The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-13
A MISSOURI RIVER DISASTER.
The steamer 81. Luke CoiIides with n
Bride &c Fsfer AZ 81. Charles and Goes 20
the Bottom-Several Lives Lost-Sto-
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the Bottom-Several Lives Lost-Sto-
rfes ofthe .SurytSors-zr = TTrs rrrsr1
IFrcln tle St. Louis Democrat. 9Th. j. j Z
The steamer st. Luke, a sidewheol
Steamer. owned-Ey the Missouri River
Packet Company, left Leavenworth on
Friday. evening. April 30th, for. this port,
and cane bowling along rapidly on the
mad torrent Of the swollen Missouri. She
neared the beautiful bridge. at ST. Charles.
which never yet had inflicted DAMAGE on
steamboat. 1t is night. but the stars are
out and merrily twinklinq. The pilot
slows MS bells: officers look up at the
light on the bridge. Suddenly the steamer
strikes the huge pier broadside, because
she had missed her course. The shock
awakes the sleepers. and all are instantly
madeaware that calamity has overtalCen
them. The boat leaves the pier and
sinks; some Of the people are drowned,
but the large majority are safe. They ar
rived here yesterday by rail. The follow
ing statements tell the tale:
STATEMENT OF THOMAS NELSON, ENGINEER.
1t was ten minutes past 10Suaday night
when We struck. The carpenter came
intOa the eBgiBe-roOm. | asked him TO
look at the lamp on the top of the bridge
and see what the figures indicated. He
looked, and in half a minute the pier came
in and knocked us off the foot-board into
the engine-room. / turned on the siphon
pumps, ready to pump The water out of
the hold. while the pier still held the boat
fast. The boat rested about two minutes
against the pier. then swung off. sinking,
and floated two or three miles. when she
stopped on the bottom. The pier kept
crushing in the side of the boat until il
rested against the engine, and broke the
steam-pipe of. Had about ten deck pas
sengers. a woman, and two girls out of
her four children, were drowned also a
man (aGerman); VIM. Brooks, colored
fireman Of the boat also the deck-sweep-
er and a roustabout. The boat sunk 10
her roof. The chimnevs fell overheard
soon after parting with the bridge. The
husband OF the lost woman and children
was washed off the boat, and saved
his life BY clinging to debris,
whlcn carried him safely a number
OF miles away. This man supposed his
whole family was drowned. and was in
great agony. When he caught sight OF
his two boys he seemed to be insane with
delight, which was follwed by a parox.
ysm of despair when informed that his
Wlie ard two girls were gone from earth.
got ashore at 3 a m, with my wife and
child and all the Others-s0me six or eight
that were hudtiled together with me ON
the hurricane roof, where we had been
compelled to flee for our lives. The life
boat had taken load of about dozen on
shore, and could not be brought back on
account OF the powerful current. The
lerryboat from st Charles came down and
took us of. lat 90 ~ !. = =
A German farmer named VIM. Wiedey.
acted with great humanity and generosity.
lie gave the steward. me and nv family.
the chambermaid, and some others-seyer
in ALA bright lire in his house, plenty of
dry Clothes, andna good breakfast, and
hauledns 70 st. Charles, where we arrived
at this morning, and we took the train
shortly after for st. Louis.
CAfTAiN GEORGE KEITH's STATEMENT.
Townsend was the pilot at the wheel
last nlght when thesaccident occurred. lie
was the mates watch ON the hurricane
root, and had retired. The honr was
lO:l0 when the boat stru6k. The disaster
was caused by the extraordinary force Of
the current pulling the boat offhe course
and on TO thepier.- Wehad about 100 tons
of freight. j staid on the wreck until
about O'Clock this morning, when the
ferryboat came and tool-us off. The life
boat could net be brought back from the
shore, and the yawl had sunk with the
steamer. When left, the water was I'D
10 the hurricane deck. and on il in some
places. She lies about two miles below
the bridge, and is a total loss. She must
go to pieces rapidly. ....-
JAMES DISAN's TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. -
The story of James Oman. who was
perhaps the heaviest loser by the sinking
OF The ~. Luke, is substantially as fol-
lows: My idea is that the collision oc-
CURED about 10 O'Clock. The shock. of
course, was wholly unexpected. and we
passengers were thrown about in every
conceivable manner. We were not long
IN learning the cause of the shock. and.
rs may be easilyimagined, the women and
children, with many of the men, were
completely overcome with fright. Well,
1t is not to be wondered at, for the extent
OF the injury was made manifest very soon.
the walter rushing in with great violence.
and we, in the midst of a roaring river.
with onlya sinking boat under us. None
but those who have been similarly situat-
ed can have any idea of the feeling which
prevailed on board that craft. 1t cannot
be described. That the boat was sinking
was evident 70 all, and destruction seemed
TO stare us IN the face. One boat had been
injured by the collision, and the work of
unsldpping the other was commenced.
1 had been standing near the
bulwarK with one of my lit
tie boys IN my arms, and a second son
stood at my side; my wife and two dauoh-
tiers were just behind me, and we were
waiting to be taken off the steamer by the
life-boat. Suddenly, and without any in
timatioH, the waters came with terrific
force, parting me from my family, even
tearing the child from my arms. For
moment, think. | lost consciousness,
which | recovered only. to find myself
struggling in the angry waters. There
were others washed overheard that |
could see, trying to maintain themselves
above water. The hope OF assistance from
the last SINKING steamer would have been
meagerh had she been close at hand. but
the current, which was very swift. had
drlited us far apart, and the prospect of
pelng saved was indeed dark one. Sud-
denly caught sight of a raft to which a
man was clfngfng. There was a raw of
hope, and if could catch the raft. which
seemed large enough tc hold both us.
might be saved. As the current swel + il
by l made such an effort as only one in nv
position could have made, and secured a
hold. a drowning man, little further
down, tried TO reach it but failed and
sunk at once. We two that were on the
raft were whirled along at fearful rate,
ing TO trust to our ability to reach shore
by swimming. We were companions in
this terrible ride, which must have lasted
fully four hours, when about O'Clock in
the morning our raft was swept into an
eddy, beneath the high bank. l deter
mined to risk an effort and get ashore il
IL were possible. 1 saw a foOthOld and
made the leap and was saved. Ny move
ments had driven the raft again into the
current, which L had not taken account
OF, and my companion of the night was
the sole occupant, drifting at terrible
rate down the river. He called to nae and
asked me TO use my efforts to save him.
He spoke as though he had abandoned AN
hope, and never expected to see another
day. He referred to his mother, and said
that ii would craze her TO know
that he had been drowned. Who he
was L do not know, and he was soon
swept from my sight. When 1 reached
the top Of the embankment, where had
landed, could just see him on the raft. in
the middle of the river, away off, and it
a ciorkf 1 cl,of1 A, 80