The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-04-01
Thirty-Five Lives Supposed to he Lost.
List Ofthe Lost, the Injured and
the Saved.
Stoves Circus, With Tent, Wild
Animals, Wagons and Horses
Destroyed.
as Related by Those Who Wit
messed the Terrible
Calamity.
ANOTHER SOUTHERN DISASTER.

Burning of the steamer ''Golden City"
at Memphis - Thirty-five Persons Lost,
Mostly Women and Children.
First Dispstch.l
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 30.-The Cincin-
natl and New Orleans packet Golden City,
en- route from New Orleans to Cincinnati,
burned at the wharf this morning, at 4:30
o'clock. Between thirty and fifty lives were
lost, principally women and children.
(Second Dispatch.l
MEMPHIS. March 30.-The steamer Golden
City" of the Sou thern Transportation Com
pany's line, when approaching the wharf
this morning at 4: 80 o'clock. was discovered
to be on fire By the second engineer, Robert
Kelly, who Immediately notified Captain
Bryce 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 Beale street. where
a coal fleet is moored. A line was thrown
and made fast to one of the coal barges. but
the current being swift, it soon parted and
the burning steamer foated on down the
river a mass of flames, with many of her
passengers and crew aboard who were unable
to reach the shore aud were lost.
The Golden City left New Orleans last Sat-
urday. en- route to Cincinnati. She carried a
crew OF about sixty She bad about forty
cabin passengers. fifteen of whom were ladies
and nine children. Her cargo consisted of
300 tons, among which was lot of jute.
rhe fire is said to have had its origin in this
embustible material.
STOVES CIRCUS AND ANIMALS LOST.
Stoves circus was taken aboard at Vida
lia La and six cages of animals, birds, to-
gether with the ticket and band wagon. tents
and horses were lost.
SPREAD OF THE FLAMES.
Marion Purcell, one of the pilots, was in
the clerks office when the alarm was sound.
ed and'rushed through the cabin. bursting
in the state room doors and awakening
passengers But so rapidly did the flames
spread that within five minutes after discov
eriDg the fire, which broke out amidship,
he after part of the steamer was all ablaze
Those that were saved had to flee in theil
night clothes.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
| As near as can be ascertaned there were
twenty.three ladies aboard the ill-fated
/ " VI. ~
| II. Crank connected with Stoves circus. is
| missing; supposed he is lost John Devouse
| his wife and three children were saved
| and are at hs City Hospital; also Simon
| Black. Mr.. Devouse is slightly burned or
the hand.
The Golden City" was five years old
| cost 54 600, insured for $4,000 in Cincin
natl offices. She was owned by Captain }
| d. Higher, w. L. Mcintyre and 1. c. Nc
| Iptvra Che liaS Supk abOut three lilies he
| low here, in the chute near the TENNESSEE
shore When she foated from the whar
| about twenty of her passengers and crew
| jumped aboard barge, which floated dowr
| the stream, but they were rescued by one o
| the harbor boats, which towed the barg'
into shore one mile below the city. 1t is es
mated that thirly-five lives we're lost by th'
| disaster. but at present no additional name
can be learned. Robert Kelly, second en-
gneer, and three roustabouts ale the onl.
ones of the boats crew that are known to b
| lost. John Dreffer, steward: Pete Dreffer
cook; John Lamb, second cook; Billy Lux
ford, pastry co *; Mart Whalen, mess room
tender John Hill, second mate; Charlie
Harvey. second watchman, and passenge
named Bloomfield were saved.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The fire was caused by watchman acc
dentally setting fire to a lot of jute whic
was stored amidship the steamer. She ha
just whistled to land, and the watchmal
| went among the deck passengers to nOtlf
them that Memphis was being approached
and those that were destined for here mus
get ashore. The bottom of his lamp droppe
| IN some jute, and before the flames could q
extinguished, spread all over the deck of ii
steamer Bryce Purcell, the pilot made h
escape by climbing over the front of the oil'
house, as the fire wss all in the rear of hi
1 L Al
tug Oriole did not burn, as first reporte'
out vas sunk by the burning steamer
. making the laMdng Several coal barg
and ice boats belonging to Bohlen, Huse
TO. caught on fire and burned. Bill
Hodge, pilot on the Dean Adams, saved ii
cook, who jumped overheard as he floate
down stream. All the passengers and ere
| we're kindly cared for by @. B. Galloway,
1 the Peabody Hotel, who provided the
with breakfast
THE FIREMEN's ACCOUNT.
Pat Haley and Mike O'Donovan, the tv
firemen who were on watch, say they Sa
the negro Captain of the watch, name
y WASH with his lamp in hand, looking f
some OF the deck crew. 1t was from b
lamp that the fire caught to the jute stor'
t in the center of the steamer, and quiz
as flash spread to either side of the steam
e and up to the cabin. Haley ran up stairs
It notify the engineer but by the time
$ reached the hurricane deck the flames h
II mounted almost TO the pilot house, and
5 was driven back by the fire. He then raj
the alarm bell, and seeing that the boat "
q approaching the shore, ran down the forwa
II stairs and jumped on board the tug Orio
81 Just as the Golden City struck her. Seei
= that the tug was sinking, he sprang aba
" ~ the steamer again and made his way to t
Is coal barge lying alongside. Two negro de
81 hands and white deck passenger W.
"a killed when the tug was struck as they W,
% caught between the bow of the boat and {
y, side of the tug
s3 Abel Butler. of Donaldsonville, La,
w gether with his wife and child, made tn
II escape from the burning steamer in tn
~ ~ night clothes.
is A. b. Veatch, formerly river reporter
u the Evansville, Ind, Tribune, was on boa
a He remained long enongh to dress hms
~ before leaving his state room.
% J. H. Cronk, owner of the side show
= the circus is supposed TO be lost. His roc
so mate, A. N. Ackeman, dragged him out
az bed to the foot of the stairs through