The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-28
THE INVESTIGATION
or the Late Steamboat Disaster.

ton was continued and further examination
of the facts connected with the late catastrophe
had.
A. NJ. Hutchinson, being sworn, sald
was master OF the John Kyle at the time
Of the burning on the 23d inst. witnessed
The burning of the three boats ana was inc
last to leave nv steamer but one, and he Was
the clerk
At the time the fire occurred there were on
board the KYLE about twenty three, but they
all got ashore before the boat backed out into
The river. My crew all succeeded in getting
ashore, except the mate, who was on the fore
castle when the boat left the levee, and he was
saved.
The origin of the fire, think, was spark
from the blacksmith shop.
was notified by the strikers that the black
smith shop and store-room were on fire. I
Immediately ran to the after end of the boilers
into the engine-rcom, and found the whole
store-room and blacksmith shop in flames,
The blaze striking out from under the boiler
deck fron starboard TO port
saw at once that it was useless to attempt
20 pat it out, and ran up stairs into the cabin
TO notify all the passengers to get ashore.
told them to save nothing, but to get ashore
With their lives. | told my clerk to get his
valIables and get off the boat.
then ran up stairs to the texas and kicked
the doors open, supposing two watchmen to
be asleep there. linn ediately after I found
my boat was adrift. l then slid down the for
ward guy, the flames having cut off access to
me steps,
AS the stage was leaving the dock jumped
ashore, but one Of the two who were on the
boat had to take to tho water. He was saved
by two negroes, who threw plank to him.
| didn't notice any movements Of the tugs.
! Ia ,v,th o r1v oh fWonfV-fIVa
at one time, and skiffs picking them up. The
:irst noticed persons in the water was when
the boats were out about one hundred and
fifty yards. did not notice the tugs picking
any one up. l don't know personally thar
there was anyone lost. | always kept up
steam on the Kyle while lying at the wharf,
and had steam on this occasion.
j. G. Darilson, being sworn says: l am
master and pilot of harbor tugs, and on the
Tyler, and l have charge of her during the
absence Of Capt. Colburn. We were lying at
The foot of st. Joteph street when l heard the
alarm of fire. l looked down the river and
saw a smoke rising from the John Kyle.
ordered the lines Of the Tyler cast off and
proceeded down towards the fire. went down
to the Exporter and struck her on her star
board fan tail. During that time, whilst lying
near the Exporter, one man got on board the
Tyler. When 1 struck the Exporter | re-
stern on the starboard SIDE
| laid in the same position few seconds to
see if anyone would get on board, but none
did. The flames then drove the away from
the Exporter. then went ahead. did not
get any hail from anyone on the Exporter; /
never was asked when / first got up to towiher
out. l was forced to go out into the river to
save my boat; came around on the starboard
helm.
When I then headed up the river, Capt.
.Colburn. the Captain of the Tyler, joined us
IN skiff. He relieved me at the wheel. l then
Welt down on deck. saw skiffs had picked
up all in the water, and there was no one visi-
BILE. We then went to pumping on the burn
ing steamers
| did not see any one drowned during the
LAY. The paint on the Tyler was drawn
little on the pilot house from the effects OF
the heat. saw the Dime, Nellie. Continental
and Reliance there during the fire. didn't
notice what they were doing, whether they |
saved any one or not.
| saw one or two in the water when l |
rourded off the Exporter; two in the water I
suppose; they were either picked up or |
drowned, I don't know which. / presume |
they were picked up, fer there were skiffs |
around there did not hear hail from the |
Exporter. We did not save any but the one |
person who jumped on board the Tyler when |
we struck the Exporter.
Columbus II. Allen being sworn, says: l
was on the wharf and saw the Kyle on fire, |
on the 23d inst, at the time of its discovery. |
After the boats swung out into the stream |
together / discovered large number of per- |
sons on the bow of the Exporter. I noticed |
them particularly.
put out in a skiff to them, and got about |
half way to the boat when discovered several |
people in the wa'er and several other skiffs |
A. - H. G,~xk
met the others were picked up by the other !
skiffs. At this time noticed the Tyler and |
another tug, of which l did not know the |
name.
! beckoned to the Tyler and hallooed and |
pointed to the crowd on the Exporters bow |
Tor him to rescue them. They on the Tyler |
made no response but continued to throw a |
stream Of water towards the boat She |
seemed to be paying most attention to the
Exporters flames The tug was about one
hundred yards off from me when I hailed and |
the Tyler wes about the same distance from
the bow of the Exporter.
At this time the Exporter was on fire astern |
and amidships. The Captain of the Tyler
had full view Of the bow Of the Exporter
and the people there, and could easily have
run up and saved them.
saw over a hundred people in the water. |
What first started me out in the skiff was the |
hutter Of lady's dress on the forecastle OF
the Exporter l saw some eight or ten skifs
picking people up, in addition to the river
police boat.
| am not a practical steamboatman, but
think the Tyler could easily have rescued the
people off the bow of the Exporter.
Cross-eramined by Capt. Colburn.-The wind
was blowing at the time Of the fire very fresh,
and the current was about six mile current.
= CIpt. Colb,nr, of the Tyler, says-I was some
distance from my boat when the alarm was
given. and ran for her, but when reached
her landing. saw her bearing down toward
the burning boat.
| Immediately got into q small skiff and
pulled down the river to her and got on
board. When reached her she was lying to
the leeward of the Exporter, the wind blow
ing from the leyee toward Algiers: half a
gale of wind.
l snw q great MANY skiffs nickinr nm neonle