The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-11-03
THE NEWS.
Ths Iennis Gilehrist nisas,er

Rock ISLAND, Oct 2S.-A little after
10 o'clock the Jennie Gilchriest left
Rock Island with thirleen passengers
and sixteen men of the crew aboard. 1t
passed through the bridge and got about
halfmile above il, when at 10 80 the
engineer discovered that the cam-rod
which is used to reverse the wheel, was
broken and the boat at once began drift
ing rapidly down stream. The swollen
river gave the current additional force,
and swiftly the craft went down to de-
struction. When the certain danger be-
came apparent Mr. Shelton at once
rushed into the cabin, telling the pas
sengers of the accident which had hap
pened, and urging them to at once take
refuge in the barge. He notified the pi-
lot of what had happened, who blew his
whistle for danger, then left the wheel
giving it turn for the port and made
tracks for the barge, crying as he went
down stairs, "Save yourselves, she is 60
ing to strike the bridge" The crew,
with the exception of Pilot Dorrand,
the clerk and engineer and tiremen, are
reported to have been drunk. and as ter
ror struck as the others.
Wheu the Jennie struck the bridge she
hit little aft of the boiler heads and
broke them in. AT once the steam
prospect of being scalded was added to
that of being drowned. Those on the
barge knew not if they were safe or in
danger. Around them was thick cloud
of steam, sHffocatipg them SO that their
only chance for breath was by lying
down and putting their mouths to the
holes in the deck. In the cabin they
could hear the cries and means of the
passengers, who stood there, while the
crew ON the forcastle appealed loudly
for help. The barge drifted off to the left,
following the boat, and the flat follow.
ing it. The wind carried the barge over
toward the Davenport shore, and in the
course of o short time they drifted down
onto the island outside of Fargo, Dixon
d Co.'s mill, where it stranded. The
Evansville heard the cries for help and
il left Rock Island On its errand of sue
cor. In about twenty minutes it came
upon the stranded barge and rescued its
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
| of whom was a woman who displayed
remarkable pluck.
The scene in the cabin when the
danger became apparent was terrible.
MT. Skelton anu clerk Schtller ifleu 70
get the passengers down to the barge
-Four women were in the cabin in a state
of pure helplessness, doing nothing, say.
| ing nothing. evidently expecting death
The gentlemen tried entreaty and ad
vice, but it was useless. No one would
| stir, and it seemed impossible to gel
them, or any of the passengers, to move
They were told that their only hope lay
| in getting aboard the barge; but they
you'd not stir. Mr.. Skeltpn and Mr.
| SCHUYLER shook them and tried TO drag
them, but it was useless, and in despair
| they left them to their fate. A panic
was everywhere, and every effort to over
| come it proved fruitless. The steamer
had in tow barge and one fiat-boat
the flatboat being pushed at the bow
of the steamer. The barge was fastened
to the port side. There seems to be nc
| doubt but the steamer was totally unfi
for the work, was heavily loaded, anG
most of the crew were drunk. Tit
boat was merely freight boat and wa
not licensed to carry passengers. TIL,
accident was entirely due TO carelessnesl
and liquor. There was good deal o
whisky in the cargo and some of it wa;
| tapped before starting.