Daily Republican., 1882-10-02
A RACE WITH DEATH.

The flames spread so rapidly that al
thoughts of saving the steamer wer
abandoned. The chief hope was safety
| The pilot spraug back into the wheel
house and rang for full speed. Tn
Iengineers opened the throttles wide
Then began u race with death, TIL,
wheels dashed the water in sheets owe
the decks, and their roar as they whirleC
around, with the rattle of Overstrainet
machinery, could be heard in the cabir
and on shore, even above the roar O
flames. The vessel tremDled and shook
window panes fell out in the struggle
of wheels and engines. The shouts OF
men, the screams of women, the cries Of
children and the roar of the flames
made scene of the most heart-rendine
confusion. Men jumped overheard to
escape the fire; women became insane
with fright and rushed into the burning
state rooms only to perish.
In the midst of all the confusion and
the shrieks of the passengers the pilot
held the steamer straight for the Yucca
tan plantation and never relinquished
his hold upon the wheel until the shore
was reached. AS many as could save
themselves jumped into the water and
swan ashore. In short time the
steamer was a mass of ruins. The
steamer j. A, White passed the wreck
about 6 Z. NJ. ard took the remaining
passengers and crew to ViCksburg. S.
q. Rawlings and Robert Smith, pilots,
were both buried and otherwise hurt.
STORIES OF THE SURVIVORS
whenever a survivor was seen on the
Vicksburg streets Immediately a large
crowd would gather around, eager to
learn whatever he knew of the sad oc.
Currence. A number were seen with
their heads and arms bsund up, some
OF them in considerable pain, while
others were not so badly hurt.
OVice Bell, second clerk of the
steamer, who was up at the time of the
accident, says: 81 never saw anything
burn so quickly. was att at the time,
and when heard the alarm. knowing
that my partner, VINO sleeps soundly,
and other officers were in great danger,
| rushed up to awaken them. The fire
followed me 80 fast that by the tim6 |
had them all up my partner had his |
hair singed in getting down stairs from
The hurricane roof and 1 was forced to |
climb over the rail. l thought was
gone at one time. The boat did not
have much cotton aboard. She had
Just been freshly painted and she went
Just like Ruupowder. n passenger
who was interviewed seems to think
'he fire originated in the pastry rooms
If the COOK house, although l don't see
what the fire was doing iu there that
oarly, as the cooks are not called before
|Our O'Clock.
"Mrs. Dan Searle, with heroic pres
ence of mind and molhelly devotion,
her sleeping infant and arrang.
ng q life preserver about her person
umped boldly into the water. By a
Encouragement of the life-pI eserver
he was thrown upon her back and
ost her grip upon her child"
Captain w. S. Cannon, of Vicksburg,
tates that the steamer was owned by
he estateSof his father and her com
handler, Captain William Campbell.
he was valued at $780, 900 and insured
Or $50, 900, mostly in local companies.
he crew was composed almost entire
= Of men who have been on the river ,
wenty or thirty years. The boat be-
ldes her supply pumps, had new fire
umD with q fourteen inch cylinder
nd 700 feet of hose. There are always
lree watchmen on deck.