The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-30
The Steamer Golden City
Burned at Memphis.
Thirty-Five People are Lost
in the Flames.
Full Particulars of the Catas-
trophe, --0ther Items.
STEAMER suRNBD.

MEMPHIS, March 30.-The Cincinnati and
New Orleans packet, Golden City, enroute
from New Orleans to Cincinnati, burned at
the wharf this morning at 4:3O o'clock be-
tween thirty and fifty lives were lost, prin-
cipally women and children.
The Golden City left New Orleans last
Saturday en- route for Cincinnati She
carried crew of about sixty. She had
aboard forty cabin passengers, fifteen of
whom were ladies and children. Her cargo
consisted of 800 tons, among which was a
lot of iute The fire is said to have its
origin in this combustible material Among
those known to have been lost arc DR.
Monahan and wife. Jackson, Ohio; Mrs.
Crary, Cincinnati;- Miss L,tella Crary,s Gin
cnnat; ". Fl. Stowe, wife and two child
rem. Oliver Wood and wife, Henderson,
Ky; Mrs. Anna Smith, Mass; Miss uGsmp-'
bell, Mrs Helen Percival. Mrs. r. E.
Kountz and three children The books Of
the steamer were lost SO it is impossible to
gather a complete list of the lost and saved
All officers Of the steamer are safe, except
the second engineer. Robert Kelly He it
was who first discovered the fire and gave
the alarm, and remained at his post of duty
until cut off By the flames, ~fpr the. fire
spread like hghtnfng, and he sacrifced his
life to save others.
As near as can be ascertained there were
twenty-three ladies aboard the Inflated
steamer, but two of whom SO far as is known
were saved. J. FL. Cronk, connected with
oi,-
to be lost. Jno Devonse, his wife and
three children were saved. They are at
the city hospital also Senior Block. Mr.. De
vonse is slightly burned on his hands.
The Golden City was five years old and
cost $4,000 dollars. Hswas insured fer
10000 dollars In Cincinnati offices. She
was owned by Capt. J. D. Hegeler. W. F.
Mcintyre and S. C. Mcintyre. She lies
sunk about three miles below here in the
chute near the Tennessee shore. When
she f1oated off from the wharf about twenty
passengers and crew jumped aboard a
barge which fioated down the stream but
they were rescued by one of the sharbor
boats which towed the barge into shore
one mile below the city 1t is estimated
that thirty-five lives were lost by the. dis
aster, but at present no additional names
can be learned.
Robert Kelly, second ngincer, and three
roustabouts are the only ones of the boats
crew that are known to be lost. John
Dreffer, steward, Pete Dreffer. cook, John
Lamb, second cook Billy Luxford, pastry
cook, Mart Whalen, texas tender, John
Hill, second mate Charles Harvey, second
watchman, and a passenger named Bloom
field were saved. The fire was caused by
watchman accidentally setting fire to a
lot of jutc which was stored amidship' of
the steamer. She had just whistled to
land, and the watchman went among the
deck passengers to notify them that
Memphis was being approached. and
that those who were destined for
here must get ashore. The bot
tom of his lamp dropped into the jute, and
before the flames could be extinguished
they had spread all over the deck of the
steamer. Price Purcell, the pilot. made
his escape by climbing over the front of
the pilot house, as the fire was all in the
rear of him when the steamer touched the
wharf Tug Oriole did not burn, as first
reported, but was sunk by the burning
steamer
Pat Haley and Mike O'Donnelf the two
fremen who were on watch say they saw
the negro captain of the watch named
Wash with hislamp in his hand looking for
some of the deck crew. 1t was from his
lamp that the fire caught the jute stored
in the center of the steamer, and as quick
as the blaze spread to either side OF the
steamer and up to the cabin, Haley ran up
stairs to notify the head engineer, but by
the time he reached the hurricane deck the
flames in the meantime had almost reached
the pilot house, and he was driven back by
the flames He then rang the alarm bell
and seeing that the boat was approaching
the shore ran down the forward stairs and
jumped on board the tug boat Oriole, just
as the Golden City struck her, seeing that
the tug was sinking he sprang aboard the
steamer again and made his way to the
coal barge lying along side. Three negro
deck hands and white deck passenger
were killed when the tug was
struck as they caught between
the bow of the boat and side OF
the tug. Anna Boyd, the colored chamber
maid, and her assistant were both lost.
Mike Malloy and Pat Kinney, hremen,
were saved also M. j. Whelan, second ba-
ker Whelan says he jumped overheard
from the stern of the steamer as she fioated
down stream. There were about ten men
on fantail boat who must have been drown
ed, as when he leaped into the river he saw
three men go overheard and drown. The
others must have shared the same fate.
Felix Lehman, who was passenger,
says there was a merry party aboard
and nearly all the passengers re-
manned up till midnight They had one
or two gentlemen aboard who played the
piano, and they entertained the passengers
with music and singing. He was awaken
ed by having his state room burst in and
heard the cry of fire. Seizing his clothes
he ran forward, and reached the barge just