Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-12-07
FIFTEEN LIVES LOST.
TIE HAVOC DONE BY ESCAPING STEAM

FIFTEEN LIVES LOST.
rnEHAvoc uuNE BIZ ESCAPING STEAM
Explosion OF - EOiler in Steamboat Near
New Orloans-Passengcrs aud Crew
Sca!ced to Death.
At 6 o'clock Wednesday morning the
steam propeller Morning Star exploded
her boilers near Bellair plantation. not far
from New Orleans. Fifteen lives were
lost and four persons SO badly scalded that
their lives are despaired OF. The boat
was about one hundred yards from the
shore at the time, and II persons Jumped
overheard. OF these 10 were drowned,
while three, the engineer, Mark Penny
witt. boilermaker named John Ryan,
and white man whose name is not
known, (tke two latter passengers), were
saved. The engineer was very badly
scalded, as was also Ryan, but the other
was unhurr. Of those who were scalded
and taken off the boat by the
steamboat Sunbeam, two died en-
route to New Orleans. A negress named
Nancy Garduer, from Farview plantation,
and boy one year old. named Joseph
Simoderin, whose parents reside cn the
lower coast, and who was going to the
| city with his uncle Fraites OH visit to his
grandparents. The Sunbeam reached New
| Orleans about II o'clock, and the accident
soon became generally known along the
levee. Capt. O'Neil and Corp. Lynch were
on the plank soon after the stage-plank
was launched ashore, and upon learning
that a number Of the wounded were
abroad telegraphed for charity wagon to
convey them to the hospital.
/ oG <I>>, sAk:
still alive were frightful to behold. Holt
was writhing in agony on a mattress on
the after part Of the lower deck of the
still living ard suite.i!.:; colored
woman Sarah Young and the poor
boy William Fr.;tes. The engineer,
Mark Pennywi:i, WAS i'll tho after cabin
| of tho Sunbeam, as were also James Ryan
and the other white man who had been
scalded, but who escaped ashore with
Ryan. Tho woman, Sarah Young, was
| first carried ashore, then the boy Fraites,
then Holt, and lastly Pennywitt. The
three first named were transported to the
Charity hospital. while the engineer was
conveyed to tho Touro infirmary. Half
an hour after reaching the Charity hospi-
tai Sarah Young died in Ward No. 80,
and at O'Clock the boy Fraites also died.
They had been shockingly scalded, as was
also Holt, whose injuries were pronounced
fatal Large flakes of skin and flesh fell
from the legs, arms and bodies of the un-
fortunates, and their terrible agony could
not be alleviated by drugs, as it was i'm
possible to administer opiates. Ryan was
also transferred to the Charity hospital,
but was not seriously injured, and at last
accounts was doing we'll.
Mr.. Frank ScOvell, clerk of the Sun
beam, was interviewed in regard to the
disaster, and stated that at the time the
Sunbeam was about 100 yards ahead of
the Morning Star, both coming up stream.
Suddenly he heard faint rushing noise,
similar to that made by a locomotive
when the driving-wheel slips on the track.
He looked aft and saw a cloud of steam
escaping forward and aft of the Morning
Star, and saw people jumping overheard.
The Sunbeam was rounded to and tho life
boat lowered. There were thirteen per-
sons, as far as he could see, struggling in
tho water, and nine of them sank before
the boat reached them. Four swan toward
the shore. and three Of them reached it alive
but one, the fireman of the Morning Star,
sank and was drowned. The Sunbeam
went to the assistance of those who re-
/
transferred to this vessel and brought to
the city. En- route the officers of the Sum-
beam rendered tho unfortunates every as
as was possible under the circumstances.
The Morning Star was not damaged much
by the explosion, the havoc made in the
lives of the passengers being due to the
escaping steam. How many were scalded
of those who were chronicled is not known
as none of the bodies have been recovered.
AS soon as the accident occurred the
pilot Of the Morning Star headed the boat
ashore, but she struck sand bank aud
grounded few yards from the bank.
Both heads Of the boiler were blown out
simultaneously and the steam escaped
into the cabins fore and aft. Tho boat
was not damaged by tho explosion, and
those in the upper deck escaped injury
altogether. The boat was built at Mason
City, w. Va, in 1880, and was small.
sized, but fast traveller. II. w. Penny
witt was her captain, and lie and his
brother Mark, the engineer, were the
owners. Captain Pennywitt was unhurt.
The doctors are not yet able to pronounce
upon the character of Engineer Penny.
Wits injuries.
| THE 1hESA DENT OE RI 4 SENATE.
Cameron Said to Favor Mylsn-No Quarter
for Independents.
The Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Times tclegraphs as follows
to that journal
The mission Of Senator George Handy
Smith and ex- Register Bum to Washing
ton has been misunderstood by many.
The genial Bum came to take quiet
look over the field rs a probable candidate
!. for sergeant-at- arms to the new Senate.
lie is too discreet to butt against stone
walls, and no will not be candidate if
there shall not be a good show of success
but if the lay shall look promising, he will!
be a candidate. He will be cordially sup
ported by Cameron, and it is probable
that Mitchell will favor him. If the two
Pennsylvania senator's shall unite in favor
, of Bum he will have more than an even
chance to Win the place and all admit that
lie would make an excellent officer.
Senator Smith has not been here look
ing after a district commissionership, as
} has been intimated. He camo to have a
close conference with Cameron, with whom
he is in perfect accord, about the organi-
zatiOn OF the Senate. Cameron is impla-
cably hostile to any recognition of the
Independent senators in Pennsylvania,
and he will not sanction tho proposition to
make Lee president pro tenn. Of. the SEN
ate. He will rally the Stalwarts on either