The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-10-12
ANorHER srEAMpoAT pIsAsTER.

Property and Terrible Loss of Iife-An
interesting Recital Of the Incidents OF
the Observation-Disclosures Of the Captain
and Other Ohicers-HerOlc Action OF the
/ Pilot, etc, etc.
v1cKsBuRG, Miss, September 50.
| This morning at three o. o'cIock fire broke out
on the steamer II. Lee, while on her trip to
this city, about thirty miles below hore, result
4 ing IN the total destruction of the boat with a
| terr. bic loss of life. The following is list of
/ persons known to be lost: Cabin passengers;
/ Mr.. Pointer, MarysviIle, KY; Mrs. Mcclellan,
| New Orleans; Miss Adams, musicsteacher, on
the way to Baton Rouge: an infant OF Mrs
] Scale, of Vicksburg; two colored wOmeni
/ Frank Jones, fireman; Ophcla Jones and
! Martha Webb, second and third chamber
| ma ds; Thomas Fisher, Joe Murreu, Scot Cox.
| Thomas Collins, Irwin Duncan, cabin boys
/ Samuel Brown. roustabout; Kardof SWANSON
/ carpenter; william Westermaker, eecond en-
i neer; Tom Collins; all the cooks and help
I except the pastry cook.
! The Lee had just been overhauled aud newly
| painted, and was on her first trip this season.
She left Viclcsburg yesterday evening for
/ good list of passengers. While opposite Po mt
/ Pleasant at $3.50 a. M she was d scoycred on
| Louisiana shore and landed at Yuoatan plane
| tation, thirty-hve miles below Nickshurg. In
! YelOped in flames. The steamboat J..
| NJ. White passed the wreck about six
| gers and crew to Vicksburg. 5. C. Rawlings and
| Robert smith, pilots, were both burned and
mated in the pautry-room. So rapidly did the
| flames spread that it was impossible for pas
! srEgers officers to save anything except
| what they had on at the time. Captain w. :.
| Cannon states that the ct. amer was owned by
| the estate OF father John W. cannon, ans
Der CoInHiander, captain William CafnpDelI.
| She was valued at iO0,nO0 The crew was con1-
| posed almost entirely of men who had been on
! the river twenty thirty years. The boat,
/ besides supply pumps, had new fire-pump
! with a fourteen-inch cylinder and roo feet OF
| hose There were always three watehnea on
1Ihe Lee had on leaving here about as bates
landings below ana about sixty-five bales
| from small cotton-seed boat, SO that when
/ burned she had about 5l2 bales, also a large
| cargo of boots, shoes and dry goois reshpped
/ by the NickSbuFg & Mississippi HailrOad from
points north and east Of II lEatohez and otner
| large quaint ty of doors, blinds, sash, etc. to-
| gether with large lot OF miscellaneous
| freight. She stopped to wood about twelve
miles below here at 1880 this morning, and re-
manned some time. The last landing made be-
iiXe miles belaw hi this city AZ the tim, time the the
/ was Immediately headed for shore, and struck
! the bank in three or four minutes.
| Whenever survivor was seen on the street
| Immediately large crowd would gather
| round, eager to learn whatever he knew of the
| sad occurrence, Numbers were seen " tn
! considerable pain, while others were not 50
/ badly hurt. "
T.
/ was up at the time the accident occurred.
| stated: never saw anything burn 80 quick.
