Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-06-05
A CAPTAINS GOODNESS.
ALMOST a FEIGHHr'CL CATASTROPHE.

ALMOST a FEIGHr,"CL CATASTROPHE.
How Prompt Action Saved the Lives Of Sew
cral Hundred People in q Mississippi
sreamer-News ofthe Day.
The steamer R. r. Springer, of the /
New Orleans and Cincinnati line, went up |
the Mississippi river on Saturday with 26O
students of Nelson's business school Of
both sexes, mostly persons of nearly ma |
ture years, on picnic to Parker's grove,
about fourteen miles up the Ohio river.
The steamer, returning, arrived near the |
The river is nearly forty feet high and q
strong wind was blowing. The steamer
had to lower her chimneys to get under
the bridge. Captain Hart was at the
wheel. There was some delay in lowering
the chiinDeys on account OF imperfect work
ing machinery. The strong wind from the
north struck the boat, which was high on
the water on account of light load. The
captain saw the boat was drifting so as to
strike the edge of the bridge pier amid
ship. lie saw at glance the peril Of the
position. 1t was too late TO back against
a strong current and powerful gale. He
ordered on all the stear, possible and
dashed ahead. The starboard side of the
steamer struck the pier. All the passen
gers who we're on the upper deck were
jostled and many thrown on their faces.
The passengers rushed pell-mell to the
boiler deck and huddled together. The
steamer grazed the pier, crushing her
smith shop, barber shop, mess house,
wheel house and wheel. A signal of dis
trcsS was thrown out. The boat flOated
help!essly down the stream and struck the
coal barges mooIed below, wrecking one
so that the coal was thrown into the river
to save the barge. The passengers all
scrambled of. on to the coal fleet without
injury except in torn clothing. scratched
hands and faces and slight bruises to some
Of them. There was 4 panic at the mo-
nent, but no one jumped overheard. The
time between striking the pier and colIid-
ing with the coal fleet was very brief,
which was a fortunate circumstance. 1t
was very narrow escape from a frightful
casualty. Two seconds hesitation of the
captain at the wheel would have been
equivalent to cutting the boat in two and
losing the lives of nearly all Oh board.
Fatal Explosion IA Wisconsin.
Tue boiler o! an engine at Norrie, Wis,
exploded killing the fireman, Henry Hop
kins, blowing the engineer. name un-
known, to atoms, fatally hurting Fred.
Otto, and iniurins four others SO severely
that there are doubts of their recovery.
Trying; :" Xiii His Aunt With TOngs.
A recently liberated peniteL.tiary con-
vict, named Edward Deniers, attempted
to murder his aunt, Mrs. BONN, in Mon
treal, by striking her three times on tho
head with pair of tongs. The scoundrel
escaped, but the police are on his track.
The woman cannot recover.
Tho Packer Memorial Building.
The Sarah Mr. Packer memorial parish
Sunday school building of st. Mark IS
Episcopal church. Mauch Chunk, built by
the widow Of Asa Packer at a cost of $50,
600, was presented to tho church on her
behalf 10y her son, Robert A. Packer, of
Sayre, Pa.
Arresting COuHterfeiters 1T Mitftin.
Several arrests have recently been made
by detectives who aie operating in Ju.
niata cGInty with q view Of breaking up
the gang Of cOEIitc letters and barn
. burners who iHfest :Gat neighborhOod.
Pretty clear Cviderc L. their participation
in these crint;. has Zen established and
they Sre Low r:-,!2. Naavy bail. On Wed
ncs'iay night last tEout mile south oi
N,il!in. while D.. tive William Ristcr was
fetu!i'iiS. Rome, 10 was Tired upon by
parties concealed :. ambush. fortunately
nc was lot hurt. One 0! the balls, how
ever, passed Il ~oueh the top Of his hat
lie rctur,r1 th' uic, but the would-be
assassin tied. There is a bitter feeling
against ine detectives who are working
the matter up.
Fatal Fight i;etween Women.
a terrible fight took place in St. Paul's
township, N. c., between two women, on
account ola young man. which resulted
IN Francis McNair piunging a dirk knife
into Jane Mckellar's s heart. They Tough,
each other like tigrcsses, and the Mckcllal
girl had nearly succeeded in choking Mis-.
McNair to death when the latter, with a
final effort, released herself, and stabbed
her opponent and then swooned across th'
body.