Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-06
SINKING OF THE ST. LUXE.
Full PartIcuIars-StRtems Of the
Captain, Clerk and Engineers
DinaR's Terrible Experience,
Nine Lives Lost.

ing OF the st. Luke, We take from the
st. Louis Democrat, OF Tuesday morn
ing:
CAPTAIN GEORGE KEITH S STATEMENT.
Townsend was the pilot at the wheel
last night when the accident occurred.
1t was the mates watch on the hurri-
cane roof, and had retired. The hour
was ten minutes after ten when the boat
struck. The disaster was caused by the
extraordinary force Of the current pull
ing the boat off her course and on to the
pier. We had about one hundred tons
OF freight. / staid on the wreck until
about four o'clock this morning, when
the ferTybo8t came and took US off. The
liiebOat could not be brought back from
the shore, and the yawl had sunk with
the steamer. When ] left, the water
was up to the hurricane deck, and on it
in some places She lies about two miles
below the bridge, and is total loss.
She must go to pieces rapidly. Some
sewiDg-mschines and furniture were
saved by the ferrybOat, which took off
AL that could be got of.
THE CLERKS STATEMENT.
Mr.. James White, clerk of the st.
Luke, got here a. three o'clock in the
OndeIet. We learn from him that the
books and papers were saved, also the
safe, which contains the boats money.
The ferry yboatmsn rescued this and other
things from the bost, and holds them to
the order OF the underwriters. Mr..
White lost the sale KEYS, and some OF
the officers, passengers and crew lost
their baggage. The following is believed
to be q correct list of
THE LOST AND MISSING:
Mrs. James Dinan and two children,
girls, lost,
G. Lantz, deck passenger, lost.
Bill Brooks, fireman, lost,
Donnelly, deck-sweeper, lost or miss
ing.
John Thomas, roUstabout, missing.
George Washington (colored), rOust-
about, missing.
Casper (GermsD), roustabout, miss
ing.
Lantz was a peddleT, who took pass
age at Kansas City for st. Louis. Mrs.
Din8n and family also took passage at
Kansas City for st. Louis. Not one Of
the officers, cabin passengers and cabin
crew was lOstOr injured
JAMES DINAN's TERRIBLE EXPERT
ENCE.
The story Of James Dinan, who was
perhaps the heaviest loser by the sink
ing Of the st. Luke, il substantially as
follows My idea is that the collision
occurred about teno'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, as may be easily imagined,
the women and children, with
many of the men, were COM
pletely overcome with fright. Well,
1t is not to be wondered at, for the eX-
tent OF the injury was made manifest
very soon, the water rushing in with
great violence, and we, in the midst Of
q roaring river, with only a sinking
boat under US. None but those who
have been similarly situated can have
any idea Of the feeling which prevailed
on board the craft. 1t cannot be de-
scnbed. That the boat was sinking
was evident to all, and destTuC-
ton seemed to stare US in the face. Oi
course, in such 8 moment sctiOn OfsOme
kind was necessary, the first law of nature
suggesting ii. One boat had been in
juTed by the collision, and the work Of
unshipping the other was commenced.
l had been standing near the bulwark
with one Of my little boys in my arms,
and a second son stood at my side; my
wife and two daughters were just behind
me, and we were waiting to be taken eff
The steamer by the lifeOOat. Suddenly,
and without any intimatiOn, the waters
came with terrific force, parting me
from my family, even
TEARING THE CHILD FROM MY ARMS.
For a moment, think, l lost conscious
ness, which | recovered only to find my
self struggling III the angry waters.
There were Sthers washed overheard
that l could see, trying to maintain
themselves aobve water. The hope of
assistance from the fast sinking steamer
would have been me8ger had she been
close at hand, but the current, which
was very swift, had dTifted US far apart,
and the prospect Of being saved was in
deed a dark one. Suddenly l caught
sight of a raft to which a man was
clinging There was a ray of hope,
and il / could catch the raft, which
seemed large enough to hold both
of us, l might be saved. As the
current swept it by 1 made
such an effort as only one
in my position could have made, and
secured hold. A drowning man, a lit
tie further down, tried to reach it but
failed and sunk at once. We two who
were on the raft were whirled along at
a fearful rate, powerless to guide our
craft, and not daring to trust to our abil-
ity to reach shore by swimming. We
were companions in this terrible ride,
which must have lasted fully four hours,
when about three o'clock in the morn
ing our raft was swept into an eddy, be-
meath high bank. determined to risk
an effort and to get ashore if it were pos
sible. l saw fOOthold and
MADE THE LEAP.
and was saved. My movements had
driven the raft again into the current,
which l had not not taken account OF,
and my companion OF the night was the
sole occupant, drifting at terrible rate
down the river. He called to me and
asked me to use my efforts to save him.
He spoke as though he had abandoned
all hope, and never expected to see an
other day. He referred to his
mother, and said that it would
craze her to know that he had been
drowned. Who he was | do not know,
and he was soon swept from my sight.