The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-07-14
RIVER HORROR.
sinking Of AN Excursion steamer on
the Ohio Rivcr-Heartrending LOSE
Of Life.

sinking Of an Excursion Steamer On
the Ohio Rivcr-Heartrending Loss
Of Life.
From Pittsburgh papers We CLEAN the follow
ing particulars Of the terrible disaster at Mingo
Junction. on the Ohio river, on the 4th OF
July: The Scioto a sidewheel steamer run
ming between Wheeling and Matamoras, had
been ON an excursion to Moundsville, under
the auspices of the Wellsville Cornet Band, and
had left East Liverpool about 2 o'clock a. m.'
taking 200 passengers aboard there. AT Wellsyille
about 800 or 400 more got aboard, with band,
loading the boat TO the guards with mass OF
men y5omen and children. The steamer landed
at Steubenville between 8 and 10 O'Clock, and
refused to take any passengers there. although
several men and boys managed TO Chamber over
the guards. She went on To Moundsvllle, and,
returning in toe evening, had reached point
inst above Cross creek, on the West virginia
side of tue river, when she met the John Lomas
coming down in the middle OF the stream. The
latter n n small stern-wheel boat, which Plies
between Wheeling and Martins Ferry, and had
been to Steubenvie with an excursion Of about
200 people from the latter place 1t was about
$40 o'clock when she came in sight OF the Sci
otto. The clouds had mostly blown away and
il was quite light on the river. The Tomas APP
pears TO have siSnaled first, according to regu-
few minutes the Scioto responded with two, and
made for the middle of the river. The Lomas
then gave two whistles, but the boats kept COM
ing closer and closer toge her. Orders were
given to back the engines, but it was too late to
do any good The boats came together with a
tremendous crash, the Tomas striking the
Scioto on the larboard, or left-hand side, just
about the ash-box tearing into her guards and
making large hole in the hull, through which
she began taking water at rapid rate.
As may be imagined, the confusion OH board
was terrible. The number OF women and chill
dren on board was especially large, and as the
boat began to settle at once the scene was
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS looking for their chill
dren and vice versa, husbands for their wives
and wives for their husbands, and prayers
and cries filed the air. The ofhcers, TO their
credit, tried TO keep the people cool, with the
usual result in such cases-nobody paid
much attention to them. The boat
began going down at oAce, and In three min
utes there was five feet OF water In the cabin
Those on the lower deck (not less than fifty Ia
number) began jumping INTO the river, and the
example was contagious. Many followed them
like flock of sheep, while others more cool
made their way to the hurricane roof where
there was safety as long as 1t would hold up
under the weight. There were dozen or If
teen men lying drunk on the lower deck, ana
all were doubtless hurried into eternity
without warning. The river seemed black
with human beings and debris of all kinds, and
it will be days at least before the full extent OF
the disaster is known. There were three boats
on the Scioto, and they were at once lowered
In the excitement the first was overcrowded
and swamped, but it is believed that none OF
the inmates were lost. The other two boats
were managed better, and did good work in
rescuing passengers. The Lomas was not
much damaged by the accident. and, after
landing her crowd on the West Virginia shore,
returned TO the help of those on the hurricane
deck OF the Scioto 1t required the greatest
care in doing this work, first TO avoid turning
over the Scioto, and second, 10 avoid rush
from the Scioto to the Tomas, which might
have been fatal. -Four trips were made, and
those on the boat were finally landed on the
Ohio shore.
The loss Of life cannot yet be ascertained.
There was no registry of the passengers, and
the loss can only be determined by the failure
OF the missing TO come home. Fourteen bod
les have been recovered up TO this writing, and
thirty-three are known to be missing. The
total loss will exceed 100 The crowd in the
boat was certainly not less than 500, and proba-
bly, numbered 600 or 700.