The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-05-06
THREE STEAMERS BURNED.


RurnIRg Of the steamers John Kyle
Exporter and Badman--Fron INVENT ,
| to One Hundred Lives Lost--A Scene
or wild cxcifemenf and Confusion.
L AT New Orleans, on the 23rd inst, 8
| fire broke out in the blacksmith shop OF
the steamboat John Kyle, which was
! lying at the foot of Povdras street. The
| Kyle lay between the Lessie Taylor be
low and the Exporter above. The Bod.
man lay above and next to the Exporter.
! Soon after the alarm was given, the tug.
| boat Ella Wood came up paud 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. He
| promptly notified all on board, as it was
/ apparent from the first that the boat
| could not be saved. Capt. Hutchinson
! thinks every one 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 set
adEift. In escaping he was enxeloped
in the flames and severely, if not dan
gerously, burned over the face and
hands. His eyel&shes and mustache
were singed off. he, however, jumped
into the river and swan ashore, and was
at once taken to the hotel, where he was
| attended by a physician,
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 mp
stream, and those on shore seeing the
danger, cast off the hawsers by which
the Exporter and Bodman were tied up.
This act proved disastrous. The Kyle
drifted against the Exporter and Bod
man, 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 board the Exporter hav-
ing no other refuge, jumped on the Bed
man. This boat, in less than a minute
after the Exporter, also caught fire and
the three burning vessels drifted to-
gether into the stream, where they
were soon burned TO the waters edge.
Many persons who had gone on the
Exporter and Bodman as spectators,
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 believed to have
been lost. The number lost Is estimat-
ed at from 20 to 100.
The commander of the United States
steamer Kansas promptly sent out his
boats, one of which rescued 13 persons.
The iobbing tug boats made no effort
to rescue those on the burning boats.
The Bodman had discharged most of
her cargo The Exporter had about
400 tons OF freight on board, all of
which was lost. Among the lost is a
daughter of Capt. Reese, of the Ex-
porter. Capt. Shinkle, of the Bodman,
was much burned about the face and
hands. A son of Capt. Shinkle is re-
ported among the lost. .s
The Exporter was owned by James
Reese, Sr., of Pittsburg, and was val
ued at S45, 900. The John Kyle was
owned by Capt John Kyle and p. S.
and W. Z. Davidson, and was valued at
S60,000. The Bodman was owned by
Capt o. P Shinkle and others, of Gin
cinnati, and was valued at S75, 900. All
are supposed to be insured in western
offices. f- -t
The huIls of the Exporter and Bod
man were towed across the river to
Oyle's coal yard, while the Kyle fioated
down the river couple of miles and
sunk.