman and two of his
children were saved The ot5er deck pas.
sengers were j. j. Lespie, Wm. Monroe, and
John Fritz, who saved themselves 10y seek
Ing the hurricane deck. The cabin psssen-
gers were Mr.. Conroy, of ST. Louis, Mr.
Jones, of Saline county, w. 2. Dolls,
of Sibley. Mo-; Mr.. COPYRIGHT and Mrs.
Thomas Nelson and child, t.ie family OF the
first engineer. The st. Charles ferry boat Ne
orsska City No. 2, hove in sight between 3
and O'Clock in the morning, and took off
the passengers, and then hove to until
O'clock, picking no the lighter freight and
iurnturs. The steamer was laden with 100
sewing machines, 100 tons of tobacco and
wheat, and $50 head OF hogs, valued ia all at
1890. When she struck many of the hogs
We're washed overheard, and those left were
Drematurely scalded by
THE BURSTING OF THE STEAM PIPE.
The cries of the scalded animals, as they
rushed up and down the deck or plunged
overheard to cool off, added to the confus-
ion of the scene, made the bsnk q perfect
psndemonium. It was bad night tor hogs,
but tue CONDITIONS were advantageous tor
grunts and squesls. AS the boat began
to sink, the hogs were washed over
board in squads, and the aquatic exs
erclse for shore on the part of those animals
was some; hing unparalleled for that time OF
night. Il is estimated that the average hog
flies to his perch, aud sticks his head under
his tore leg at about Z P. NJ, but when he is
awakened by rear effort OF twelve mile
current on the Missouri river, a Leaven-
worth hog can stay awake LONGER, and do
more ground and Lofty tumbling, In the
way OF getting cut of danger, than any
known hog extans. There was one man
saved from the wreck who thinks it would
have been much better for bim to have
drowned. His name is James Oman, and he
worked formerly on the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas railroad. Zines being hard be pat
all his goods in two trunks, aud in company
with his wife, Mary, aged thirty five, his
two daughters, Mary Jane and Margaret L.,
aged, respectively, nine and seven, and two
sons, Thomas James, aged four, and Ed
ward, aged twelve, lett Kansas City, on the
SIS. Luke, intending TO try his luck in ST.
Lous. When the accident occurred the
shock of the CO ,lision landed Oman on
pile of lumber on the side of the boat, after
which the boat commenced TO sink.