Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-31
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Burning of a Steamer on the River
at Memphis.
MANY PERSONS, CUT OFF FROM
ESCAPE, PERISH IN THE
FLAMES.
Loss of Stoves Circus.

Los. of stoves Circus.
MEMPHIS. March so.
The Cincinnati and New Orleans packet
Golden City, en- route from New Orleans to
Cincinnati, was burned at the wharf this
morning. Between thirty and fifty lives were
lost, principally women and children.
SECOND DISPATCH.
Steamer Golden City, when approaching
the wharf this morning, at T. 30, WAS discov-
cred to be on fire by the second engineer.
The boats bow was at once headed for the
shore, and in four minutes afterwards she
touched the wharf at the foot of Beale street.
where a coal fleet is moored.
A line was made fast 10 one of the coal
barges, but the current being swift. il soon
parted and the burning steamer foated down
river, with many of the passengers ABOARD.
who were unable to reach the shore, and
were lost
The Golden CITY left New Orleans Satur-
day, en- route 20 Cincinnati She carried
crew of about so. She had 40 cabin passen-
gers, fifteen of whom were ladies, and nine
were children.
Her cargo consisted of 800 tons, among
which was lot Of jute. The fire is said to
have had its origin in this material.
hu1OHR tnOse kHDWu W nave UctH iOst. III.
Monohan and wife, OF Jackson, Ohio; Mrs.
Crazy and Miss Lulu Crazy of Cincinnati;
W. II Stowe, wife and Two children; Ollie
Wood and wife. Of Henderson, KY; Mrs.
Anna Smith, of Massachusetts Miss Camp
bell, Mrs. Helen Percival, Mrs. L. f. kounz
and three children. The books of the steam
er were lost. so it is impossible to gather a
complete list of the lost and saved. All the
officers of the steamer except the second en-
gineer. Robert Kelley, escaped He firstdis-
covered the fire, gave the alarm and re-
manned at his post until cut off by the flames.
The fire spread like lightning and he sacri-
feed his life to save others.
The saved, SO far as known, are Capt. S.
c. Mcintyre, first clerk w. F. Mcintyre,
second clerk, James Wirthlin, third clerk
Frank Stern, mate ID. Bondurant, pilots
Bruce Purcell, Marion Purcell and Joseph
Purcell, first engineer Mike Kelley, Miss
Marston, Willie Mckinley, of Housewife,
Ky. James Myers, of New Orleans; Charles
Ross. E. c. Underwood, of St. Louis; H. b.
Howell, Of Philadelphia: Robert f. Ellbrick,
treasurer of Stoves circus; John ii. Ire.
walla, business agent; Burt Stowe, brother
of the proprietor; Frank Stowe, James
Swift, John Filbert, John Mullan, J. C..
Kumpel. John G. Glenroy, James Bloom
field, James Burke-all members of Stoves
fuCus3 W - ctWttt, VI Itttsdut Otit, w .
Va. Geogre w. Green, of Richmond: o. A.
Is. Veatch, of Evansville, Ind X. II. Chit
tenden. of Carrsville, Ky, W. H. Carruthers
and j. B. Jordan, of Ripley, Tenn. Nearly
all the cabin and deck crew of the steamer
saved themselves.
Stoves circus was taken on board at
Vidalia, La, and six cages of animals and
birds, together with the ticket and tand
wagons, tents and hoses were lost Marion
Purcell, one of the pilots, was in the clerk g
office when the alarm was first sounded, and
he rushed through the cabin, bursting the
stateroom doors and awakening the passen-
gers. SO rapidly did the flames spread that
within five minutes after the discovery Of the
fire, which broke amidship, the after part OF
the steamer was all ablaze. Those who were
saved had to flee in their night clothes. When
the burning steamer touched the wharf, the
fire was communicated to coal barge and
tug, which were also burned.
THIRD DIsPATcH
| As near as can be ascertained there were
twenty three ladies aboard the lost steamer,
but at present no additional news can be
| learned.
Robert Kelly, second engineer. and three
deck hands are the only ones of the boat s
| crew known 10 be lost. passenger named
| Bloomfield was saved. The fire was caused
by the Waterman accidentally setting fire to
lot of jute stored amidships.
The steamer had just whistled to land, and
| the Waterman went among the deck passen-
gers to notify them that Memphis was being
approached. and those that were destined
| for that place must get ashore. The bottom
of his lamp dropped into some jute and be
fore the flames could be extinguished they
| had spread all over the deck of the steamer.
The tug did not burn, as at first reported,
but was sunk by the burning steamer. In
| making the landing several coal barges and
an ice boat caught fire and were burned.
| All the passengers and crew were kindly
cared for by &. B. Galloway of Peabody Ho-
tel, who provided them with breakfast.
FOURTH DISPATCH.
Two negro deck hands and white deck
passenger were killed when the tug was
| struck as they were caught between the bow
| of the boat and the side of the tug. Anna
Boyd, the colored chsmbermaid, and the as
sistant. were both lost. NJ. J. Whelan, the
baker, saws he jumped overheard from the
stearn of the steamer AZ she hoated down the
| stream. There were about ten men on the
| fan tail of the boat who must have been
drowned as he saw them leap into the, river
He saw three men go overheard and drown.
Others must have shared the same fate. The
body of an elderly white woman was found
| floating near the wreck but her identity is not
| yet proven. Those mentioned as being at the
hospital are ali injured by burns, but M,
seriously. The passengers lost their cloth
ing.
| DESCRIPTION OF THE STEAMER.
| CINCINNATI, March 80.
| The Golden City was one Of the hes,
equipped steamers plying between Cincinnati
and New Orleans. Government Inspectors
say she was extraordinarily well supplied with
every modern appliance calculated to the
calamity which has befailen her. She wa-
1854 feet long. 10 feet beam and 6 feet 4