Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-07-12
RTvER HORROR.

Shaking of an Ercnrsfon Seeasser on the
ohio Rtver--Heartrending loss of Li6s.
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. sidewheel steamer rum
ming between Wheeling and Matamoras, had
been on an excursion to Moundsville, under
the auspices Of the Wellsyille Cornet Band, and
had left East Liverpool about z o'clock q. m,
taking 200passsngers aboard there. At wellsville
about 800 or 400 more got aboard, with band,
loading the boat to the guards with mass OF
men, women and children. The steamer landed
at Steubenville between 0 and 10 o'clock aud
refused to take any passengers there. although
several men and boys managed TO Chamber over
the goards. She went on 10 Moundsvllle, and,
returning in the evening, had reached point
lust above Cross creek, on the West Virginia
side OF the river, when she met the John Lomas
coming down in the middle Of the stream. The
between Wheeling and Martins Ferry, and had
beea to Steubcnville with an excursion Of about
200 people from the latter place. 1t was about
$50 O'Clock when she came In sight OF the Sci
oto. The clouds had mostly blown away and
II was quite light on the river. The Lomas ap-
pears to have signaled first, according to regu-
ktions, with one blast, to pass on the left Ina
few minutes the Sjcio o responded with tga. anA
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 il was too late to
do any good. The boats came together with
tremendous crash, the Lomas striking the
Scioto on the larboard, or left-hand side, Just
about the ash-box, tearing into her guards and
making large hole ia the hull, through which
she hegan taking water 81 rapid rate.
Az may be Imagined tho confusion ON board
wa farri ha n WOf mi md
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 officers, TO their
credit, tried to keep the people cool, with tho
usual result in such csscs-nobody paid
much attention to them. The boat
began going down at once, and in three min
utes there was five feet Of water in the cabin
Those on the lower deck (not less than 6fty in
number) began jumping into the river, and tho
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 MP
under the weight. There were dozen or ff-
teen men lying drunk on the lower deck, and
al were doubtless hurried into eternity
without warning. The river seemed black
with human beings and debris of all kinds, and
IL will be days at least before the full extent OF
the disaster is known. There we're three boats
on the Scioto, and they we're at once lowered.
In the excitement the first was overcrowded
and swamped but it is believed that mono 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. II required the greatest
care in doing this work, first TO avoid turning
over the Scioto, and second, TO avoid q rush
from the Scioto 10 the Lomas, 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 Tho
total loss will exceed 100 The crowd In the
boat was certainly not less than 500, and proba-
bly numbered 600 or 700.