The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-29
ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Nkw YORK, October 9s--A Herald spe-
cial from Davenport Iowa, furnishes the
following The steamer Gichrist lefl this
point last night IN apparently good condl-
tion, bound for all points up the river, load.
ed With u large and valuable car
60 OF miscellaneous freight and carving
IN her cabin u full list of passengers. When
the steamer had passed under the bridge
spanning the Mississippi river and CON
| Meeting the cities tf Davenport and Rock
lslaAi, the rods OF the engine suddenly
gave way, causing the entire machine TO
become unnanageahle and useless, as the
river Is high, owing to recent extensive
nqossand me current unusually rapid. So
l When the Gilchrist had no lon,er her ma
chinery 10 keep her bow up stream. the
swiftly, running river carried the helpless
vessel down the river at u rapid and APP
pallilg rate Being 20 near the bridge tho
steamer was thrown With tremendous and
! feslsll,ss force against one abutment, As
the "Gilchrlst' came in collision with tho.
enormous mass OF stone she careensA
causing veights ON the safety valves Of M
steam chest to break from their iastenings
and slide of The valves no longel.holtling
the check on the steam IN the boilers Ii
poured out IN huge volumes and enyeloped
the ,hapless crew and passengers, who were
wildly cndeavoring to procure life preseryers
in the main saloon, and scalded many OF
them in an awful manner No sooner
had The steamer rebounded from the shock
OF the collision than she began sinking, IN
which condition she was carried past the
city, the slrieks and cries for helpnttcred
by the irenzied victims being distinctly
audible TO large crowd of citizens who
soon thrpnged the banks, but they could
render no assistance as the steamer was
hurled past their eyes by the turbulent riv-
| er. All of the small boats and sllifs usual.
ly numerous on the riyer'had been drawn
ashore and laid away for winter and 10
escape the floods which have prevailed along
the river for the last fortnight, so there
was no means OF speedily reaching
the sinking steamer Other steamers lying
at the bans immediately went to her assist
ance and r. actively at work searching
I for survivors, learn that there were on
! board twcnlN-three passengers, four Of
whom WEI Q icmale,, aud crew Of six per-
sons. Eight pefsOns have been saved SO
mr. OF these isomo are very badly scaldcd.
Three OF the lady passengers are known to
have been killed or scaldcd TO death Tho
city y in great excitement and everything
possible Is being done TO relieve the un-
lorlunates. There Is but little hope that
ANY more will be saved.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
Rock ISLAND, ILL.,, October 2S.--Further
intelligence from the scene of the wreck of
the steamer Jennie Gilchrist Is 10 the effect
that IL persons In all were lost and IL saved.
The other passengers might have been saw
cd Y they had yielded to the entreaties
of the more cool-headed, who went among
them before the steamer struck the pier
and urged them 10 get on board the barge
The latter even tried to drag them from the
cabin, but they were SO terror-stricken
and powerless that they could
make no effort TO save themselves.
The steamer had in tow
barge and one flat boat The latter was
being pushed at the bow of the steamer
while the barge was fastened TO the port
side. There seems TO be no doubt that tho
steamer was totally unfit for the work ex-
pected from her. She was heavily laden and
most of the crew were drunk Further
more, she was moreoi freight boat and not
licensed to carry passengers. The accident
was entirely due 10 carelessness and liquor.
There was good deal of whisky in the
cargo and some of II was tapped before tle
steamer left the wharf