The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-06
A RIVER HORROR j!
Burning of the steamer Golden city
Twenty-Five Persons Perish in the Flames
or Flood,
AIENPHIs. -. March ao.

At4:3O O'Clock this morning, just after the
steamer Golden City had sounded her whistle
as a signal of her intention of landing at the
whaIf. fire was discovered among a lot of jhte,
and within five minutes the flames had
spread with such lightning rapidity that the
YES el was ablaze almost her entire length.
There are several stories current as to the
origin Of the fire, but after the most careful
inquiry and investigation it Is safe to say that
the fire was caused through the carelessness
of Wash Sn ith, the colored captain of the
watch. A few moments before the flames
we're seen leaping upward, he was back in the
deck-room of the steamer with a lamp, and it
is stated that he removed the burner from
the lamp for the purpose of picking the wick
and spark falling some jute, ignited that
combustible material. which soon mounted
up to and enveloped the cabin of the steamer
Brice Purcell, Sr.; was the pilot on watch at
the time. The first intimation he had of the
danger was shouted to him by the second on
gineer, John Kelly, who was watch. He
called up through the trumpet, 1.-THE boat is
on fire; head her for shore, and, for Gods
sake, be quick about ftp' The boat at this
time was close to shore, ana Purcell imme-
diately headed her for the bank. Within four
minutes afterward she struck the coal fleet
that was moored at the foot of Beale street,
justbelow the Anchor Line Company wharf
boat She came with such force, the engineer
having turned on a full head of steam. that
she struck the tug Oriole, sunk that craft, and
ran afoul of several coal barges- A line was
thrown and made fast to one of the barges
but from some unknown cause soon parted,
and the steamer began drifting down with
the current, which is very swift at the point
where she was landed.
When the vessel struck the coal feet all of
her passengers and crew who had been
aroused and were able to reach the for
wardpalt of the boat made their escape by
jumping on the coal barges, but there were
many still aboard the burning vessel who had
been cut of by the flames from reaching the
forward part, and portion of the deck pass
engers and crew had sought safety by going
aft OF these but two were saved. All the
others tre either drowned or suffocated, as
the wind was blowing the flames in that df-
rection, ana it was this that caused SO many
of the cabin passengers to be lost So far as
definitely ascertained, the following list en-
braces those lost:
DIR. Monahan and wife, of Jackson, o.
Mrs. Crary, of Fairmont, near Cincinnati.
Ohio.
Miss Luena Crary, Morton Place, near Gin
cinhati, o.
VIII. stowe, wife and two children-a boy
of and girl of 3.
Obey Wood and wife, Amelia Wood, of Hen
derson, Ky.
Mrs. Anna Smith, of Massachusetts.
Mrs. Helen PercivaI, of HowesviIle, Ky.
Mrs. l.. Z. Kountz and her three children
Miss Campbell, a relative of Mrs. Kountz
aged about Il.
John Kelley. the second engineer OF the III
fated steamer.
J. H. Cronk, who owned the side-show of
Stoves Circus.
j. G. Combs, of Henderson, Ky.
Mr.. Milan, of Alton, Ind.
Three coIored deck-hands, John Jones, Mar.
shal, and Wood.
The wounded are: Levi Fisher, barber,
hand and leg scalded; r. Weaver, porter.
hands burned; John Devouse, wife and three
children, deck passengers, all slightly
burned; Simon Block, deck passenger. hands
burned.
The burning steamer, as she drifted down
stream in early gray of the dawn, mass of
flames, presented sight beautiful yet awful
in its grandeur. The wreck foated about four
miles and finally sunk In the chute near the
Tennessee shore.
The only men of the crew known to be lost
are John Kelley, the second engineer, and
three colored men, who were crushed be-
tween the coal barges when the boat first
touched John Kelley could easily have saved
himself, but he stood to his engine until the
boat had been landed, and then it was too
late. One of the crew saw him for an instant
as he stood at the post of duty, with the fierce
flames burning all around him. His form
seemed a mass of fire, and then sank down
never to rise again.
Charles Myers, the third cook of the steam
er, was fshed cut of the river by william
Bierce, a cotton clerk Who went in a slxiff to
the rescue of those who might be aboard the
burning vessel as she f1oated from the wharf.
NJ. j. Whelan, the second baker, was rescued
in a like manner by Billy Hodge, pilot on the
Dean Adams. Brice Purcell, Jr., son of the
pilot, was in the clerks Office when the alarm
was first given. Taking in the situation, he
rushed down the cabin knocking and kicking
at every stateroom and shouting " FireF' as
he ran along. He it was who aroused the
sleeping passengers and saved those who
were able to get out in time Bryce Purcell
Sr., renamed in the piiot-house until the boat
was landed, by which time the flames had al
most enveloped him, and he was compelled
to make his exit over the front of the pilot
house.
Capt. Mcintyre, as soon as aroused, ran
down stairs to awaken the passengers, but
was driven back by the flames, which seemed
to burst up from underneath in dozen diff
ferent parts of the boat at once. Going ON
deck he threw line on the coal barge, and,
assisted by the second mate, John HILL made
it fast. 1t was while the boat was thus being
held in that all those on the bow of the steam
er made their escape.
Some say the rope which held the steamer
burned, while others say the stanchion to
which it tied gave way. At all events
she did not remain fast longer than three
The Golden City was valued at $4,000, and
was insured for $50 600 in Cincinnati compa-
MES She was built in 1876, and was one of
the best equipped steamers plying between
Cincinnati and New Orleans. The Govern
ment inspectors say that she was ex-
well equipped with every
modern appliance calculated to avert the
calamity which has befallen her. She was
2761z feet long, 40 feet beam, feet inches
depth Of hold. She measured 67I tons, but
had carrying capacity of 500 tons. The
steamer left Cincinnati March Il, and reached
New Orleans on the 24th. Capt. Higher, upon
hearing of the disaster, Immediately teIe-
graphed to Capt. Mcintyre to spare no ex-
pense TO aid those in distress or to recover the
bodies of the lost.
The Louisville & Nashville Railroad and
Capt. Bob Wise, Of the J. w. Gaff have gen
erOusly offered TO convey the passengers and
crew of the Golden Cily to Cincinnati free of
charge. some lett for home this afternoon
and others leave TO morrow.