New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-02

49,
HE RECENT STEAMBOAT DISASTER =
Local steamboat inspectors, Messrs. Motfat
and Flanders, yesterday resumed taking
testimony concerning the burning of the
steamboats, John Kyle, Charles Bodmann
and Exporter.
DR.. K. II. Brashear sworn-Was pas
senger on the Bodmann, having my three
daughters, Lilly twenty years old, Alice
thirteen, and Annie nine years old; got on
board about p NJ on the twenty third of
April; when the alarm Of fire was sounded
was on the steamboat Willie; ran to the
Bodmann; found my daughters and told
them to hurry off; when we got to the
bow the boat was adrift; made an effort to
reach the Exporter, but the plaDks had
fallen; we then went to the stern of the
dropped my youngest child into green
tug that was lying under our guards;
she was thrown back to me twice;
the men on the tug said they
were afraid she would capsize; the tug then
disappeared; there was no fire on the Bod
manns stern then; a large tug with light
colored upper works and pink or red hull,
passed up; she had large gunwale above
the deck; then there were twenty or
twenty five persons on the Bodmann's
stern; we called on her to rescue us; one
person said he would give $1,000 to be
taken of, and called out at the top of his
voice; they paid no attention to us, but
went on not even slowing up; she seemed
to be about forty or fifty. yards from
crew saw us; l observed them look
ing at us; remained on the Bod
mann's stern until everybody had jumped
overheard; the captain and his son jumped
into the river; my children were still with
me then, as was the chambermaid; before
la otnt,,, Nd hnI %rr1 70
servers; l asked him for one for my daugh
ters; he fatty refused, saying that it was
time to leave the id boat; then dropped
my two eldest daughters into the river
where a spar was lying, telling them to
catch hold of it; l then leaped over with my
youngest child in my right hand, having
remained on the boat as long as the fire
would permit; l had stave under
my left arm; after going up and down
three times, l succeeued in reaching the
spar on which my children were; l became
separated from the child l carried over
board with me; while was undec the water
Alice was washed Oft the spar, and never
saw her afterward; Lily clupg. to the spar
until il drifted across the river. and she
was rescued by Patrick Fabelty; a colored
man in a skiff rescued me and my other
daughter; his name is SOulie, of Algiers;
saw no one jump off the BOdmann's bow,
but did off tue stern; when the captain
jumped off the stern there was no fire in
that part; my child vas not handed back
from the tug on request OF my daughters;
no order was given to pass her back; the
tug was a SIN al one, painted green; no one
was in our cabin when l left it; did not
then think it necessary to have Life pre-
server: when tina tug left the STERN of the
Bodmanu there was no fire there to drive
is away. she being on the weather side; l
did not feel any heat at that time; saw no
e. Id uv,ts afx nj
the tug was lying there; when my little girl
was thrown back to me l cried out to the
tug for Gods sake not to leave us; do not |
know how long the tug remained at the |
Bodmann after my child was pitched back |
to me: Captain Shinkle and his son jumped |
overheard after the tug left.
j. JOhnsOn-When the fire alarm was
given L got on the tug Dime at the head OF |
Julia street out of curiosity to see the fire; |
went direct to the BOdmanns starbOard |
quarter; saw great many people ON the
Bodmann's stern; about eighteen or twenty |
of them got on the Dime; she remained
there until it was thought everybody was
Off, when we went OH; l got on the Dime
when she landed the people at the head OF
Gravier street; on the Dime arriving at
the Bodmann little girl of seven or nine
wears old was passed to me by white lady
on the Bodmann's stern; man on board
the Dime took the child out OF my
hands and passed 1t back TO the same iauy
who had given it to me; the lady cried TOR
her child in a loud voice; the blaze was
then in the Bodmanns Wheel and the heat
and smoke were suffocating; do not know
what became of the lady and child; we
remained at the BOdmann about minute
after the child was passed back; the boat
was driven away by the heat and smoke;
the tug laid at the Bodmann about i've or
six minutes; did not hear Captain
Wrlgley refuse to let anybody on
board the Dime; heard some one on the tug
cry out for every body to get on board; on
the way back saw man in the water, and
called out for skiif to rescue
him; the skitf saved him.; no water was
thrown while lying alongside the Bodmann;
saw nobody in the water except the
one mentioned; had trouble to keep people
off the tiller chains.
This closed the evidence for tie day, but
the case will be reopened tomorrow.