The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-16
THE LATE STEAMBOAT DISAS-
TER.
Report of the Local Inspectors.
They Condemn the Action Of the
Tugs.

The following report, by Inspectors Elan
ders and Moffat, will be read with interest, al
it gives q lucid description of the late fire
and the heroic efforts made to save life:
OFFICE OF BOARD or UNITED STATES LOCAL J
INSPECTORS OF STEAM VESSELS,
District of New Orleans-New Orleans, May IA. }
VIM. Rogers, Esq, Supervising Inspector, Tenth
District:
Sn-The Board hereby reports the burning Of
the steamboats, John Kyle, Charles Bodmann and
Exporter, in this port on the afternoon OF the
23d ult, under the following circumstances;
The boats were moored in the usual manner,
| side by side at the upper steamboat landing, in
| the order named, the Kyle the lowermost. A
| fresh breeze from the North was blowing of
shore. and diagonally across the river, making
| the Kyle the windward boat.
The eddy at that point an tie wind combined
pressed the boats up the river. The fire was DIS.
cove red about O'Clock in the storeroom, on the
starboard and windward side OF the Kyle. The
utmost exertions 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 we're hur-
ried on shore by the captain and no lives were
lost The Bodmann and the Exporter were cast
off and they had commenced flo lring away when
most unfortunately the Kyle was also cast off and
drifted against and out with theEa-
The Bodmann Immediately took fire and the
people on her (their retreat to the shore being
cut Off were driven by the fire part to the stern
Of the boat and the rest on to 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 one hundred yards from
the shore.
The progress of the fire was so rapid thatEn
less than fifteen minutes after it was discovered
the tn ee boats were ablaze from sttna to stern.
1t is not known that any person was burned to
death. Most of those who jumped overEo .rd
were saved by small boats, and the witnesses
who have given evidence before the board in this
case, testify that row-boatmen and skiffmen made
active and heroic efforts to save life: in several
instances they were burned while rescuing per-
SONS from the water near the burning boats. We
regret our inability to report the names of the
bOatmen who acted thus nobly; tie witnesses
did not know them, and with characteristic mod.
esty, they have not made themselves known.
In marked contrast with the efforts of these
men was the conduct Of those in command of the
tugs Tyler, Dime and Nellie, VINO wers promptly
at the scene, but each to greater or less extent
as stated by many witnesses, evinced very re-
proachabe indifference to the loss OF life in dis
regarding the calls to them for help by persons
in imminent peril, and we regret that further
action part in their case Is barred for want
OF jurisdiction. The Information obtained by a
careful investigation leads to the conclusion that
there were one hundred aad six persons on board
the Bolmann and Exporter, that eiShty-six were
saved and twenty lost.
Although the precise locality in which the fire
originated is known yet the manner of its origin
is somewhat shrouded in doubts, for it appears
that the second engineer of the Kyle WAS at
work in the blacksmith shop adjoining which,
forward, was a store-rooTn, used by the steward
for his lamps and oils mineral sperm) both
rooms being raised from the starboard guards.
Under this store room some thirty or forty
bales of hay were stored aud there being no
other fire. in the vicinity and the store-room
locked, it Is our opinion that in some way spark
from the forge found Judgment in the hay and
thus originated the fire.
No blame appears to attach to the officers of
any Of the boats during the FIRE, nor does there
appear to be any for neglect as TO it's cause.
W. G. FLANDERS,
j. A. MoEFATT
Local Inspectors.