Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-07-15
THE LOST SCIOTO
HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCIrp
RED.

NED.
Our readers are no doubt already tamil
lar with the particulars of the :bocpil
catastrophe TO the steamer Scioto n.-S
Mingo junction on the night of Tues,i,~
July 4. The narrowing details hsy,,
been graphically and repeatedly recitsd
in the daily press. and each new turn 80
affairs duly heralded. The Scioto u;,h
a party of eXcursionists from East Iya.
pool, Wellsville and other point. m ~.
river, had been at Noundsville. ami r I've
passing Mingo on the return trip. whsn
about p. m, through an as We, me
planned confusion Of signals, she colljJaI
with the John LOOMS, descending win
party of eNarsionlsts from WReelnr
Martins Ferry and other points, WIZ
had been at Browns Island
The first dispatches placed the list q,
drowned at 100 to 10, but shortly af,sr
the accident il was given out that M.
plumber lost would be small. Every d,v
since, however, the list has grown mail
it is scarcely possible that the mumbar
drowned will fall below 100, and 1t m,v
somewhat exceed that number.
Everything went smoothly until aho,,
$50, wher Mingo Junction, three MIL
below Stubenville, was reached. Tbs
boat was loadel 80 heavily That her qpn,
wales were almost in the water. Se,r
MingO, the LoomiS, 4 little packet. owned
by lnglewright Il Co., of Martins Ferry
was sighted coming down the stream with
about seventy-five eXcursionists on boarJ
Signals were exchanged, then the bell In
the engine room of the Srioto rang "a
back water, and the next moment WAS
struck by the Loomis in her quarter deck
fifteen feet back from the deck. Tn.
force Of the collision MAS So great thu, a
large hole WAS torn in the hull of lLs
SciOto, the bow II the IOomis crushing
half way through the cabin. The LOOM,
however. backed oil almost uniniureI.
The Scioto filled rapidly and sank In III.
teen feet OF water Ia less than three min
uteS.
Then enSued scene which il is imroS.
sible 10 describe. Both decks were crowd.
ell with passengers when the boats COL
lided and those on the hurricane deck
were dancing 10 gay music.
on THE WRECK.
Wednesday morning about II O'Clock.
before the boat had been visited bv any
one, spondtnt explored her ~ ,ar
~ possible. \ more siCkcuiug picture ol
dcSolation than ;hat presented by tho
boat would be hard TO imagine. The
skih used To reach her passed over tho
rail on the boiler deck until the bow
struck and forced open one of the doors
leading 10 the cabin. The water washed
To and fro, tossing about lot ot odd, aud
ends, principally If female apparel, while
a .eacup went sailing around on mat
trasS. On the tables could hc seen tho
debris of the eXcWrSioni>,S' feast. nuts
ANA oranges, pieces OF sandwiches, Cak"s.
candy and raisins, were scattered about
aS though they had just been LEI, and their
owners intended To return once more.
On the hurricane deck the scene was
worse and gave better idea of tie terri
bic despair the passengers must have srf-
fered and tbs fearful confusion into which
they lal been thrown. Lying against
one of the SmokcstaCkS WAS e huge bass
yiol, its neckpircc half oil, its strings
broken and a cash down the top \
shawl hung OH one of the log chains and
n par.isol leaned against the pilot housc.
There were fully hundred fans thrown
around the deck, while shoes, stockings,
hats, handkcrChicfS, the hand satchclS 80
universally carried Ivy ladlc-, necAue'
aud NIL manner Of smaller portions OF
apparel We're there without end. Below
the boiler deck. where SO many bodies arc
supposed to br, nothing could be- seen,
the water yelling it from sight. Above
the wreck, tied halfway up the jackstrf.
a miniature copy al the United States ilag
was floating. Wet and dirty though u
WAS the ociO,o had gone down with coloIs
flying.
ONERCTOwDED.
There seems 10 be but lilile dOnht that
the Scioto MAS oycrcrowdCd. hundred
people Irit her at Wcllsyillc on the morn
ing of the excursion, afraid To 20 further.
II is stated that the Scioio had been iicd
up at Wheeling ~ The government Of
GERS for oycrloading, but she gave them
she Slip only To meet terrible tate an
hour later. The coroner Is on the ground
and will probably soon commence al IN
quest on the recovered bodies.
The investigation by the government
inspectors will take place at wheeling.
aud out OF the two inquiries the rcsIon-
sibility should be located. The first AMI
second engineers OF the Scioto claim that
mol ody would have been lost had they not
Jumped of in the hope Of saving Their
lives. This seems absurd IN the light 81
the fact that there was no other alicrna-
tive FOR those who were on the lower deck
but TO Jump, 50 fast did the vessel smE.
The general opinion Is that the Sciot0 was
TO blame for the catastrophe.
The other boat had the right Of way.
and after sounding the sigual for Tho
course she intended TO take th" scloi"
should have acquirsced or reversed en-
zines ut once and attempted 10 get out OF
th. way. II is related lhst By spccn'
permit the Scioto was allowed 10 carry
800 passengers, and that on the down
trip She broke her rudder rope, and when
passing the LOOMS 1t parted again ana
swung her in front Of the latter, Wplch
tore tile whole front out OF her, anu tho
sank In about two minutes.
II Is stated that whi1ky vas at Tue Do'-
tom Of the Soioio steamboat disaster, -
some Of the officers and many passengers
had freely circulated the bottle before 'D'
collision, and were drunk at the tune
jeff Davis has Just purchased uniforms
for an entire colored band Of Brlcrsneu'
his old plantation, near Vicksburg. ihp
serenaded him upon his recent 'lst '"''r'