Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-01
The Mississippi River Steamer r. E.Lee
Burned Yesterday Morning.
TWENTY.ONE LIVES SACRIFICED.
The Flames Spread With Frightful Rap
idity, Preventing Escape.
NARRATIVES OF THE SURVIVORS.
4 Brave Ot-COnflicting Theories as
to the Origin Of the Fire.
Il Mississippi Ricer Catastroph,

8 o'clock fire broke out on the steamer
R. E. Lee, while on a trip to this city, about
thirty miles below here, resulting in the
total destruction of the boat with terri
BILE loss of life. The following is list of
persons known to be lost: Cabin passen-
gers-Mr Painter, Maysville, KY; Mrs.
Mcclellan. New Orleans; Miss Adams, a
music teacher on the way to Baton Rouge:
an infant of Mrs. Searle, OF Vicksburg,
and two colored women. Also the follow
ING: Frank Jones, fireman; Ophelia Jones
and Martha Webb. second and third cham
bermaids: Thos. Fisher, Joe MurreIl: Scot
Cox. Thos. Collins. irwin Duncan, +. G.
Berris. Samuel Brown, roustabouts; K.
Carpenter, VIM. Mestmaker, second engin-
GERS: all the cooks and help except the
pastry cook. The books OF the boat and
the United States mail were lost. together
with the cargo Of 500 bales of cotton.
The Lee had just been overhauled and
newly painted. and was on the first trip
this season. She left Vicksburg,yesterda
evening for New Orleans with 500 bales of
cotton and a good list Of passengers.
While opposite Point Pleasant, at $50 a.
M. she was discovered on fire, and was i'm
mediately headed for the Louisiana shore,
and landed at Yucatan plantation, thirty
five miles below Vicksburg. In few min
utes she was completely enveloped in
flames. Twenty-one persons are believed
to be lost, including many of the crew
The steamboat j. M. White passed the
wreck and took the remaining passengers
and crew to Vicksburg. Scrawlings and
Smith, pilots were both burned and other
wise hurt. The fire. it is supposed, origi-
mated III the pantry room. So rapidly did
the flames spread that it was impossible
for passengets or officers to save anything
except what they had on at the time.
Captain W. S. Cannon states that the
steamer is owned by the estate of his
father, Capt. John w. Cannon, and her
commander, Capt. VIM. Campbell. She
was valued at $1OO,OOO; insured for $780,
900, mostly in local companies
The crew was composed almost en-
tirely of men who had been
on the river twenty or thirty years. The
boat, besides the supply pumps, had a new
fire pump with fourteen inch cylinder,
and 700 feet of hose. There were always
three watchmen on deck
SAVED.
The following passengers were saved:
Thos. j. Spain, Tensas, La; G. H. Chap
man, of the steamer Naomi; G. O'Rourke.
New Orleans; j. M. Farnum, st. Louis;
Mrs. Abrahamson, Chicago; Henry Mason,
Monroe, La, j. G. Sloth, New York; Il. w.
Neefus, New York; j. M. Friedman. Vicks-
burg; j. B. Bertner, Easton, Pa, ". W.
Irish, Carlisle, ILL.,; J. II. Ludwigson, New
Orleans; Mrs. Searls, Vicksburg; lady with
eight children, name unknown.
The States says: "The announcement
of the destruction by fire of that grand old
steamboat, the Robert E. Lee, will be heard
with universal sorrow. The champion of
the Mississippi waters, the favorite of all
the people from New Orleans to Vicks-
burg, and named after the greatest of he
roes and statesmen, her destruction Just at
the beginning of the cotton season and
after having undergone a thorough over
hauling, will be a serious blow to her own
ers as we'll as to the trade in which the Lee
has been so long and SO faithfully en-
gaged.''
THK SURVIVORS.
Whenever survivor was seen on 3he
street Immediately ia large crowd
would gather around eager to
learn whatever he knew of the sad oc-
eurrence. A number were seen with their
80
were in considerable pain, while others
were not so badly hurt. Mr.. Ovice Bell,
second clerk of the Lee, who was up at
the time the accident occurred states: Il
never saw anything burn so quick. ]
was aft at the time, and when I heard
the alarm, knowing my partner
who sleeps soundly and the other Of
fees were in the Texas and in great dan.
ger, I rushed to awaken them. The fire
followed me so fast that by the time had
them all up my partner had his hair sing
ed in getting down stairs from the hurri-
cane roof, and was forced to climb ovel
the rail- The boat had just been freshly
painted, and she went like gunpowder
Mr. Bell, passenger, who was interview
ed, thinks the fire originated in the pastry
rooms of the cook house, though don
e,"said the former, what fire was doing
in there so early, as the cooks are not call
ed before o'clock"
Mrs. Dan Searls, with heroic presence O.
mind and motherly devotion, grasped he
sleeping infant, and arraying life pre-
server i'll her state room about her person
Jumped bodily IL the water. b. disar
rangement of her life preserver, she wa:
thrown upon her back, and lost her grasl
upon the child. Capt. Campbell and tn
surviving officers all leave by tonight
train for New Orleans They will bring
out the Ed Richardson in place of the Lee
Tuesday.
New ORLEANS, Sept. 80, 11:43 p. m.-
The Picoyune's IVicksburg special says
The Lee had on leaving here about Al!
bales of cotton and she took on some few
more at landings below, and about 81
bales from small cotton seed boat. s,
when burned she had about 512 bales; ais
large cargo of boots and shoes ant
dry goods re-shipped by the Y. & NJ. r. R
from points north and east to Natchez. an
i