The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-27
THE LATE DISASTER.
The Attempt to Recover the Bodies
of the Victims.
Statement of an Officer of the U. S.
Ship Kansas.
The Burnt Steamers-Their Value
and the Insurance upon them.

The Burnt Steamers-Their Value
and the Insurance upon them.
Public interest touching the late steamboat
disaster has not by any means subsidized. and
every incident connected Herewith is eagerly
read.
The great desire now is to ascertain really
how many were sacrificed, for the construc-
ton put upon it by many is that it was really
. sacrifice, but unless every body is recovered.
which is hardly possible, since it is affirmed
that few persisted in the flames, the num-
Der will never be known. Yesterday after
noon q second attempt was made to raise the
submerged bodies by the firing of heavy
ordnance.
A cannon was placed ON q fiat and towed
up and down the river and a number of
rounds fired, but failed to achieve the object
desired. During the day possibly some of
the bodies may make their appearance in
some of the eddies along the city front.
Herewith is appended the statement Of Mr..
Guyol, an officer of the United States steamer
Kansas, who, in the cutter belonging to that
vessel, rescued many persons from the river:
was going to the wharf with ladies, in
the cutter, the ladies having been on . visit
to the ship Kansas, of which am an officer.
When within about fifty yards of the steam
boat Kyle one of the ladies remarked that
there was q fire in the wheelhouse of the boat
named. 1 thought it was only small fire,
and did not notice it further, as presumed
it would be speedily e1tinguished. l had
charge of the cutter, and in the course OF
about ten minutes the Kyle was enveloped in
flames.
The fire then extended to the steamboat
Bodmann, which was living next above the
Kyle, thence to the Exporter. The persons
on the Bodmenn ran on to the Exporter. AZ
soon as the Exporter was cut loose from the
wharf, she with the Bodmann and Kyle
drifted into the stream, and when short dis
lance out, those persons on board began
Jumping into the water. l Immediately went
to their assistance and succeeded in placing
q number of them on floating timbers. l
could not take them in my boat because l
had the ladies still with me, and there was
no room to spare. The boat was small, and
had to look to the safety of the ladies in my
charge.
By thus placing these people on the pieces
Of floating wreck we saved about thirteen,
who were taken in charge by the little tug
Dime and carried safely to shore. While
thus engaged I saw two men in the pilot
house of the Bodmann who, when the decks
fell, went down amid the debris and were
lost. These men were plainly seen by every
body in nv boat. lead-colored tug, which
l took to be the Tyler, played around the
burning boats, sometimes approaching with
in hundred feet of them and attempting to
pump water on the fire, whereafter she would
back off again. saw q woman jump OFT the
bow of the Exporter. but l do not know
whether she was saved.
l saw five persons sink. The surface of
the water was covered in great part by burn
ing oil, which thought was coal oil.
After rendering all the assistance possible
returned to the Kansas, shortly after which
the burning wreck Of the Kyle floated down
the stream, passing within twenty-five feet of
our ship. The heat was SO great thet the
boats hanging to the davits were badly
scorched.
The following, concerning the burnt steam
ers, is taken from the Cincinnati Gazette:
The Burst Steamers.
The Chas. Bodmann was of 1000 tons ca
pacity. She was built here in the summer
Of 1870, and left this port on her first trip to
New Orleans on Saturday, Dec. II, 1870. She
was the first side-wheel boat built to fit the
new locks of the canal. Her length was 27G
feet 46a feet beam j; 45a feet floor Z! feet
hold width over all, 70 feet 3 inches, leav-
ing inches play in the locks of the canal.
Her wheels were "a feet in diameter, with
buckets IA feet long. She had six double
fued boilers, 26 feet long and 40 inches in
diameter. Her engines had 26-inch cyiin-
ders, 9 feet stroke. The length of her cabin
was 200 feet without the recess, and IL feet
wide, with As rooms
She was owned by Vincent and Uriah
Shinkle Of Covington, and cost over sloo; ooU,
but previous to being destroyed had been
valued by underwriters at $66, G66 66s, and was
insured for S23, 1000, in the following Offices
American, Of Cincinnati. ......-.....- 4OOe
Globe, . NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2,5OC
Eureka, :. ....-............. 5OO0
Firemen's, >. ...........- ........ 2OJl
F., NJ. 4 NJ, o! Hamilton, O............... 1850
i Total Observation-Disclosures. va, OOO
The John Kyle was built here also during
the summer OF 1870, and LETT on her first trip
December z, 1870 She was built for the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri rivers. Her custom
house measurement was as follows: Length
feet. beam 1872 feet. She had seven
double-flued boilers, SO feet long, 81 inches
in diameter. Her cylinders were 30 inches in
diameter. 10 feet stroke Her wheels were 3:
feet in diameter, with buckets IL feet long.
The length of her cabin was 181 feet and its
width l7.2 feet. Full length of cabin and So
cial hall 2O3.5 feet Her cabin contained Al
The John Kyle was owned by W. F. & P,
8 Davidson. Of St. Louis, and John Kyle, Of
Cincinnati. She cost originally $4,000, but
was valued last by underwriters ct $40, 900,
Il "a ;rcrrod for 500 333 principally in Gin