! Twas aft at the time, and when / heard the
| alarm knowing my rtner, who sleeps sound
] W. and other officers were in the lie as and in
sbe IRE followed me 40 fast lhat bv the time
| had them all up my partner had his hair
| singed in getting down stairs from the hurri-
| cane roof, and was forced to climb over the
| rail. The boat had just been freshly painted,
| and she went like gunpowder"
/ Mr.. Bell and passenger who was inter
! viewed think the fire original ed in the pastry
| room of the cCok-h Duse though don't see,'
/ said the former, what the fire was doing in
| there so early, as the cooks are not called be-
] fore four o clock"
| Mrs Dan Searls with heroic presence Of
| mind and motherly devotion, Rrasped her
| sleeping infant, and, arranging Rlfe-preserver
| in her state-room about her person, jumped
! boldly into the water. BY disarrangemeut of
| her HfepreserYer she was thrown upon her
| back and lost her grasp upon her child
| The saved owe their lives to the admirable
courage of Pilot john Stout. He stood at the
wheel and gave hone to all by his flrmness,
/ and as the steamer rounded Mt Yucatan Land
! ing the flames were fast envelOping
/ the brave man in the Dilot-hOuse, who,
| despite the fire around himt with almost the
| last hope Of escape gone, remuired at his post
| until he gave word to the engineer that the
boat had made the shore. Not until this was
! done did he for one minute take his hand from
| the wheel. He made his escape by the hurri-
/ cane roof down the hogchain to the lower
d ok and from there ashore Some think the
| fire was the work Of an incendiary, while 9TH
Engineer Perkins first saw the flames isstl-
ing from the pastry-rOOm, in which there were
| lamps at the time. Ine steward Henry
Carrnnhan, states no coal OIL or other COM
| bustible material was ever kept I'm thefttoh en-,
| pantry or pastry-roOm. He thinks 1t was Of
Enqineer Perkins, instantly after discover
ing the fire. notified the pilot and the boat was
| headed for the Mississ ppi side, and plunged
with such force aga nst the bank as To become
! firmly fastened The passengers not cut off
! from The bow escaped b the shore. The
| casualtits occurred among those having berths
| aft Some of them, however, were rescued
! after Jumping overheard. Those who sue
/ cppdpd in getting ashore were many or them
| half-clad, some hatless, others shoeless, ana
| cover their rakedn. S.
| The following is the statement OF the Captain
/ of the unfortunate steamer: ave loft Vicks-
] burg about six o'clock on Friday evening with
about $50 bales of cotton on board, about hi ty
/ passenrers and a crew of about ninety or 100
/ just below Brooks Landing, Miss about
! thirty-iive m les below Vicksburg. The fro
was first Sc II In the kitchen little after three
| O'Clock Saturday morning. Pilot Stout, En-
| gineer Perkins the second mate fitzpatrick
TrSs Tera on Ha Watch me a ae the @ @mc ana shGynted
10 the pilot to land the boat aa quick rs
| out mnd. ihs boat fast, and lowered The
| stage. All persons forward got ashore safely
fire rear and smoke, aud went to the stern Of the
4 boet to save themselves. Some were saved
and some were ioet. The yawl was lowered
| and picked up many persons In the river who
| sprang overheard to escape the flames. All
| allowed them to. One lady from Pittsburgh
l going TO RatcheZ, saved herself and seven
| children. She Displayed great presence Of
| mind, and was cooler than meny
/ man would have been under such trying cir
| eumstances; one sailor man, Greek, and
| two of the frempn behaved splendidly with
1 the yawl- Pilot Stout brother Of Mrs. Cam
on, one Of the owners OF the boat, aDt
/ Engineer Perkins behaved nObly. Second
Mate Mike fitzpatrick ran the lines out and
| lowered the stage, showing GOODNESS and
/ heroisin. All the cabin-boys who " sre
save those of others. Ovid Bell woke up all
| the persons on the texas deck, not trying to
/ sGye himself until all were awake. Mate
Hines was eveTyWhere, displaying great
/ energy. We worked the engines as long as
| the fire would let us and they did great deal
/ Of service in holding the boat to the bank.
| The hose was work cd but all to no purpose.
| Our outfit WIS complete. We had 700 feet of
/ hose, and the inspectors had been very par
ticuiar IN seeing that we had full outht the
/ day before we left New Orieans-last Tuesday.
| The flames spread quicker than I can tell.
| when the shore was reached the flames had al
an hour the boat was burned to the water
edge. We gathered up all We could and
4 ing but a little money out OF the Office. The
| books, papers, United States mail, cargo and
| all were lost. a the time Of the fire our cargo
consisted of sig bales OF cotton. 1000 feet OF
| lumber. sundry fre gnt and express packages.
1 O00 Tho boat was worth SlG00O. and was iF-
| sured for $4,000. At about six O'Clock IN the
| morning the J. VI. White came along and took
| the whole crew on board. left the second
| mate and two men in a yawi 70 gather up
| wreck until received further adylces from
the insurance companies. 4 reached Viclg-
| burg about nine O'Clock. The lady and her
| children from Pittsburgh placed on tug and
| sent to Nafchez. Ny mate WAS also instructed
/ TO hunt up the bodies Of any OF the lost and
| offer rewards for their recovery The new
I Robert f. Lee was built in 1875 by the HOwards,
| Of Jefersonvilie, Ind; She was considered one
/ of the best boats on the river. She never met
with any accident except the breaking Of .
| shaft last year"
"A mysterious serenade, apparently
coming from the clouds, delighted as
well as excited the people of Madison,
| Ga, q few nights ago. Whence tha
music came il yet an nnsolved mysterT,