The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-29
'TELEGRAPHIC
TERRIBLE CATAsTRoPHE.
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Rock Island, Ill ga little after 10
Ilo'clcck tonight the Jennie Gttchrfst
left Rock Island with thirteen passengers
and sixteen men of q crew aboard. It
psaed through the bridge aud
got about half mile above it when at
1880 the engineer discovered that the
cam rod which is used 10 reverse the
wheel was broken and the boat at once
began drifting rapidly down stream the
swollen river gave tee current additional
force and swiftly the craft went down 10
destruction. When the Threatening dan
ger became apparent Mr.. Kelton at
ence rushed into the cabin telling the
passengers of the sccident which had
happened, and usrginR them to at once
take refuge on barges. He notified the
pilot Of What had happened who exclaim-
ing "Why don't they do something?
For God sake do something" and blew
the whistle for danger. The pilot then
left his wheel giving it 8 turn for port,
and made tracks for barge, crying as he
went down stairs, ''SaVe your lives. she
is going to strike the bridge" In the
cabin everything was frantic. Women
were crying and men were about as use
less. No one seemed TO have any idea as
to what to do. The crew with tneexcep-
ton Of the pilot, errsnd boy, clerk and
engineers and fremen are reported to
have been drunk sEd terror stricken.
She drifted upon the pier urged
on by the swollen current She
partly turned over and presented her
starboard side TO the obsiructing pier
striking it just aft the boiler. Eight
persons had taken refuge on the barge,
and ss it swung around to the left of the
pier they ca of the stern end and sprung
the lines. The bow line was fastened TO
a fat ahead, and when it was cast of the
fat swung 70 the right and the line went
out with rush. 4 negro, named Jim
Smalley, was at that moment elm bing
over the bow of the barge, and the line
being between his legs he was thrown
ever board, but Shelton grabbed him by
the trousers and landed him aboard,
very astonished but highly grateful
negro. When the Jennis struck the
bridge, she hit little aft OF the boiler
heads, and broke them in. At once the
steam began to rush out, and fer NC
nent the prospect of being scalded was
added to that of being drowned. The
scene st that moment was terrible. The
only chance TO breathe was By laying
down and putting their mouths 20 holes
in the deck. IL the cabins they could
hear cries and means of fated passengers,
who had stood there while the crew on
the fcrecastie were appealing loudly for
help. They could be sean, and at that
time no help could be given. The
barge drifted off 10 the left, followed
by the boat, and the fat following it.
After the bridge was passed, the work OF
rescuing those on the boat began. The
first engineer was pulled aboard, then the
clerk and one negro. They tried to reach
the barge before striking the bridge. but
failed, and falling in the water drifted
alongside the barge and we're rescued.
The wind carried the barge over toward
the Davenport shore, and in the course
of short time they drifted down onto
the island outside Of Paige. Dickson s.
Cos. mill, where it stranded. TIE stay
there was short. Toe Evansville had
heard the cries for help and left Rock
Island on it's erraDd of succor. In shout
twenty minutes il came upon the
stranded barge and rescued It's twelve
passengers from their situation, carrying
them back to Rock Island. Besides the
twelve saved on the barge there were FIVE
picked up on the Iowa shore who had
chung to the wreck, one woman who
had displayed remarkable pluck N the
cabin. When the danger became sp-
parent Mr.. Shelton and Clerk Schuyler
tried to get the passengers down TO the
barge. The four women we're in the
cabin in state of pure helplessness, evil
IDENTIFY expecting death. The gentlemen
tried entreaty and advice, but it was use
less. There were seventeen lost. It is
How Impossible 10 give their names. The
steamer has in tow one barge and one
fat boat. The fat bost was being
pushed at the low o? the steamer.
The bsrRs was fastened to the port side.
There seems no doubt that The steamer
was totally unfit for work, was heavily
loaded and most of the crew were drunk.
4he boa: wss merely freight beat. and
WAS not licensed to carry passengers. The
accident Was entirely due to cArelessness
and liquor. There was a good deal of
whisky II the cargo, and some Of il was
tapped bef:re s'arting
Rock Island, Ills 2S.-It is Impossible
to give full list yet of those killed in
the aecldert here last night, SIS no regis
ter was KEEP. of those on board. Those
known 10 be lost sfe: Phssengers-J. Zu-
Der, VIM. Wendt and daughter, Mrs
james Trevor, Miss Ssllie Temple and
snd four unknown; c!ew-James San
lord, fireman; James Temple, steward:
Williams. wstchmsn; four negroes, un-
known, deck hands. The officials of the
Jennie fttch'fSt are severely censured by
the surviving passengers for their lack of |
ability to cope with the accident. The |
othcers, with the exception Of the clerk, |
made their own personal safety the first |
matter Of importance. and allowed the |
passengers to look out for themselves 1t
10 a.se admitted that the boat was over
loaded with passengers and freight, car
rying more than she could successfully
handle. The Lost serious charge, how
ever, is made by one of the surviving
passengers, to the effect that the crew, in
GLIDING The second pilot, were under the
influence of liquor, and 10 this fact is at
tributed the lack of management, after
the first accident to the machinery before
tbo hrIHnro ma