Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-11-10
4 STEAMER SMASHED.
Ihe War Eagle HUNS Against n
Bridge at KcOkuk and Breaks IL In
TO Fragments.

10 Fragments.
KEoKUK, Iowa, Nov. 8.
At o'clock last evening shrill and continued
whistling at the Keokuk and Hamilton bridge
followed by the ringing of fire bells, drew hun
dreds of people to the levee to find that q
steamboat load of passengers had miraculously
escaped death. The palatial passenger
packet War Eagle in attempting to
pass through the draw was completely
bafled by the eddies and cross cur
rents and swung around against the bridge,
breaking out one span and entailing a loss OF
800, 90 to the bridge. Several ives were lost,
bar the names cannot at present be learned.
Tie head clerk of the War Eagle makes the
following statement Capt. Jerry Wood was in
command. Birm Beadle and William Tibbles
were the iiots, and both were in
tho puot-house, though it was Boa
dies watch. ! had Just eaten supper
and went back into the cabin to talk TO some
lsdles knew. | heard the whistle blow for
tho bridge and the bells ring to check headway.
knowing that it was customary to drop inside
tie long per, / felt no uneasiness until the
alarm whistle blew twice, which meant to back
her round. About tpat time William Holmes
third clerk, came through the cabin, in which
there we're only ten or twelve
ladies, the remnant being on the outside at
ont the starboard gangway. / paid no atten-
ton to him, knowing he was easily alarmed in
emergencies, but in q few minutes he returned
and sIgnaied nue.. | then excused myself hur-
riedly and went TO HIM. He said ''Shes gone
this time | ran out the larboard gangway
on to the larboard guard forward of the. bar
ber-shop, and saw that we were broadside to
the bridge and that the boat was backing strong.
l instantly rushed into the cabin and gave
the alarm. l caught hold of one lady and cried
out to the rest TO follow me, as the boat was
going TO strike the bridge. We al! passed out
the afterdoor on to the starboard guard,
reaching there just as the crash came. /
kept calling to the passengers, who seemed
bewldercd, to get on the hurricane deck
They not seeming TO understand led the way,
and they followed. AS soon as the boat
Struck the bridge the span gave way with a
fearful crash, and | felt considerably relieved
knowing that the chances for saving life would
now be much better. | looked forward and
saw that the boat was leaning on the west pier,
her stern having cleared the east pier where
the break III the bridge occurred, and that
the people were climbing from the boat
onto the bridge. | took one lady
and ran forward on the larboard
side down the steps abreast of the smoke
stacks. and assisted in passing the passen-
gers out upon the bridge until tho boat
swung off. One lady refused to go. Seeing that
agreater part of tho passengers had escaped and
were safe, the second clerk, Alex. Robinson,
and myself determined to stay with the boat.
In very short time she swang clear of the
bridge, and we went down on the lower deck
to see if she was making water or not. some
one had been III the hold and reported that she
was, but not very fast. ran up stairs and
quoted the fears OF the few remaining ladies
on the boat, and got all forward, so that in
case we went down we could get of
without much trouble. The boat thep
tod NTH
stream to point few hundred yards below
the elevator. where, with the aid of one wheel
and the assistance of parties who came in 3
skiff and took a line ashore, she vas made fast
resting on the railroad track, which is covered
with water, the river on the outside being
about fifteen feet deep. The dredge-boat W
d. Smith came down and held her stern II
untu she YVES secnr.lY fastened.