The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-10-12
Tn. soutbern Belle Disaster.

New ORLEANS, October ll.-MaDy
lives were lost by the burning OF the
steamboat Southern Belle. Among those
known To be lost are VIM. Won Pheel,
Mr.. Drose, Miss Fannie O'Conner and
another lady, all OF Baton Rouge. MIR.
Frank OF Port Hudson; Mr., Lingam;
also Mr. Frank, an employee and the
steward and his crew. II is supposed
that nearly all of those who were sleep
ing in the after part of the
boat were burned to death, as after
the fire got fairly under way
it was almost impossible to get at the
bow of the boat, the onl y way of escape
to the shore The cargo consisted OF
from 500 to 500 bales OF cotton. The
boat was new one, and va.ued at
$4,000. She was insured for thirty
thousand, mostly in New Orleans COM
panies. Mr.. +. Hebert. the pilot, held
the bow of the boat against the bank till
all who could, had escaped. He then
leaped from the pilot house to the lower
deck, and was badly injured.
Jas. p. McElvoy, captain and j. G.
Leblanc, clerk OF the burned steamer
Southern Belle, with several of the crew
arrived here to-day by rail from Don
aldsville. Capt. Elvoy is considerably
scorched and Mr.. Leblanc who narrowly
escaped, SAWS when tho boat landed at
New a Marrineaux to take a
lady on board | went and escorted
her back into the ladies cabin. At this
time the boat was backing out from
the landing. l went to the office to get
the key OF the stateroOms for Mrs. Mar
rineauX, and on my return to give it TO
her she met me: halfway in the cabin
and said the boat was on fire and to tai Q
her III. then saw that smoke was COM
ing up though the carpets and through
the staterooms amidships, and told Mrs.
Marrineaux that the boat was landing
and to 60 ashore as | was then busily
engaged in breaking in the stateroom
doors to waken the passengers. After
doing this / ran to my room to awaken
young Willie Greathouse, who slept in
the same room When j thought l had
awakened him, ran to the office, where
my books and papers were, with the
view of saving them, if possible. After
a moment | looked around and did not
see young GresthouSe, and Immediately
running back again, succeeded in bring
ing him out of the room, and then told
him to 90 ashore after which | returned
to the offices, and a second time was
in the act of trying to recover the small
amount of cash in the drawer when the
flames had nearly surrounded me, and
was forced to leave my books and papers
and other valuables to the flames. Their
ran out of the office with my face and
hands scorcbed, when 1 found that the
stairs were IN Il full blaze,
and | jumped from the boiler
deck on to tier of cotton and
from there TO the stage and to the shore,
where on turning around to look at the
boat. | saw that she was one burning
mass from stem to stern. The boats
books and papers were all burned; in fact
everything except what was in the safe.
The Belle had 800 bales OF cotton on
board and 1900 sacks OF seed.
The following additional are known
to be lost: A Catholic priest, name un-
known, from Bayou Sara; A. c. Griffith,
Gee. Thomas, chef steward, from Louis
allie, KY; Gus. Davis, hall tender;
Carter Roam, guard tender of cabin.
and Louis Thorn, of Texas, tender The
four Iast.named Jumped overheard, and
were drowned, while Mr. Won Phul-
dro>e and Griffith are said TO have per-
ished in the flames