The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-10-05
RIVER HORROR.
Burning Of the Mississippi Steam
er II. II. Lee.
Twenty.one Passengers Perish Before
the Boat Reached the shcre.

The famous steamer r. L. Lee was burned
on the Mississippi river thirty miles south OF
Nicksburg. causing the loss OF twenty -one
and freight The Lee was valued at $ls1,OOO,
and carried insurance amounting to S5O,OOO
Many nets OF daring and heroism were per-
formed by employees Of the fatal boat In
warning and assisting passengers to places
of safety The story Of the disaster IL thus
told by the Captain, William Campbell:
"We left vicksburg about d O'Clock on Fri
day evening with about 46) bales of cotton
Oh board, about thirty passengers aud acrcw
of about ninety or 1,N, including officers
We first discovered the fire just below
Brooks Landing, Miss, about thirty-five
miles below vicksbng The fire was first
seen In the kitchen a little after 3 ocock
saturday morning. Pilot Stout, Engineer
Perkins the second mate, Fitzpatrick, Clerks
Hall. Wells and Bell and myself were on
watch nt the time. | shouted to the
pilot to land the boat ~ quick a. he could,
which he did We ran Iine out made the
hoa. fast, and lowered the stage. All per
SONS forward Lot ashore safely. Those aft
were cut off from the stage by I'll. tire and
smoke. and went to the stern OF the boat to
save themselves Some were saved and
some were lost Tho yawl was low
cred and picked up many persons III tho
river who sprang overheard To escape the
flames All my men did their duty Us long
IA the flames allowed them to- One lady
from Pittsburgh, going to Natchex, saved
herself and seven children She displayed
great presence of mind, and was cooler than
many man would have been under such
trying circumstances. Our sailor M III, a
sp'endidly with the yawl Pilot Stout, u
brother Of Mrs Mannon, one of The
owners of the boat, and Engineer
Perkins behaved nobly second Nate
Mike fitzpatrick ran the lines out and
lowered the stage. showing ct.olness and
her ism AL the cabn-bovs who were lost
gave up their lives in trying to save those OF
others Ovid Bell woke up all the persons
ON the texas deck, not trying to save him
self until all were awake Nate Hines was
everywhere, displaying great energy. We
worked the engines MS long n the fire would
in holding the boat to the hank The
hose was worked, but all to no pur-
pose. Our outfit was complete. We had 1OO
feet OF hose, and the inspectors had been
very particular In seeing that we had n full
outfit the day before we left New Orleans
last Tuesday The fiamcs spread quicker
than can tell. When the shore was reached
the flames had already wrapped some por-
f.ons of the boat. In nh hour the boat was
burned to the waters edge. We gathered
up all We could and waited for the dawn Of
day. We saved nothing hut little
money out OF the office. The hooks, papers,
United States mail. cargo and all were
lost. At the time of the fire our
cargo consisted OF als bales OF cotton. aN.utU
feet of lumber, sunary freight and express
packages: The cargo. | think. was valued
Mt about san,ON. The boat was worth
slUn,ouu. and was insured for san.0oe At
about o o'clock in the morning the ]. NJ.
White came along and took the whole
crew on board / left the second mate
and two men in . yawl to gather M
floating cotton and take care OF the
wreck until received further advices from
the insurance companies. l reached vicks-
burg about O'Clock The lady and her
children from Pittsburgh / placed ON tug
and sent to NatcheA Ny mate was also in
etructed to hunt up the bodies of any of the
lost and offer rewards for their recovery
The new Robert L. Lee was built iii 1916 bv
the Howar,ls. OF Jeffersonville, Ind She
was considered one u. the hest boats ON the
f.ver She never met with any accident ex-
cept the breaking of a shaft last Year.