Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-31

river. Alter breaking loose, sent up one OF
the coal men to get the government boat
Wheeler to follow the boat down and see If
they could not get some passengers. he
Wheeler followed the wreck up, but picked
up no people. | also sent skiffs down after
the boat. After that / walked up town in
my bare feet and bought a pair OF shoes,
and went up to the Woodson and hired a
white man and a negro with their yawl to
follow down and see If there we're any pas
sengers on shore. then went down where the
wreck lay. Before leaving l tried to charter
the Overton to go TO the wreck, but there
being no captain there l started down in the
yawl. After going down ahead of the Over
ton, she came on down TO land the ice barge
that broke loose. Then / got on the Overton
and came up to the wreck and found nothing
but two hog-chain braces sticking up, and
the boat was in about twenty feet of water
| didn't see any traces of any bodies. The
pilot, Briee Purcell, remained at his post as
long as he could with the flame shooting up
each side of him, and finally escaped
through the forward end. | h we got Mr..
Moore, the diver, TO go down tomorrow on a
tug and see if he can find any of the bodies.
THE PILoT's STORY.
Mr. Brice Purcell, ST., wss at the wheel,
and states that the alarm was first given him
from the engine-room through the trumpet;
that he Immediately headed the boat for the
shore, with full head of steam on. She
struck the coal barges and rebounded. He
held her steady and struck again. He thinks
that not more than three minutes transpired
from the time the alarm was given through
the trumpet until the pilothouse was envel-
oped in fame and smoke. As soon as he
found she was steady against the boat he
made his escape from the pilothouse by
climbing over the wheel and breastboard
down on to the roef of the texas, thence TO
the hurricane roof, and then to a barge
below, in the last jump slightly strain
ing his right ankle. His son, Joe Pur-
cell. who was the other pilot, was aslee
in his quarters in the texas. Another son,
Brice Purcell, jrS, who is steersman, had but
a few moments before gone down into the
cabin to make out his pilots report, and
when the alarm was sounded he began kick
ing open doors and otherwise alarming the
passengers, finally calling at his brothers
door, waking everybody up he could. The
two brothers then went on the hurricane
roof to call their father, when they met him
and all escaped by jumping into the barge.
Mr.. Purcell states that the chimneys OF the
boat fell Just as he made his leap from the
roof into the barge.
Mr.. Purcell states that the second engi-
neer, Robert j. Kelly, stood 10 his post and
promptly responed to signals until the boat
heard from. The deckhand states that he
saw Kelly shut eff the throttle and make for
the outer guards, and thinks that he at
tempted to jump on one of the bargea, but
missed and went overheard, or was struck by
falling timbers and knocked overheard, the
confusion was so greatit was impossible to
tell. 1t is only known that he lost his life
at the post of duty. Mr.. Purcells hair was
singed and he had a small burn on his neck.
THE FIRST CLERKS TALE.
Mr.. w. F. Mcintyre, the first clerk, states
that he retired about IL o'clock last night,
his room being the fourth one aft the clerks
office, and was awakened between and
o'clock by the cry of "Firew At first he
paid but little attention, but on its repetition
he arose, put on his pants and shoes, and
came out into the cabin, which was full OF
smoke. He rushed out on the boiler-deck
calling out for everybody to come forward
he did not attempt to go down the steps, but
ran to the side guards and succeeded in
getting on the swinging stage; he saw lady
with child under each arm; he took one
from her and passed it to the head engineer,
Mike Kelly, father of the second engineer,
who got safely to shore with it.; the woman
also succeeded in getting ashore with her
child; her name is Mrs. Butler. Captain
.McIntyre, the clerks brother, got down on
the forecastle and passed the line to some
men on the barge; they made fast to the bits,
but the sursing OF the boat pulled
the bits out and the boat drifted
away from the barge, but closely hugging
the shore. The clerk states that he cue
ceeded in reaching the shore from the stage
plank, and Immediately ran along the shore
urging skiffmen to go out and assist in cav
ing the people. He was aided in this by
Denie O'Neill and Captain Rice, mate of the
Anchor-Line wharfboat. He saw some men
down at the icehouse ship, who seemed paral-
yzed with fear, but after recovering they did
good service with their boats. The clerk
states that not book or scrap was saved
from the Office. He says that the Golden
City had between 500 and 600 tons of freight
aboard, principally 1000 barrels of creosote,
several bales of jute, and about thirty tors of
cotton seed meal and oil, the latter taken on
at Friars Point. His statement about the
origin OF the IRE is no more clear than the
rumors sfloat, except conirmatory of care
lessness on the part of the Waterman. The
boat carried a crew of about sixty persons,
including the officers, all of whom, except
ing Kelly, the second engineer, the two
chambermaids, one named Mary Boyd, of
Cincinnati, and Amanda Atkinson, of Padu-
cab, and one colored rouster, were saved
The chambermaids were both colored, and
sisters. Both were widows, each leaving
three children. Stoves circus and menagerie
were taken on at Vidalia, opposite Natchez,
consisting of twenty people, six cages of
animals, several horses and loose animals.
OF the fifteen people all were saved but five
Mr.. Stowe, his wife and two children, and
Mr.. Kronk, side-show man. All the ami
mails in cages were lost.
MOST TERRIBLE ORDEAL.
Perhaps the most painful incident in the
whole course of the reporters experience
yesterday was an interview by one of the
guild with Miss Ionia Mastin. The reporter
learned that she had been kindly taken in
and cared for by Mr.. William B. Mcclure
at his residence, No. 455 Shelby street.
Thither the newspaper man directed his
steps last night, and was, after some little
hesitation, permitted to interview the lady.
Miss Mastin was so Frustrated by the terrible
ordeal she had passed through that she had
to take to her bed. The reporter
found her there, with several mem
bers of Mr.. McGuire's family, and she was
in a fever almost. The reporters heart al
most failed him, and he apologized for his
intrusion. The lady, however, expressed her
willingness, between her violent sobs, to tell
everything she knew regarding the disaster.
my mother, Mrs. Percival Mastin, and l."
she said, occupied the same room, and we
IRE fast asleep when we distinguished the
voices of the deck hands shouting fire. My
mother leaped from bed first, and 1 second.
My nephew, Willie Mckinley, came to our
room and offered to take US away. He took
my arm and rushed me off before could re-
sist. On the way the thick smoke blinded
me and rendered me almost senseless. l
could not tell what was going on. l
felt perfectly hopeless, as the smoke
had nearly suffoeated me. How l got out
into the open air | hardly know. l was then
too Mortified to tell anything. Suddenly it
flashed across me that my mother was not
with me, aud l wanted to go back, but was
prevented by Willie. 1 was told that they
were taking off passengers on the stern of
the boat, and that she was safe there. Being
assured of this, | allowed myself to be lifted
off the boat by Willie and kind gentleman
named Mr.. Charles Ross. If l had known
my poor mother was in such peril / should
have gone back, for life seems very dreary to
ME now. Oh, my poor mother" She tossed
to and fro in the bed, and the re-
porter retired, thinking ne had no right to
lntrude further on that sacred grief.
COAL KINGS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Bryan, of Bryan & Co., owners of the
tug Oriole and the barges against which the
burning boat landed, states his losses
at about $1,000. The tug was about
fifteen years old. Captain Napoleon
McNeely, in command of the tug; Mr.. Pres
colt, the engineer, the dsckhand and the
barely escaped with their lives
from the tug when the boat struck her. A
steampipe was broken, and the explosion
was heard for miles away; and the rushing