The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-10-06
RIVER HORROR.
Burning of the Mississippi Steam
er Il. E. Lee.
Tweatg-cne Passengers Perish Before
the Boat Reached the Shore.

The famous steamer R. E. Lee was burned
on the Mississippi river thirty miles south of
yicksburg, causing the loss of twenty-one
lives and the total destruction of she boat
and freight The Lee was valued at s18T, 900,
and carried Insurance amounting to $4,000
Many acts of daring and hefpism We're per
formed by employees Of the fatal boat in
warming and assisting passengers to places
OF safety. The story of the disaster is thus
told by the Captain. Wiliasa Campbell
Eve left Vioksburg about O'Clock on Fri
day evening with about 400 bales of cotton
on board, about thirty passengers and crew
OF about ninety or 1U0, including officers
We first discovered tile fire inst below
miles below Yicksbug The fire was first
seen in the kitchen litIe alters O'clock
Saturday incoming, Pilot Stout Engineer
Perkins Inc second mate, fitzpatrick, Clerks
Hall, Wells and Bell and myself were Oh
watch at the time. I shouted to the
pilot to land the boat as quick as he could
which he did. We ran a line out. made the
boat fast and lowered the stage All per-.
sons forward got ashore safely Those aft
were cut off from the stage by the fire and
smoke, and went to the stern of the boat to
save themselves. Some were saved and
some were lost The yawl was low
cred and picked up many persons in the
river who sprang overheard TO escape the
flames. All my Hen did their duty as long
rs tst flames allowed them to- One lady
from Pittsburgh, going to Natchez, saved
herself and seven children She DISPLAYED
great presence of mind, and was eeoler than
many a man would have Been under such
trying circumstances. Our sailor man, a
Greek, and two of the firemen behaved
splendidly with the yawl Pilot Stout,
brother of Mrs Mannon one of the
owners of the boat and Engineer
Perkins behaved nobIy. Second Mate
Mike fitzpatrick ran this Ines out and
lowered the stage; Showing ccolness and
heioisIh All the cabin-boys who were lost
gave up their lives in trying to save those of
Others. Ovid Bell woke up all the persons
on the texas deck, not trying to save HIM
self until all were awake Mate Hires WaA
everywhere, displaying great energy We
worked the. f1t5ii,es fJS long as the fire would
ttet us AID they did great deal of service
in holding the boat to the bank The
hose was worked, but all to no pur-
pose Our outfit was complete We had 700
feet of hose, and the inspectors had been
very particular in seeing ,fhat.we had a full
outfit the day hefofe ne left New Orleans
last Tuesday. The flames spread quicker
Than | can tell. When the shore was reached
the flames had already wrapped some por-
tions of the boat In an hour the boat was
burned to the waters edge. We gathered
up all we could and waited for the dawn Of
day. We saved nothing but little
money Gut Of the office. The books, papers,
United States mail, cargo aid ali were9
lost. At the time. Of tbs fire ouk
cargo consisted Of Sl2 bales OF cotton, 20 900
feet of lumber, stlndry freight and express
packages. The cargo I think, was valued
at about $4,000 The boat was worth
100000, and was insured for $4,000. At
about 6 o'clock i'll the morning the j. M
White came along and took the whole
crew ON board, { left the second mate
and Two men in yawl to gather up
Heating cotton and take care of the
wreck until l received further advices from
the insurance companies. l reached Vicks-
burg about o'clock. The lady and her
children from Pittsburgh ! placed on a tug
and sent to Natches AIyMate was also in
structed to hunt ZIP the bodies Of any of the
los6 and offer rewards for their teeovefv.
The new Robert 81 Lee Was built in 1916 bV
the HoWairls, OF Jacksonville, Ind. She
was considered one OIL the best boats on the
river. She never met with any accident ea-
cept the breaking Of shaft la5t Year