Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-04-07
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THE GOLDEN CITY.
Tho Steamer Golden City Destroyed by
Fire at Memphis-A Large Number of
Lives Lost and Many Narrow Escapes
from Death,

iivca LOST ana many narrow Escapes
from Death
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 70.
At 1880 this morning tho steamer Golden
City, of the Southern Transportation Compa-
NY, took firc as she was approaching the com
| pany's dock in this city, and after repeated
and Intellectual attempts to make her fast to
the dock and number of cohl-boats, tho
steamer was borne out upon the surglng river
and carried down stream wrapped in flames.
In vain the boat was time and again headed
for tho shore, and as each succeeding failure
was witnessed by the pcrlshing passengers and
crew, great cries Of anguish hoated out upon
the early morning air, almost drowning tho
roar and cracklc of the nnmcS.
The alarm of fire was given by Robert Kcl
10y, the engineer on duty, to Pilot Bricc Pur-
CELL just as the latter hnd finished blowing tho
alarm whistle for n landing at the dock. Tho
pilot nj once headed the boat for the shore,
mud sho came in so quick that, coliding with
tho tug Oriole, tho latter sunk Immediately,
the crew narrowly escaping death. For nm
instant the steamer touched the shore, and n
number of ladies' and children jumped over
bonrd, and othere clambcrod onto barge near
by. TO add terror to the scene, the barge took
fire and iloatcd on down stream bearing a
number of people and six cages of animals be-
longing to stoves circus All were lost.
As the fated steamer broke away from shoro
and iloatcd out upon tho swiftly-running riv-
er, tho bowling of wild beasts, the heart-rend-
ing shricks of women and children, the hoarso
orders of the officers, steam whistles, fire
alarms md cracking flames, were all blended
in a terrible din of horror and anguish. Never
were human eyes permitted to gaze on scene
moro grnndy awful.
The fire gained headway so rapidly that
even the most prompt warning to the pusson-
IN nnh a
The Golden City was built in 1877 nt Cincin-
natl, cost $4,000, and was insured for $4,000.
She was 9S2 tons burden, and at the time of the
disaster carried full cargo of freight, includ-
ing cotton seed, oil and jutc. The fire was
caused by the bottom of watchmans lantern
dropping from the globe into the jutc
The steamer left New Orleans for Cincinnati
on saturday, and carried u crew of sixty men
and about forty cabin passengers, half of whom
were women and children. The party was
merry one, and most of the passengers had
scarcely closed their eyes in sleep, after II
night passed in dancing. singing and piano.
playing, when they were called to meet II ter
rible death.
The books of the steamer were lost, so it is
impossible to gather II complete list of the lost
and saved. All the officers of the steamer arc
safe except the second engineer, Robert
Kelley. lie it was who first discovered the
fire and gave the alarm, and remained Mt his
post of duty until cut or by the flames, as tho
fire spread like lightning, and he sacrificed his
life to save others.
Among those known to have been lost are:
DR.. Monahan and wife, of Jackson, o.; Mrs.
Cary, of Farmont, near Cincinnat: Miss Lu-
ella Cary, of Morton place, near Cincinnati;
w. II. Stowe and wife. Ollie Wood and wife, of
Henderson, Ky; Miss Anna Smith, of Mnssa-
chusetts; Mrs. Helen Percival of Hawcsvillc,
KY: Mrs. l.. e. kounz and three children;
Miss Campbell, relative of Mrs. Kounz Rob
crt Kcllcy,sccond engineer; Mary Boyd, Aman-
da Atchison, chambermads; j. c. Crane, own
er of the sdc-show to Stoves circus; three of
deck crew (colorcdD, and Il negro boy servant
The missing are: j. III. Krouk, sidc-show-
man, three dcck-hands, and n number of deck
passengers, names unknown; two colorcd
chambermalds. OF twcnty-six men employed
as lower dcck-hands, roustabouts and tircmen,
three are missing, and believed to be lost. Two
fiatboat-mcn, MiIams, of Alton, and Cowcs, of
Henderson, are believed to be lost.
