The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-04-06
APPALLING STEAMBOAT CALAMITY.

APPALLlNG SrEAMBUAT CALAMITY.
The Golden City Burned and Thirty.
Five Lives Reported Lost.
Twsnty-One Women and SIX ChilAren
Fall Victims.
The steamer Golden City, of the Southern
Company Line, took fro and
burned to the waters edge when approaching
the wharf at Memphis on the morning Of
March 30. The fire was discovered by the
second engineer, Robert Kelly, who immediately
notified Capt. Brice Purcell, ST., the pilot on
watch. The boats bow was at once headed
for the shore, and in four minutes afterward
she touched the wharf at the foot Of Scale
street, where . coal fleet was moored. A line
was hastily thrown and made fast to one of the
coal barges, but the current being swift 1t soon
parted and, burning, the steamer Aoated on
down the river, mass Of flames, with many
of her passengers and crew aboard, who were
unable to reach the shore, and we're lost.
The Golden City carried crew Of about
sixty. She had aboard forty cabin passengers,
fifteen Of whom were ladies and nine children.
Her cargo consisted of. 300 tons, among which
was . lot Of jute. The fire bad its origin In
this oombustible material. The books Of the
steamer were lost, so it is impossible to gather
. complete list of the lost and saved. AL the
officers Of the steamer are safe, except the SEC
ond engineer, Robert Kelly. He remained at
his post of duty until cut on by the flames, fos
the fire spread like ightning, and he sacrificed
his life to save others. Nearly al the cabin
and deck crew of the steamer saved themselves.
Marion Purcell, one Of the pilots, was in the
clerks Office when the alarm frst sounded, and
he rushed through the cabin, bursting in the
state-room doors, awaking the passengers.
Brice Purcell, the pilot, msde his escape by
climbing over the front Of the pilot-house, as
the fire was all in the rear Of him when the
steamer touched the wharf. So rapidly did the
flames spread that within i've minutes after the
discovery Of the fre which broke ont amid
ship, the aft part of the steamer WAS ali ablase.
Those that were saved had to fee in their night
clothes.
The fire was caused by the watchaan acci-
dentally setting fire to . lot Of jute which was
stored amidship the steamer. She had Just
whistled to land, and the watchman went
among the deck passengers to notify them that
Memphis was being approached, and those that
were destined for that place must get ashore.
Pat Haley and Mike O'Donnell, the two ffemen
who were on watch, say they saw the negro
Captain Of the watch, named Wash, with his
lamp in his hand looking for some of the deck
crew, and it was from the lamp that the fire
caught the iute stored in the center Of the
steamer, and as quick - fash spread to either
side Of the steamer and up to the cat in. Haley
ran up stairs to notify the chief engineer, but
by the time he reached the hurricane deck the
flames had mounted almost to the pilot house,
md hA driv haa1r h@v tho Hra ia
rang the alarm bell, and, seeing the boat was
approaching the shore, ran down the forward
stairs and jumped on board the tug Oriole Just
as the Golden City struck her. Seeing tho tug
was sinking he sprang aboard tho steamer
again, and made his way to the coal barge
lying along the side. 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.
Felix Lahman, who was 8 passenger, says
there was merry party aboard, and nearly Ill
the passengers remained up until midnight.
They had one or two gentlemen aboard who
played the piano, and they entertained the
passengers with music and singing. He was
awakened by having his stateroom bursted in
and hearing the cry of fire. Seizing his clothes
he ran forward and reached tho barge Just in
time, as the next minute the vessel foated down
the stream. %
A man named Butler, who was on the i'll
fated steamer with his wife and three children,
had the most thrilling escape of all. He
dragged his wife and children out into the
cabin, to the head of the stairway, up which
the flames rushed in grand volume, cutting
of escape by that means. Butler saw . man
standing on the swinging stngeplank, and
called out to catch his babies. The man stood
firm, and Butler threw the two youngest
children, one at a time, into his arms, and put
them in places Of safety. He then help his vito
to . spar, down which they slid to the deck and
all escaped.
Stoves Circus was taken aboard 1T vidalis.
Louisiana, and six cages of animals and birds,
together with ticket and band wagon, tents
and horses, were lost. The circus was en- ro,tts
for Cairo, where the spring season was to be
opened. Among the circus horses lost was tho
noted Selma. The trick horses promptly
obeyed the calr Of the keeper and sprang
ashore. A buffalo broke his halter and dashed
through the crowd to the bank every hair was
burned from his hide, behaving passed through
the fire. a bear, which escaped, swam to .
skin in mid stream and climbed in. The skiff-
man was in doubt whether to swim for 1t or to
remain, and as the bear quietly laid down, he
buckled to his oars and pulled his strange pas
senger ashore, where the circus people took
chargeof it. Mrs. Stowe, wife Of the proprie-
tor Of the show, was lost. She was formerly
Lizzie Marcellus, once Barnum's greatest at-
fractions. J. b. Crouk, of the side show, was
lost. John g. Glenroy, of Philadelphia, tho
animal keeper Of the show, was iying asleep
under one Of the cages when the fre tsske out,
and escaped by springing ON barge.
The following is . correct list Of the lost, 20
far rs names can be reported:
DR.. Monahan and wife, Of Jackson, Ohio.
Mrs. Crarey, of Fremont, near Cincinnati.
Miss Luella Crary, Winton Place, near Gin
oinnat. $3.50
Ollie Wood and wife, Rising Sun, Indiana.
Mrs. Anna Smith, Massachusetts,. -
Mrs. Helen Perceval, Hawesville, Kentucky
Mrs. L. Kouns and three children.
Miss Campbell, a relative of Mrs. Kouns.
Robert Kelley, second engineer. 81
Mary Boyd and Amanda Atchison, chamber
maids.
| J. @. Crone, owner Of side show to Stowe
Three of the deck crew (colored), and ne
gro boy, servant of w. Il. Stowe.
Miss Ionia Matson, of Hawesville, KY, on
of the three lady passengers saved, in an in
tervicw, tells the following touching story o
her experience Of the disaster.
She was going from New Orleans to he
home, Hawesville, in company with he
mother, Mrs: H. N. Percival, and her nephew
VIM. Mckinley, lad of seventeen years
There had been a merry party in the cabin
and she and her mother retired after IL O'Clock
Some time after they had fallen asleep, Oh
could not tell how long, they were awakepe,
by Mckinley, who rushed into the stateroon
mother got up without waiting to dress them
selves and went out into the cabin. which wa
full Of smoke. They walked hurriedly fol
ward, her mother little behind. On arrivin
at the front guard of the boat she saw that he
mother was not with her, and attempted to rul
back after her, but was prevented by Mckinley
who said it would only be her own destruction
The cabin was then . mass Of flame and smoke
"Oh thought she was with u.s." moaned th
girl, tossing wildly on the couch where she lay
81 wanted to go back to her, but he would no
let me- .s-.-.
The accent Of utter dispair and remorse tha
marked the words would have touched tn
hardest heart. Becoming more composed, sh
said her nephew pulled her ont on the guards
and lowered her down to Mr.. Chas. Ross, jr
passenger standing on the coal barge, VIII
received her in his arms and took her ashore
James Meyers says he WAS travelling Mort
| NI,.- rr..ln,,o,, W. ua tried