The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-01-08
A RIVER CATASTROPHE.

GRAND TOWER STRIKES AN OBSTRUCTION
/. AND SINKS WITHIN THREE MINUTES TIME
Two OR THREE LIVES LOST.
At about o'clock Friday night the
steamer Grand Tower, on her way down
Z from St. Louis, ran upon an obstruction in
the river about fourteen miles above this
, city, near Commercial Point, which tore
large hole in Aer bottom and caused her to
sink in about seven feet Of water within
three minutes from the time she struck AS
soon as the great craft struck she halted,
and while yet throbbing with the violent
shock, she settled TO the bottom. The
alarm did not need to be given by any Of
the officers All aboard knew ut once
what had befallen them and there was not
much time for panic. Most of the pass
engers, of whom there were about twenty
five all told, remained quiet. Those on the
boiler deck went up stairs into the cabin,
and were soon followed there by the deck
hands, engineer and fremen. The yAwls
were launched and other life-sayng appa
ratus was gotten ready for use. But in the
meantime a government boat Salvor,
which is engaged near the scene Of the
disaster in raising a sunken barge Of iron,
came to the rescue and many Of the passen.
gers of the Inflated steamer got aboard Of
her The steamer Alice Brown was also
fortunately near at hand and also came i'm
medately to the rescue, taking aboard
passengers and some freight. number
Of passengers were also taken ashore in
yawl, one Of whom was q lady, who had
jumped overheard into the river and was
fortunately picked up and saved. In spite
Of these many means Of salvage it was sup
pOsei that seven lives had been lost from
the deck-all passengers but later re-
ports have reduced the number 10 three or
tour, and dispatch from Captain Lennox,
Of the sunken steamer, who claimed to
have made thorough investigation, stated
yesterday, that all passengers, officers and
crew wer accounted for, excepting two
deck passengers One Of the deck passcn.
gers Of the boat claims however, 10 be
quite sure that three men were lost, one Of
whom was a cripple, having wooden leg.
The surviving passengers were all brought
to this city, from whence they left for their
several destinations Yesterday afternoon
aud night, on the steamers John A. Scud-
der and City Of Helena.
The actual cause OF the accident is not
positively known, and opinions differs ma
terially. 1t is supposed by some that the
boat struck large stump which formerly
protruded above the surface of the water,
so that it could be plainly seen by pilots
and avoided, but that the stump was re-
Gently sawed off by government dredge
boat, so that it was entirely invisible ex-
cept in very low water. Others think that
she struck upon portion of the old barge
of iron, which sunk in that vicinity some
time ago and in the removal of which the
steamer SAlyor has been at work for some
time. The exact location Of the hole in
the bottom of the boat had not been ascer-
tanned yesterday, but from dispatches re.
ceved from Captain Lennoy, it is supposed
to DO near the center in the fore part, The
boat is lying parallel with the bank, PROV
down stream. She settled down very even
Ia, o,I ,os4orJo, Vros lroolipo tittla "a ono
side, allowing the water to wash the boiler
deck at the rear end Ice is coming down
the river in large quantities and in order to
protect her from being cut up by ice,
barge has been fastened along side of her,
which affords all necessary protection. The
opinion generally expressed by men who
have some experience in the raising OF
sunken boats and wrecking generally Is,
that the Grand Tower cannot be raised.
This opinion is based upon tho fact that,
her sinking having been so rapid, her bot
tom must have been too badly torn up.
Upon this point, however, opinion may
change as the condition of the boat be-
comes better known.
The Grand Tower was one of the finest
and most popular water palaces upon the
great western rivers, and she will be much
missed by the travelling public. She cost
originally sixty thousand dollars and was
about twelve years old Her capacity was
between twelve and fourteen hundred tons.
She was not insured.
In Pontiac, Mich, q young lady called
Atthe drug store of Messers. Wells g. Co.,
Tor bottle of st. Jacobs Oil few
days ago. Being asked how it
was liked she replied that ii
had cured her mother of Rheuma-
tism, and whenever any Of the family had
IN ache or pain, st. Jacobs Oil was imme.
Iipfplv anplinl al