Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-01
ANOTHER RIVER HORROR.
Burning of the Steamer r. 4. Lee,
on the Mississippi.
Total Destruction of the Boat ana
Terrible Loss of Life.

New ORLEANS. Sept 30.-A special to the
Picayune from Vicksburg says: Inls morn
iuo,at 3 o'clock fire broke out on the steam
ar r E. Lee. while on her trip to this city,
and when about thirty miles below Vicks-
Lnrg resultlng in the total destruction of
the hoat and a terrible loss of hte. The fol-
lowing Is a list persons known to be lost;
Cabin passenger, Mr. Painter, of Maysoitte,
Kv. Mrs. Mcclellan, of New Orleans; Miss
Ada Gus, music teacher, on her way to
Baton Rouge; also an infant OF
Mrs. Searle, of Vicksburg, two colored wo-
men, a fireman, five colored cabin boys,
second and third chambermaIds, one rousta-
bout RardO, the boats's carpenter, William
Mestlnaker, second engineer, and all the
cooks and help except the pastry COOK
The books of the boat, and the United
States mail, together with i've hundred
bales of cotton.
The Lee had Just been oyerhauled and
newly painted and was on her hrst trip tnls
season. She left Vicksbur8 yesterday
evening for New Orleans with 5OO bales OF
cotton and good list of passengers. WhAe
opposite Point Pleasant at $50 a. m., she
was discovered to be on fire and was lmme-
diately headed for the Louisiana shore and
landed at Yucaton plantation, thlr-
ty-hve miles from NicksDurg. In few
minutes she was completely enyeIoped
III flames. Twenty-one persons are believed
TO have been lost, including many OF the
crew. The steamboat j. M. White passed
the wreck about . a. H., and TOOK tine re-
manning passengers and crew to Vlcksburg.
ScraWhus and Robert Smith were both
burned and otherwise hurt. The fire is
supposed to have originated IN pantry
room. 30 rapidly dld the flames spread
that II was IL possible for the passengers or
officers to save anything but what they had
on at the time. Capt w. 5. Cannon
states that the steamer was owned
by the estate of his father, Capt. John W.
Cannon, and her commander, Capt. VIM.
Campbell She was valued at $1,000
and insured for $50, 900, mostly IN local
companies. The crew was composed almost
entirely OF men VINO have been on the river
twenty or thirty years. The boat, besides
her supply pumps, had new fire
pump, with fourteen inch cylinder,
and seven hundred feet base. There were
alWays watCAmen on deck,
The Lee was insured for SIS, 900 III the
H1tna, OF Hartford: 425, 600 each III the Ma
tIonal, Enterprise and MerchanUs'of Clncln-
natl, and e35, 900 in New Orleans com
panles.
The following is list of the passengers
saved: Ihos. ). Apain, Tsnsas, La; q. b.
Chapman, of the steamer NarOmla; Geo.
Banke, of New Orleans; J. n. Farmer st.
LOUIS; Mrs. Abraham, Chicago; Henry Ma
son, Monroe, La; }. G. Slot, New York;
IL. ". Nufus, New York; J. NJ. Fredmon,
Nicksburg, Miss; J. b. Dartfer, Easton, Pa;
". W. English, Carlyle, H.; j. H. Ludwig
Son, New Orleans; Mrs. Seares Vicksburg,
and lady with eight children, name un-
known.
The Lee left this city last Tuesday, the
first trip tor i've months. The announce
ment of the destruction by fire of the grand
old steamboat, Robert L. Lee, will be heard
with universal sorrow the champion of
Mississippi waters and the favorite of all
the people from New Orleans TO Vicksburg,
and named after the greatest of heroes and
statesman, and her destruction Just at the
beginning of the cotton season, and after
having undergone thorough overhauling
viii be serious blow to her owners, as
well as to the trade in which she has so
long and 50 faithfully been engaged.