The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-06
NEWS OF THE DISASTER

tnls, cOmDlneO WIN tne SurOng eQOV,
forced the fatal steamer against the Charles
Bodmann.
NEWS OF THE DISASTER
spread with a quickness bordering
thought itself. An immense multitude
congregated upon the Levee. The wharf
of the Canal Street Ferry was so everbur-
dened with their weight that the police.
to prevent second disaster, were forced
to drive them away. Another large crowd
rushed on board the steamer Exporter,
and in far less time than il takes TO write
the foregoing, and even less than that in
which the readers can peruse it, the three
boats were in flames, and drifting out in
TO the stream.
The scene now depicted was sickening.
Standing on a pile of corn at the head OF
Gravier Street, one of our reporters viewed
the fearful spectacle, and one more fright
fully real and electrically swift in its exc
cutiOn he hopes never to behold again.
When within one hundred and fifty feet
from the wharf, the Kyle, separating from
the other two, drifted down stream, ard
apparently raising herselfamidship broke,
leaving her warehouses high above her
upper works. Before leaving the wharf
her chimneys went overheard, and stimuli
LOct VI cSNlI "
LEAP INTO THE RIVER.
The resemblance of burning island float
ed in her wake. She quickly disappeared
behind the other steamers lying at the
wharf and was lost.
The Bodmann, brought into full per-
spectIve by the floating away of the Kyle,
was one mass of fire from stem to stern.
Far aft stood two solitary men, one in the
act Of lowering the other, apparently
aged or very intirm, into the river. Il
skiff, containing two men was Immediately
in her wake, but the single pair of oars
seemed useless in stemming the current.
In an instant the seemingly older man
fell and the people of the skiff, ore of the
men in which had just rescued some one
rise, pull ed him in.
The Exporter, which was at that
time abreast of Lafayette Street, was
ablaZe from her forecastle to stern. On
the narrow island in this sea of fire thus
made, were huddled perhaps forty souls.
For time they appeared engaged in
forming a raft with some rough boards
and an empty hogshead, but in the course
of two or three minutes one man jumped
overheard, Then two, and the flames
sweeping forward all sprang into the
river apparently in body.
ACRY OF HORROR AROSE
from the crowd gathered on the shore,
and several shrieked to the comm 4nding
officer of the tug Nellie, then pumping
water about one hundred yards from the
Inflated people. TO steam to their rescue.
The little tug Dime came promptly to the
spot, and in the course of a very few min
utes the river was full of small boats. The
turbid waters for several hundred yards
at this time We're dotted with human
heads, and the crowd upon the shore
wrung their hands in anguish at their
struggles.
Thanks, however, to the energy every
where exhibited afleat, the rescue soon
commenced. Two boats from the Kan
sas, filled with Uncle Sans tars (heaven
bless them y were quickly in the midst of
a throDg of victims, and as one after an
other were lifted in, the spectators breath
ed more freely. The big white barge of
the City of Merida was also promptly on
hand, and quickly filled herself to the
gunwales with drenched and shivering
passengers. Several stage planks were
sent adrift and quickly crowded. One
man was observed standing on plank up
to his knees in water and stripping off his
shirt.
SO promptly had the work of destruction
been consummated that scarcely twenty
minutes elapsed ere scarce a vestige of the
three magnificent river palaces remained.
The Nellie, after a time, threw overheard
a number of life-preservers and steamed
up. Her officers, we hear, state that be-
ing propeller they cannot extricate her
readily, and feared that, by coming in CON-
tact with the burning steamer, she would
also be consumed.
Half an hour more was exhausted in
rescuing the victims, but by o'clock, al
though an immense crowd still fingered
on the Levee, every vestige of the disaster
had disappeared.
THE LOST AND THE SAVED.
The moment persons from the water
were brought in they were surrounded by
crowds of eager persons, all anxious to
hear of every detail of their escape. Mr..
Albert Myrick, the Waterman of the
steamer Bodmann, was the first whom our
reporter saw. He leaped overheard from
the steamer, and states that at that time
forty people, majority deck passengers,
were congregated around him. One man
with two little daughters, he thinks, must
have persisted, as he cannot imagine the
possibility of their escape, but as major
ity had life preservers strapped around
them, they may favc been picked up.
Both the BOdmann and Exporter had a
number of excursiOnists from the West,
living on board, but fortunately a number
of them were in the city. Captain Reese
with his wife and two children, were at
the Jockey Club House, and his daughter,
Mrs. Musgreve, with her sister, an infant,
on board. During the fire the
- L. H., al. Il. 1
leaped overheard and saved it, but the I'M
fortunate lady was lost Several who had
leaped overheard were floated by the cur
rent under the guards, and were severely
burned while in the water.
Mr.. William Brown, clerk Of the Kyle,
while endeavoring to save the boats
money, was severely burned in the face.
. A young lady, with black curly hair,
had reached stage plank. and gained a
foothold upon it, but just at that moment
crowd of others also reached it, the
plank sunk, and she was drowned.
The Kyle had on board four hundred
barrels of cotton seed oil, which, becoming
ignited, burned upon the surface of the
water. Many hapless victims, in making
their escape. leaped into the flames. One
of the officers of the Kyle met his sister
that afternoon for the first time in a num-
Der of years. He lost her in the crowd,
and now fears that brief visit paid him
cost her life.
SICKENING STORY.
Maxwell, upon being interviewed, stated
that he was a workman on the BOdmann
when she caught fire from the Kyle. AL
though he could have gained the shore,
the piteous appeals of the women induced
him to stay. Launching a stage plank.
he jumped into the river, and calling to
two ladies, babe them follow for their
lives. Unhesitatingly they took the fatal
leap and were assisted by him on the
stage. The current drifted them directly
against the burning vessel, notwithstand-
lug his desperate exertions to push the
stage in contrary direction. While at
tempting to save the ladies, urged and en-
couraged by their agonizing shrieks, a
burly negro seized plank and jumped
upon them-the plank striking Maxwell
across the leg and precipitating him into
the water. A few strokes were taken and