The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-11-02
Stesuboat Accidents,

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2 5ilDt Steamboat Accidents.
I ut don't care what happens on my
boat Il have the right sort Of . crowd
aboard" said the Captain Of . liver
steamer 10 our reporter the other day.
Is there . difference In crowdsr'
A great difference I never leave
the wharf until look my crowds pver
and find out what csn depend on. II
I find 1t all right we put on steam and
work right up To csrd-timei d ifs .
g weak lot We 60 slow and are behind
from the start"
q Please define the case . little clear
err
'i'1a Wen, the right sort of . crowd Is
about half and half as to sex, and pnly
here and there child. The Wfong
4 sort of . crowd is an overplus Of WOMEN
and children. Let me Illustrate; Com
ming down the river one day Q raft
ahead of rs swung around across the
channel and we struck Il, got caught
in the elbow, and were lifted square on
the bank, I had the wrong crowd that
day. Women and children shriSked
and, rushed here and there, and al
made 8 dash for the port side and came
near capsizing the boat. While there
was no real danger, women were frahtic,
children terrified, and myself pulled
back several females who were bound
10 go overheard ON the channel side in
thirty feet of water. The incident was
mere nothing, yet q score OF women
had to lie down after the panic to quiet
their nerves.
sgs" Within another week we were max
q L. q L.. a~.1 Akal a,,-
gine stuck The, result was that we
went into dock ct the rate of twelve
miles an hour. We struck the whsrf q
giancing blow, picked up a wood scow
and besched her, and stopped only After
my boat had run heF-bow fourteen feet
upon the bank of the slip.e That time
had 200 passengers, and they were the
right sort. I stood where 1 could see
the whole crowd, and while every one
knew what was going TO happen, not 8
man or woman changed position. Those
sitting down gripped their chairs, and
those standing up braced for the shock.
and not o hand was bruised"
It's AL in keeping cool" said an
| other Captain, as he sat down for chat.
AS q rule, the man with the most in
| telligence and the most to lose by acci-
dent il the coolest. have seen rousta-
bouts who had seemingly nothing 10
lose snatch ife-preservers or run TO the
yxwis 10 the first warning Of danger,
and you will see something of the sori
whenever you see an accident. Do you
remember when the Alaska burst her
steam drum Just as she had got out OF
the mouth of the riverp Well, the lower
deck, stairways, cabins and staterooms
were hlled with steam IN ten seconds
and hot water new lively for . minute,
ana yet the only nves iose Were tnos<
where indivlduats jumped overDoarq II
. panic. That was . piucky crowd Of
passengers. Not q man shouted and on
~ one woman uttered Q scream. When
the steam ,oieT away and the ooas stop
Peo ner wneeis nearly every passenger
had nfe-preseryer ouckied on, ou'
there was no confnsion- panic among
the passengers would have sent half q
them overheard.
Never board . steamer with YOU
eyes shut. First locate the stairways q
that you can readhy nnd them IN tns
dark Next look TO the me-preservers
some OF them are corded up forward
otners pileo away unoeL tne pertns
tne stape-rooms, ano others sre s.oret
ant. Locate tnem 50 .hat II an accioen
|
nat snouio passenger 90 IN CAS-
OF nres rePeated anotner captain
wen, mere Is only one answer 70 tnat
He should wait. We read !of q grea
many steamers burning up, but hve an
saved where one is burned. A steame
on o voyage Is being watched at ever,
point, and the moment fire breaks on
It Is located. The hose hangs In tn
most convenient place, the wster Is a.
around us, and powerful streams can b
d got ready in twenty seconds Passen
gers should wait Tor results, and max
no move until certain that the nre Is be
yond control. just as long Is the pas
. sengers keep cool the crew Will run an,
risk and keep up to their work. lie
women begin to scream and men b
rush, and new perils win instantly b
added to the situation. The chance
are altogether in favor of putting on
the fre, and no man should think OF dis
tracing the attention OF the crew o
!. shouting orders or advice or obstructn
their pathway.
"Suppose one OF our river steamer
. having on board 100 passengers shoul
d catch fire IN going upsor DOWN. Ther
are three chances to one that the fir
4 can be extinguished in from two to fiy
minutes. From five TO ten minutes th
chances are even. After that she ca
be nun ashore anywhere in the river
| three minutes. Let the passengers 8