The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-06-16
Sinking Of the Latter-0ne. Life Lost.


The steamer Shippers Own, was run
into and sunk by the Anchor Line boat
Grand Tower, short distance above the
stone depot, about twelve O'Clock We'd
nesday night.
The Grand Tower had Just pushed out
from the Illinois Central whariboat,
where she had been discharging cotton,
and was heading for the wharf5oot of
the Cairo and Nincennes railroad.
The Shippers Own was proceeding
down the river in the channel usually
taken. by boats preparatory to
landing at Halliday & Phillips
wharfboats. and was about OPP
posite the coal dump when her
pilot, Harvey Thompson, discovered the
Grand Towers signal. She had bright
torch also burning which led him to be-
lieve that she was lying at the bank. lie
did not see his mistake until the Grand
Tower was close upon him, when he at
once, shipped his boat and began backing
| in hopes that the Grand Towers pilots
| would give him some signs by which he
could work with safety. By this time
the Grand Tower was within one hun
dred yards of the shipper Own, and it is
| believed by Mr.. Thompson to have been
! under full Roadway, and her pilot, be-
coming alarmed at the danger before
him. made an attempt TO run the Grand
Tower out into the river by giving her
sudden turn in that direction, but the
boats were SO close together that a col
lisioD was unavoidable.
The Grand Tower gave three or four
shril blasts from her whistles, and in a
few seconds after was upon the Shippers
Own. striking her just forward of her
ash pan, on the starboard side, running
her nose half way through the Shippers
Own, knocking down her chimneys and
otherwise cripplng her so badly that she
began TO 20 down. and in less than five
minutes the Inflated boat was buried in
thirty feet OF water.
The shock was so great that the Ship
pers' Own was turned clear around. The
Grand Tower ut once turned her atten-
ton to the people on the sinking craft,
there being several deck and as many
cabin passengers aboard. She succeeded
in rescueing all but one man named
Kirkland, who boarded the boat at Do
yer, Tennessee, and who, upon being
awoke amid the confusion, became so be-
wildered that he rushed to the guards of
the vessel and jumped ogcrboard and has
since been missing.
There was a DRILLING rain falling and
the night was very dark at the time of
the disaster.
The shippers Own iloatcd down TWEEN
ty or thirty yards before settling. She
lies just above the stone depot. with only
a small portion Of the rear end of the
cabin, the Texas and the jack-staff out of
water:
She was built at Brownsville, Pa, in
the spring Of 1873, at n cost Of twenty
seven thousand dollars, and was the
property OF stock company, composed
of gentlemen of Nashville. Tennessee,
Capt. Ryman. of that city. being the
the principal owner. She was valued at
the time she went down at fifteen thou
sand dollars, and will be total loss, a
there was no insurance on her.
Her cargo consisted of IS hogsheads o
tobacco. worth SIPS per hOgshcad y
tons of iron, valued at SO per ton, and ;
small amount Of miscellaneous freight
The entire cargo was worth between
seven and eight thousand dollars.
Capt. Crouch, the owner of the stcamc
Bermuda, was in command vf the Ship
pers Own during her unlucky trip. lie
was negotiating trade with her owners
and was TO give for her the Bermuda
and 81 900 cash, and was bringing her to
this port on a trial trip, when she sunk.
Captain Crouch is a gentleman well
and favorably known to all river men in
this vicinity, and his i'll luck will cause
regret to all.
The safe of the boat was recovered
yesterday morning, but the most valuable
of her books were lost. Protest wa;
entered before United States Com
missioner Candce, yesterday afternoon
The Grand Tower was not injured in
the least, and after discharging her cot
ton at the Nincennes wharf boat, proceed
ed on her way to st. Louis.