Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-01

" "a 0OaN
came down on me; | hattened myself
out so as to shun as much as possible
the falling timbers; | crawled out from
under the timbers, being half smothered
with steam; | made my way out forward;
the steam disappearing, l made my way
back TO save my partner, William Petit,
fireman, from st. Louis; the boats deck
forward was under water; | was not more
than ten feet from the starboard boiler,
and | believe that only this boiler and no
other exploded; l then made my way
forward and got on the fuel barge, being
almost crazed with the shock and hall
suEocated with steam; l staid 10 the
barge until the tug came and res.
cued me from the barge, having
landed them all and put out the
fire; there were five model barges,
one fuel barge and a house barge, the
latter having been brought from between
Napoleon and White river; it vas not
over two or three minutes after l left the
fire door before the explosion took place;
| and Petit were on watch, and after l
filled up | took a drink Of water, walked
across to the barge and was returning,
having left my partner Petit to watch
the steam; we always made it a rule that
one should watch the steam, so as to
give the engineer no trouble; no neglect
OF water caused the explosion; the en-
gineer, Chris Absolute, was on watch;
there is not a moro careful engineer, and
I'd risk my life with him any time; l am
positive that | saw the water running out
of the gauge-cock, my partner watching
it and firing at the same time; / am
unable to tell the cause of the explosion;
we thought the engineer generally car.
ried too much water for us who fred, but
he was doubtless right, though it kept US
ct work steadily; we were always par.
ticular and tried to obey orders; l can't
say how the explosion devastated the
boat; we used to help one another fill up
the quarter doors; we generally filed
the wing door; and while | was standing
on the barge the explosion occurred;
wheh the debris began to pour down on
me it was a terror, and l thought l was
gone too. Fortunately the crew was
gettinG out the lines as we were making
ready to land at Memphis, and hence the
miraculous escape from the fearful
accident; l have been on the river
since 1851, and this is not the narrow
est escape, if l may include war times;
after the boat sunk forward l saw the
crew and officers scrambling to get on
the house boat; even the barge | was on
received some of the blankets and quilts
blowed cut; l saw the mate, Barney Cas-
sidy, scrambliug on the roof, the blood
running all over his face, as bad as that
pilot you saw coming aboard, and after
all his efforts he fell into the water, but
managed to save himself at last; | do
not know who is lost; it is reported that
my partner, Petit, is lost; l think it is
so; be was standing before the quarter
door breaking Gown when the explosion
occurred; if be is safe Id rather that
than if l had $4,000 in my pocket, for it
doesn't hold a cent; l hope in God he
isn't gone, but I'm afraid be is; l rushed
back, halt blinded by the steam, think.
ing be was stunned and | could rescue
him; if there was any cause for the boat
exploding l wouldn't say a word, but
both engineers we're careful; it wasn't
on account Of a big head of steam, for
we often carried ten pounds more.
The force of the explosion was so
great that it shivered everything to
atoms. Three sheets of the boiler and a
part OF the head were thrown on the lar.
board tow barge smashing the entire side
of the boat. The fire continued to burn
until it was extinguishei by the DeSoto's
hose. The pilot-house caught fire and,
with much OF the shattered upper, works,
hoated down stream, and was last seen
below the bend. The crew of the DeSoto
rescued the chsmbermaid, Mrs. Clara
Peyton, aud Jake Cox, who were found
in the water clinging to the debris from
the wreck. Captain John Poe, who
CHANGED to be in the pilot house at the
time of the explosion, was hurled NJ
sixty or seventy feet. He fell with the
pllot'house, but vas half buried in the
wreck. He climbed out and managed to
escape. The carpenter, VIM. jerks, saw
Pilot Richard Kenneth in the water and
shovsd him a plank, but the latter being
wounded could not reach it, and sunk
out Of sight. VIM Radcliffe, of Pitts.
burg, who was the second engineer, is
missing. Captain Napoleon McNeily, of
the tug DsSoto, belonging to Brown &
Jones, the well known coal dealers, fur
nlshes the following
LIST OF SAVED AND LOST MEN.
Saved-John W. Poe, clerk; Jacob
Cox, pilot, at wheel; C. Ansbutz, head
engineer; Barney Cassiday, mate; Mrs.
Clara Peyton, chambermaid Larry Cas-.
sidsy, boy, deck.sweep; Mike Keefe,
Henry Meyer, Albert Benecke, James
Bartino, Charles Sullivan, Mike Cassi.
day, Henry Becker, William Fletcher,
Henry Smith, George W. Long, William
Campbell, Chris FRANKIE, deck hands;
Pat Thcmneop patar NoralIv Grn- 4