Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-04-24
PERHAPS 100 LIVES LOST.
Thrilling Scenes and Narrow Escapes
Gallant Conduct Of Naval Officers.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Aue mOIuinR dispatches give q mea-
gre account of a terrible disaster at New
Orleans yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock.
1t has scarcely a parallel in all the an
nails OF wrecks and fires in our great
rivers. At the hour mentioned a fire
suddenly broke out on the steamer John
Kyle lying at the foot of Poydras street.
Captain Hutchinson at once ordered all
on board to leave, aud it is believed that
all escaped. William Brown, the chief
clerk, took the money and papers from
the safe, leaped from the boat, which had
in the meantime been cut loose, and
swan ashore. In rushing through the
flames to make his escape, he was Sc
verely burned. The cabin of the boat
was enveloped in flames in less than two
minutes. The tug Ella Wood came to
her rescue, but without effect.
When the Kyle was cut loose, she was
borne upward by an eddy against the
steamers Exporter and Bodmann, which
were full Of people, who rushed on board
to see the FIRE. Those on shore cast off
the hawsers of the boats and all three
ioated out to the middle of the river and
burned up together. In less than fifteen
minutes from the first alarm the three
magnificent steamers, with all their pre-
cious freight of human life and Of prop
erty, were standing out from the shore
toward the strong current, the smoke
bursting over decks and roofs, where ter
rited men, women and children looked
in vain for means Of escape, and the
flames Tapped the dark waters from every
window and hatchway. There was no
time for rescue; few moments for pray
ers. With a SILVER and a shrek, some
plunged into the water to rise no
more, others to be picked up, and
still others perhaps fell beneath the
crashing timbers overcome by fear or
the hot breath Of the wild flames. 1t
was all the work of a few terrible min
utes, but how fearful the results, how
many hearthstones robbed of every
JOY, how many families in mourning to-
to-day.
1t was impossible to know how many
or who were lost. The commander of
the United States steamer Kansas sent
out his boats and rescued thirteen per
sons. The jobbing tug boats remained
neutral in the death struggle going on
The particulars are few and painful. 1t
is supposed that from twenty to ous hun
dred lives we're lost, aud this in broad
daylight, with all the means OF rescue
and strong, willing arms in sight. The
crowds on the leyee witnessed the
holocaust, and may have wrung their
hands in despair, for they we're
as powerless as if it had happened in
mid ocean. Nothing was left but the
%blackened bulls, This calamity casts a
gloom over all the cities Of the Missis.
sippi valley.
The John Kyle was owned by Captain
John Kyle and P. s. and W. F. David
son, and valued at $50, 900; the Bodmann
by Captain 0. f. ShinkIe and others, o.
Cincinnati, and valued at SIS, 900, and
the Exporter was owned by Jones, ST.,
of Pittsburg, and valued at $45, 900
Captain Reese had gone down on III,
Exporter with his family and a number
Of friends on a pleasure excursion. Fl,
was on board at the time, and escaped
but his daughter was lost. She was tht
youngest daughter, the pet and pride o
the family, and often travelled on thu
boat.
Captain Shinkle, of the Bodmann, wal
badly burned, and lost his little son.
A private dispatch has been received
today stating that all the excursionistc
from Wheeling, Pittsburg, Cincinna!t
and other cities East and North, hap
pened to be out in the city, aud escaped
except the young lady named. The
Kyle was a st. Louis boat, and the
others ran from Cincinnati to New Or.
leans, the Exporter was the largest
sternwheel boat on the river. The others
were sidewheelers.
New ORLEANS, April 24.-Mrs. Bette
Musgrove, daughter of Captain Reese, Of
Pittsburg, is the only person lost from
the Exporter whose name has been as
eertaiued.
The Bodmann lost Joseph Case, o
Newport, Ky; first engineer John Fer
rand, Newport, KY; second engineei
ALI Goodpasture and the head cook, Gin
c%innati; Mrs. Partley and Mrs. Brent
chambermaids, New Richmond, Ohio
Bill Akers, deckhand, Cincinnati, an,
several colored cabin boys and deck
hands, whose names have not yet bee.
ascertained.
When the Kyle was discovered on fir
many persons from the shore rushed o