Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-10-15
Steamboat Accidents.

aboard,n said the Captain of river
steamer TO our reporter the other day.
Is there difference in crowdsPm
" A great difference. / never leave
the wharf until I look my crowds over
and find out what | can depend on, If
| find it all right we put on steam and
work right up to card-time; if it's q
weak lot we go slow and are behind
from the start" ll' 2.
"Please define the case a little clear
cr."
"Wen, the right sort of crowd is
about half and half as to sex, and only
here and there a child. The wrong
sort of crowd is an overplus of women
and children. Let me illustrate. Com
ming down the river one day q raft
ahead of us swing around across the
channel and we struck it, got caught
in the elbow, and were lifted square on
the bank. i had the wrong crowd that
day. Women and children shrieked
and rushed here and there, and all
made dash for the port side and came
near oapsizing the boat While there
was no real danger women were frantic,
children terrified, and | myself pulled
back several females who were bound
to 90 overheard on the channel side in
thirty feet of water. The incident was
q mere nothing, yet score of women
had to lie down after the panic to quiet
their nerves. f '' We
"Within another week we were max
ing landing up the river and the en-
CINE stuck The result was that we
went into dock at the rate of twelve
miles an hour. We struck the wharf a
glancing blow, picked up. q wood scow
and beached her, and stopped only after
my boat had run her bow fourteen feet
upon the bank of the slip. That time
had 200 passengers, and they were the
right sort. Istood where [ could see
the whole crowd, and while. every one
knew what was going to happen, not a
man orwoman changed position. Those
sitting down gripped their chairs, and
those standing up braced for the shock,
and not hand was bruised"
"It's all in keeping COOL" said an.
other Captain, as he sat down fora chat
GAS a rule, the man with the most in
tsliisa.>ss ~.e-t She .A4es. - lose ~ ,,vUi.
dent is the coolest. have, seen rousta,
bouts who had seemingly nothing tc
lose snatch life-preservers or run to the
yawls at the first warning of danger
and you will see something of the sort
whenever you see an accident. Do you
remember when the Alaska burst 'hel
steam drum just as she had. got out OF
the mouth of the riverP Well, the lower
deck, stairwsys, cabins and staterooms
were filled with steam in ten seconds
and hot water flew lively for q minute
and yet the only lives lost were those
where individuals jumped overheard ii
H "a panic. That was. q yplucky crowd o.
passengers. Not man shouted and on
7 ly one woman uttered a scream. Wher
the steam blew away and the boat stop
ped her wheels nearly every passenger
had q life-preseryer buckled on, bu
there was no confusion. A panic among
the passengers would have sent half o
them overheard. = I'M
"Never board steamer with you
eyes shut First locate the stairways 81
that you can readily find them in tn,
dark. Next look to the life.preservers
Some. of them are corded up. forward
others piled away under the berths il
the state-rooms, and others are storeC
l aft. Locate them so that ifsan acciden
occurs you will know justwtiere to go.
"What should passenger do in cas-
of fire." repeated another Captain
"Well, there is only one answer to that
lie should wait. We read of grea
many steamers burning up, but five ar
saved where one is burned. A steame
ON voyage is being watched at ever
point, and the moment a fire breaks on
it is located. The hose hangs in tn
most convenient place, the water is a.
around us, and powerful streams can b
got ready in twenty seconds. Passer
gers should wait for results, and max
no move until certain that the fire is be
yond control. Just as long as the pas
sengers keep cool the crew will run an
risk and keep up TO their work. lie
women begin to scream and men t
rush, and new perils will instantly b
added to the situation. The chance
are altogether in favor of putting on
p the fire, and no man should think of dis
tracing the attention of the crew b
shouting orders or adyiceor obstructin
their pathway. 80" r. 81
Il +" Suppose one of our river steamer
having on board $50 passengers shoul
catch fire in going up or DOWN. Thei
are three chances to one that the fiji
l. can be eXtinguished in from two to iiN
minutes. From five to ten minutes ii
:. chances are even. After that she ca
be run ashore anywhere in the river
three minutes. Let the passengers S
quiet for the first five minutes, proviC
themselves with life.preservers durir
the next FIVE, and even if every soul HI
to Jump overheard in the middle
Lake st. Clair not one need be browne,
A cork life-preserver made secure und
the arms will float man weighing q
pounds from lake to lake without h
giving kick. / went overheard
Lake Huron with my wife from bur
ing schooner, and we Heated thir
hours in heavy sea before we we
picked up. was washed overheard
Lake Erie in q gale, and an empty, ba
J rel which went over with me held me l
a for nine hours. Ill guarantee to dri
the length of Lake Erie with no 9th
en- float than an armchair
"Scores of persons have fallen owe
board in the quiet waters of the DetrC
Is River and been drowned through t
:: stupidity of fellow-passengers. If y,
I. are present when such an accident O
IL ours throwQ life preserver, if it is clio
Is. at hand, as near the victim as you c.
{; have it, But don't waste any time. II
~ .nnnnl. ,,-ill lnnr.n him 1 % fnnt hnk;n