The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-03-05
A STORY OF A HERO.
As Good as Jim BludsOe---PilOt
Underwood of the DOnnalIy.
Cincinnati Enquirer, II

| Underwood of the DOnnalIy.
Cincinnati Enquirer, IT.
Mr.. William G. Underwood, the
heroic pilot of the ill-fated steamer
A. G. Donnally, which burned to the
waters edge below Cairo last Fri
day evening, resides in our sister
city Of Newport and reached his
home on Monmouth street, yester-
day morning. During the day he
was called on by an Enquirer re-
porter, to whom he gave the follow.
ing statement Of what he knew about
the burning Of the boat: Said he,
Shortly after eight o'clock Friday
evening, when the Donnally was
about seven miles below Cairo, at
Island No. /, an alarm of fire was
sounded, and 1 was ordered to land
the boat. We were then in the mid
die of the river, and l Immediately
pulled for the Kentucky shore. The
night was very dark. and 1 could
see but solitary star, and soon the
darkness was intensified by the
dense smoke which rolled up around
the pilot-house and environed it like
black cloud. I stayed at the
wheel as long as l could without
choking, and, while at my post, /
could hear the passengers crying
most piteously, Land her land her i
AS soon as | was certain that the
boat had struck the shore, l pulled
the starboard engine-bell, and left.
AS l came out of the pilot-houss the
smoke was so thick that / could
hardly see a foot in front of me. /
managed with difficulty to get over
the texas to the wheel-house, aud
thence down the back steps to the
ladies cabin. There l met my part.
ner, William Attenborough, and two
chambermaids. The fire was then
spreading fast, and had completely
cut off all passage to the bow of the
boat. 1 told my companions to get
life-preservers, and 1 ran into the
cabin to get one for myself, but the
smoke drove me back. I made O.
second attempt, but l was again
foiled. The chambermaids were
more fortunate. and had secured pre-
servers. l told them to jump into
the river. One of them said, Great
God am gone = and then sprang
into the water. The other slid down
the outside of the wheel.house into
the river. Both were picked up by
a yawl. Mr.. Attenborough jumped
into the river and swan ashore. l
waited until the wheel quit turning
before l really began to study how
/ was to get ashore. 1t had been a
long time since / had been in the
water, and / did not know how |
could swim. was perfectly cool,
and, after taking in the situation, l
saw q drift pile about a hundred
feet off. / thought the current had
been cut off by the boats bow. and
so I took off my shoes and my ever
coat and sprang into the river. l
had hardly got into the water until
I found the current very swift and
strong, and soon l felt that l was
going uuder. just as l was about
TO sink the watchman of the boat,
who was on shore, ran out TO the
edge of the drift and contrived to
reach me and pull me out of the
water on to the drift. To this man
I am indebted for my life. l had
no sooner gotten on shore than n
crowd of people collected about me
telling me that l had saved their
ives, and wanting to know what
they could do for me. / was so
cold aud chilled that could scarce
~ speak, seeing which Mr.. Brice
Purcell. the second clerk of the
boat. came forward and gave nae his
overcoat and shoes. What did for
the boat was merely my duty, aud
any other pilot would have done the
saae had he been in my place"
Mr.. UnderwoOd's modesty is only