American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-01
TERRIBLE sTEAmsoar DISASTER

New ORLEANS. April 23.-About
1 O'Clock this afternoon IA fire broke
out in the black smith shop of the
steamer John Ls le, which was lying
at the foot Of PoyuriS street. The
X, lie lay between the Bessie Ia, II
below, and the Exporter above !;
the Bodmann lay above and next t.
the Exporter. Soon after the alarm
was given the tag Ella Wood came
tp and commenced throwing water
on the burning vessel, but without
effect. Capt. Hutchinson, OF the
Kyle, WAS standing on the front
deck when the fire broke out, and
he promptly notified AL on board to
leave, as it was apparent from the
first that the boat coulI not be say
ed. Capt. Hutchinson thinks that
all on the Kyle was saved. VIM.
Brown, chief clerk, who opened the
safe and took out the money and
papers, was the last to leave the
Kyle, which had in the meantime
been a.lrlft. In escaping he WAS
envc'ored il. ii mes, and sever ely.
if MT danger, y, harmed ovc
the f &c and han,.S; also l;tl ilIs
eye.aehes and mus;aciie sin8c.t of
He, however, jumped into the rive
and swan ashore and WAS :tt,-u,l;.'
to by a physician. Capt. Hu'ciiin
son says the cabin OF the X l. WAS
enveloped i'll fam $ iii less t.I.!.
two minutes from the Fl st ALARM
WAS Civ n. When the x, lc Wa
cut loose the e,.dy drift, ed ier III
stream and these Oh siiorr, SEE /
the danger, cast eff the L:.wscrs bS
the Exporter and Bus!:uann we:t
tied. The act proved disastrous
The Kyle di if'ei against the Expor
ter and Butlniann and AL three
boats dritte,i into the stream and
so rapid WAS the piOere: of tn"
flames that the Exporter took fir,
moment the Kyle toiichcn her. The
people on board of the Exporter,
having no other refuge, jumped on
the Bodmanr, and this boat i'll less
than IL minute after The Exporter
also took fire, and the three burns
ing vessels drifted together into
the stream where they were soon
burned to the waters edge. Many
persons who had gone OH the Elk
porter and Bodmann as spectators
were on boat when the board drift
ted into the stream and they had to
lump overheard. Some of them
were rescued but larger number
are believed to have been lost.
The number lost is estimated al
fl ON twenty to one hundred. The
commander of the United States
steamer Kansas, promptly sent out
his small boats one of which rescued
thirteen persons. The jobbing tug
boats made no effort to rescue
those OH the burning boats. There
was ancilrs;On party from Cincinna-
ii or Pittshurg, many OF whom 1t Is
feared was lost. The Bodmann ar
rived this morning and had dis
charged most of her cargo. The
Exporter was to leave this evening
and had about 400 tons Of freight
on board, all of which WAS lost.
Among the lost is daughter of
Capt. Reese, of the Exporter ; Capt.
Shinkle, of the Bodmann, was
much burned about the face and
hands son of Capt. Shinkle is re-
ported among the lost. The Elk
porter was owned by j. Reese ST..
of PittsDurg, and WAS valued at
$4,000. The Jno. Kyle was own
ed by Capt. Jno. Kyle and Z. 5. u
w. F. Davidson, and valued at $780,
600. The Chas Bodmann was own
ed by Capt. .. p. Shinkle and 9th
ers of Cincinnati, and valued at
$4,000. All are supposed TO be
insured in Western offices.