Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-03-19
HOW TT HAPPENED.

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Omciai Ntatemerl Of Elisha Evins
~ Sfsane~ GoNernOr Garland
winch Boat 1nrned nFar H.
EOfk, ArkansRs River. ou Thus.
day AfteTnoOns harch I5Gh.
To he Local Board Of Inspectors Of the SIKH
District:
We were coming down the Arkansas
river, twenty five m.les above The month.
at about three o'clock in the afternoon
wien the engineer gave the alarm Of 6re.
and abaut tbat lime Captain L. b smith
came upon The rocs and told me to land
her qaick AS the boat was on FIRE. A.
o AS | could get her to the bank
stopped her engines, shipped her IN
and started her back and then stopped
her and came ahead again; stopped her
just as she struck the bank and bridled
her wheel down TO the lsrboard bank.
but IN landing Der she glanced of and
started out IN the river. Then | got back
over tee breast board and chained the
wheel 10 The bar and then helloed down
to the engineer to jump overheard as it
was getting very hot up there; ] Jumped
out Of the pilot-house forward and from
the texas to the roof of the bsat. On
going down stairs / found everybody very
cool and collected under the circum-
stances. Captain Ed Rowland stood on
one side Of the boat and Mr.. Henry
Powers, the mate, on the other side, keep.
ing the passengers from jumping over
board until she struck the bar, which she
did IN about two minutes from the time
she lett the larboard or left bank. Wien
she GO. to the bar and stopped Captain
Rowland aHd others then helped all the
ladies' off into tie water, which was about
two feet deep, and told them to 20 to the
dry bar, not far away, which they did
without saying a word.
The fire Is supposed to have caught
under the pastiy-room by a spark from
the chimney, where it could not be got
at until it was past all control. Every
one of the passengers and crew turned
heir attention to saving the lives OF each
other, which they did With only the loss
Of one, Mr.. Brent, Of Mud Lake. Re
left the pilot house about thirty or iorty
minutes before the fire, and told me that
be was going to sleep; was sever
seen again, Captain Ed Nowland,
at the time Of the fire, was taking n
nap with his wife and children, without
taking Of his clothes, expecting to meet
the Belle of Texas, which was to haye
left Memphis on Wednesday, but did not
leave. as soon as Captain Smith told
me to land Captain Rowland came u
OF his room as quick as he could, with
out hat or shoes on, and tried 10 have the
small boats lowered, but then the fire wss
forward Of them and the blszs was corr
ing up alongside OF the texas; he went
back and called his wife aud children,
then went down stairs and tried to get
everybody out safely, which, with the help
OF the passengers and crew, be succeeded
in doing. Colonel j. l.. Buck, of Pine
Bluff, came very near losing his life:
he was asleep, and the bulkhead was
burned through before he awoke, but he
had the presence of mind to 20 forward
aud wGs saved with the others. Captain
Smith went through the cabin after the
smoke was so dense aud the flames so
hot that he could not see aud halloed for
any Que who might be left to come TO
him, go that be could take them out.
From the time the alarm was given
anti she was burned to the water edge
| don't think would exceed five minu.es.
We had about one hundred and forty
peraons on board and between ak hun
dred and seven hundred bales of cotton.
about twelve hundred or fifteen hundred
sacks of cotton seed and a lot of other
freight.
This is about as true O statement as I
Gao make, as | did not get down stairs
antil she was nearly on the bar. | waa
the last one to leave the boat, and | don't
think any one was left on board except
Mr.. Brent. | saw the cG%imueysand der
ricks fall and the rooms burned through;
then leaped into the water; and after
we got out on TIE bar the boat started to
swing of, when Captain Smith and ON.
ers waded cut and caught hold Of the
line and ~endesvored to hold her 10 the
bar, but did not succeed, so she AoAted
down about a half mile and sunk IN
about three feet Of water, where she lays,
and was still burning when we left.
L EvINs,
Pilot on watch at the wheel.
This Is q good and true statement Of
the facts. Ed NowLAYD, Captain.