Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-07-13
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
An Excursion steamer sunk in a |
Collision ON the Ohio River Five
Hundred People on Board and VI any |
Killed

collision on the ONO RfVer. Five
Hundred People on Board and NJ any
Killed.
a most horrible accident occurred
on the evening of the 4th, on the Ohio
river, near Mingo Junction, Ohio. The
steamer Sciota, with about 500 passen-.
gers, collided with the John Thomas,
sinking the Sciota in fifteen feet of
water, only the pilot house being visi-
BILE. One Of the survivors SAYS the
Sciota was coming up the river under
full head of steam, and when about
half mile from Mingo Junction the
John Thomas was sighted coming down.
The pilot of the Sciota whistled for the
channel, but owing to misunderstanding
both boats took the same side, the
Thomas striking the Sciota and sinking
her in fifteen feet of water in three
minutes from the time Of the collision.
The scene on the Sciota was heartrend-
ing, and the life struggles were frightfui
to behold. The Thomas was only
slightly disabled, and went to work at
once to save those on board the unfor-
tunate Sciota. This task was rendered
easier by bright moonlight, and no
doubt many lives were saved from this
reason. 1t is now believed that the
first reports were exaggerated and that
the loss Of life will not exceed twenty
persons.
A WITNESS STORY.
Arthur McNully, who lives at Cross
creek, was an eye witness to the whole
matter. He says:
[ was standing in my door immedi-
ately opposite where the collision oc-
CURED. 1t was about o'clock. The
LOOMS, in passing the island chute.
whistled for the preference of sides.
and as near as [ can Judge it was three
minutes before the Sciota answered.
and neither of them appeared to shear
off, and almost Immediately the coils
ion occurred. General confusion re-
suited, and l saw people jumping from
the hurricane deck and all parts Of the
steamer as far as / could see. The
LOOMS struck the Sciota forward, for
the fire flew over the bow of the Scotia.
The Sciota sunk almost instantly, and
the LOOMS backed up as soon as pos
sible. The Loomis ran to the Ohio
shore and landed her passengers, and
then returned to the wreck. The crew
and officers of the LOOMS then exer-
cised every effort to rescue the unfor-
tunate passengers, and succeeded in
landing over 400, making several tri ps,
and continued to work as long as there
was any who desired to leave. AS soon
as saw the accident l jumped into my
skiff and started for the wreck. When
[ got there [ got five persons
within a distance of twenty-five
feet and there we're two other
skiffs below picking them up, but I
don't now how many they got They
were hallooing all over. There appear
ed to be a great many in the wreck, but
it was too dark for me to tell the num-
Der. I took the parties rescued to the
Ohio side and by that time the LOOMS
had landed there party and returned
to the wreck. had just come home
from work as the boat came past and
could not tell how many were on board,
but from what the parties who had
landed told me there were from $50 to
700 on the boat. From the run of the
conversation of those who had landed
[ gathered that from 500 to $50 were
landed. Three women were carried
ashore and died after they had been
rescued.
A Herald special from Mingo juno
ton, Ohio, says: Arriving at this place,
about fifty miles below Pittsburg, on
the Ohio River, early this morning, I
obtained the following particulars of
the collision between the steamboats,
Sciota, Captain Thomas, and the John
LOOMS, Captain Engelbright, causing
the death of many persons. The most
authentic account as to the cause
of the collision seemed to be
that the LOOMS whistled for
preference of sides, and the Sciota's
pilot did not understand properly or
answer promptly. The LOOMS and
small boats picked up the greater por-
| ton, but many are missing and are
thought to be drowned. The Sciota
lies about fifty feet from the Ohio
shore, with the water covering the
cabin floor about two feet deep. When
the Loomis went ploughing into the
Sciota, she tore through the furnace
boxes and the furnace, throwing the
Goals all over the lower deck. In an
instance the boat was in flames, the dry
and in1ammable material offering
every faculty for the spread of the
fire. From the shore it looked as
though the Sciota was destined to be
an immense funeral pyre. Her wheels
made one revolution, she swung slowly
around and began to sink. AS the boat
went down and the water seemed to as
cend the fire gave way and the fear of a
grand cremation scene went with it.
| The SciOta had struck on Will bar. Had
she foundered above or below, or on
either side of this spot, she would have
been completely submerged and her
passengers would have
DIED LIKE RATS IN A TRAP.
or persisted by the score after struggle
in the water.
The list of bodies recovered is as fol-
lows: @. D. Spriggs, Hammondsville,
Ohio; Miss Belle Brandon, Wellsville,
Ohio; David A. Fogo, Wellsville; Sarah
Kiddy, Wellsville: Stewart Piper,
Wellsvllle; Edward Smith, Wellsville;
Joe Cannon, Wellsville; Miss Maggie
Shields, East Liverpool, Ohio; E. P.
Burke; East Liverpool, Ohio: Henry
Beardmore, East Liverpool, Ohio;
David Thomas, son of the ca plain of
the Scioto, Is years old, body found at
Brilliant, three miles below; Edward
Duffy,of Stubenville, Ohio; L. P Smith
and two children. of Wellsville, Ohio.
Brightest InteIIects suffer Most.
Young men who have led life of dissipation
and excess, reform! Give tone to the stomach,
regulate the liver, strengthen the urinary organs
relieve those dul Mains tho limbs rid vOurSplf