The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-05-05
DEATH ON THE RIVER.
Burnlns of three steamboats,.
Twenty to One Hundred Lives
Believed to be lost.
NEv ORLEANS. April 23.-Abo


Believed to be lost.
. 1855 a ~ se#H
New ORLEANS, April 23.-Abou
A P. NJ, FIRE broke out in the blacl
smith shop of the steamboat job
Kyle which was lying at the foot @
Poydras street. The Kyle lay be
tween the Jessie Taylor below an,
the Exporter above. The Bodmanl
lay above. and next to the Exporter
Soon after the alarm was given, tn,
tngboat Ella Wood came up and com
menced throwing water on the burn
ing vessel, but without effect. Capt
Hutchinson, OF the Kyle, was stand
| ing on the front deck when the firC
broke out. He promptly notified al
on board to leave, as it was apparent
from the first that the boat could moi
be saved. Capt. Hutchinson thinks
every one on the Kyle was saved.
VIM. Brown, the 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 set adrift. In escap'
ing, he was enveloped in flame, and
severely, IL not dangerously, burned
over the face and hands. His eye
lashes and mustache were singed off
He, however, jumped into the river
and swan ashore, and was at once
taken to hotel, where he was at.
tended by physicians.
Capt. Hutchinson says the cabin
of the Kyle was enveloped in flames
in less than two minutes from the
time the first alarm was given. When
the KYLE was cut loose, the eddy
drifted her up stream. and those on
shore, seeing the danger. cast off the
hawsers by which the Exporter and
Bodmann were tied up.
This act proved disasterous. The
Kyle drifted against the Exporter
and Bodmann. and all three boats
drifted into the stream. So rapid
was the progress of the flames that
the Exporter took fire the moment
the Kyle touched her, The people
on the Exporter having no other ref
uge, jumped on the Bodmann. This
boat, in less than a minute after the
Exporter, also caught fire, and the
three burning vessels drifted togeth-
er into the stream. where they were
soon burned to the waters edge.
Many persons who had gone on the
Exporter and Bodmann as specta-
tors, were on board when the boats
drifted into the stream and had to
jump over board. Some of them were
rescued. but large number are oe-
lieved to have been lost. The num-
her lost is estimated at from 20 to
100.
There was an excursion party from
Cincinnati or Pittsburg, many of
whom it is feared. were lost.
Among the lost is the daughter of
Capt. Reese. of the Exporter. Capt.
Shinl1le, of the Bodmann, was much
burned about the face and hands. A
son OF Capt. Shinkle is reported
among the lost.
New ORLEANS, April 24.-Among
tae lost on the burned steamer Ex-
porter is Mrs. Bette Musgrove,
daughter of Capt. Reese, of Pitts
burg. She is the only person lost
from the Exporter whose name has
been ascertained. The Bodmann lost
Jas. Case, Newport, KY. first engin-
eer; John Ferrand. Newport, KY,
second engineer; Alf GOodpasture,
head cook, Cincinnati; Mrs. Bartley
and Mrs Brent, chambermaids. New
Richmond, Ohio; Bill Akers, deck
hand, Cincinnati, and several color
ed cabin and deck hands whose
names have not yet been ascertained.
When the Kyle was discovered on
fire, many persons from the shore
rushed on board the Bodmann and
Exporter to get better view of the
burning steamer, and were still
aboard when the vessels were sent
adrift. 1t is supposed quite q num-
ber of these shore people were lost.
Mr.. Granalin, of Nashville, In
diana, on his way from Texas; the
daughter of DR.. Brashear, aged four
teen. of Florence, Kentucky j. III.
Ellison, of Richmond, Indiana; the
porter of the Kyle. and many Of the
rescued. we're slightly, and some of
them severely burned. but none dan
gerously except Mr.. Brown. clerk Of
the Kyle, who is doing we'll to-day.
Steamboatmen and passengers on
the burned steamers lost baggage,
clothing, etc.
On the Bodmann, James Thomas,
Sam Crutchfield. Ben Campbell, John
Robinson. Caleb Charley, Bill Sakers,
all roustabouts, and Andy Edwards.
fireman, of Cincinnati, were lost.
On the Exporter, Ellen Graves,
chambermaid James Mahoney, head
cook; Julius Lott, cabin boy. and
Bill Johnson, fireman, were lost.
There we're several deck passengers
on the Bodmann who have not been
seen since the disaster.