An inquest is in progress over the remains
of dead woman found to-day near the wreck.
They are thought 10 he those of Mrs. Anna
Smith, of Massachusetts. An adjournment
was then taken until tomorrow morning.
Wash Smith, the coored Captain of the
watch, was sent to Jail this afternoon on n war
rant charging him with murder through his
carclessness in causing the fire in the steamer.
diver will try tomorrow to recover the
bodies that are supposed to be in the wreck of
the Inflated vessel.
The steamer burned briskly with the aid of a
stiff east breeze until she reached point near
the head of Presidents Island, when she sank
in deep water, n complete wreck, disappearing
within thirty minut IS after the alarm of fire
was sounded The entire loss is estimated Mt
Sl5O,0O), one-tbird in the steamer and the bal
ance on freight and circus chattels. Every
animal belonging to Stoves circus, save one
horse, was burned or drowned.
INCIDENTS.
Miss Ionia Matsn, of Hawesvilc, KY, one
of the three lady passengers saved, in an inter-
view tells the following touching story of her
experience of the disaster: She was going
from New Orleans to her home, Hawesville, in
company with hermother, Mrs Fl. NJ Pcrcival
and her nephew William Mckinley, lad of
fifteen years. They had been a merry party
in the cabin, and she and her mother re-
tired after eleven o'clock. Some time
after they had fallen asleep, she could not
tell how long, they were awakened by McKin.
ley, who rushed into the state-room and said
'Th. boats on fire.! She and her mother got
up and, without waiting to dress themselves
went out into the cabin, which was full OF
siiDht. Iuty Muihtt lnTWtTu, ntI
mother little behind. On arriving at the
front guard of the boat, she saw that her
mother was not with them, and she attempt
ed to run back after her, hut was prevented
by Mckinley, who said it would only
be her own destruction. The cabin was
then mass of flame and smoke. "Oh,
thought she was with us moaned the girl
tossing wildly on the couch, where she lay.
II wanted to 20 back TO her, but he wouldn't
let me- The accents of utter despair and re.
morse that marked the words would have
touched the hardest heart. Becoming mOrs
composed, she said her nephew pulled her out
on the guards, and lowered her down to Mr.
Charles Ross, Jr., passenger standing on the
coal-Darge, who received her in his arms, and
then took her ashore.
John II. Trcwalla, business agent of Stoves
Circus, was on the lower deck, and, seeing Mr.
A. Butler, of DCnaldsOnvillc, La, with his
wife and four children on the boilcr-dcck,
shouted to him to throw him his children. Mr.
Butler tossed him two, which Mr.. Trewnll,
caught and carried to place of safety on the
coal-barge. He then assisted Mrs. Rutlcr with
her infant down from the uppcr-deck, anc
helped her on the steamer, while Mr.. Butler
brought downstairs his remaining child.
Willie Mckinley, young man seventeen
years old, gives graphic description of the
HFc. ~ WIS III HIS 5tHtt-tbblh WUtll ITSl tHt
cry of fire was heard. He says it was not three
minutes after before he saw the flames com
ing mp through the toor of his state-room
He ran back In the ladies' cabin, where hi.
grandmother, Mrs. Pcrcival, and his aunt, Mis-,
Ionia Matsin, Were. Bursting into thcli
statc-room, he found both standing
up. Telling them to come on, ht
grasped his aunt by the aI,I ana
led the way through the binding smoke to tht
front part Of the boat. They had not gone la
before the flames began bursting through tn,
floor Of the cabin. He kept pressing forward
| and finally reached the front deck of the steam
or with his aunt. His grandmother was no
whore to be seen. She evidently had been suf
| focated by the binding smoke. He half car
ried and dragged his aunt down tho steps, anC
| just in time to reach II coal-barge ms the vesse
was carried down stream by the current.
- %-
An Edinburg solicitor was onc'
visited by an elderly, respectable-look
ing man, who stated that he had com'
| t,, bn.yn hig mill "A 4,