Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-06
THE WEST.
Ohio.

River Horror-An Excursion Steamer
 Crashed Into by & Tug-Many Lives
 Lost-Heartrending Scenes at the Dfs-
 
 MINGc JUNCTION, July 5.-The steamer Scioto with about five hundred excursionists aboard was sunk in collision with the John Lomas near this place on the Ohio river last night and number of lives were lost. One of the survivors says the Scioto was coming up the river under a full head of steam, and when about half mile from Mingo Junction the John A. Lomas was sighted coming down. The pilot of the Scioto whistled for the chan nel but owing to misunderstanding both boats took the same side. The Lomas struck the Scioto and she sank in fifteen feet of water in three minutes from the time of col ision. The scenes on the Scioto were heart rending and the life struggles frightful. The Lomas was only slightly disabled and went to work at once to save those on board the unfortunate Scioto. This was rendered cas- fer by the bright moonlight, and to this fact may be attributed the saving of many lives that would otherwise be lost.
 Charles Page of Marietta, O., the assistant engineer of the Scioto, said that they started from East Liverpool at 6:3O o'clock in the morning with large excursion party who were off for Fourth of July frolic and that they went as far down the river as Mounds l vile, arriving there about 1:3O in the after noon. After lying there about two hours they started for home, stopping at Wheel !ng and Martins Ferry: The people hailed them all along the river, but l the captain said they had enough on board and refused to take any more except at Steubenville, where they took on several "When we collided with tue Lomas, near l as can judge from what I heard people say l ing, we had I'l board 400 at least, and prob- | ably 300. :, vas on watch at the time of the ! accident and when the boats whistled for passing noticed there was something wrong, but thought nothing of it and stepped out on the deck for second when I saw the 1 Lomas right on I rushed back to my engine, obeyed tho bell to go back which ! was immediately followed by bell to stop, and seeing that the boat was fast sinking the | engineer and 1 threw a skiff into the river l and then l ran after my coat. When I got l back the skif full of poor, stricken i people that I knew it would sink; so jumped in the river and struck out for the l Virginia shore. In looking around ms as swan I saw sight that fairly took the life out of me- The water was black with strug gling humanity, and the expression of the faces was the most terrible that you can i'm | for help and some of the screams so unnervec me that l could scarcely swim, but the current strong and as I struck out with
 all my might, soon got out of sight of the
 crowd in the water, there being but two boy. ! near me who managed to reach the shore il
 safety with little help from me. We swan
 about 8 mile altogether and when we reached ! the shore 1t was almost impossible for any O. | us to stand up. I do not know what causee | the accident or who is to blame''
 Another officer of the Scioto said his boa
 was coming up the river and whistled for th' ! channel. The Lomas signalled to give thu
 Scioto the channel, but few minutes late ! the former struck the latter on the port sid,
 fifteen feet from the bow, making hol l through which tho water rushed, filling tn
 hull and sinking the boat in fifteen feet with
 in three minutes. The passengers of tn Scioto jumped into the river or were swep off the decks by the rush of water Severa hundred were left struggling in the waves
 The Lomas backed off and then returne
 to rescue the Scioto's passengers, the off
 cers and crew doing everything in their powe ! to save the lives of the imperiled people
 Over four hundred passengers were thu
 rescued. Many others swam ashore Tn
 number drowned may not exceed fifty Tn bodies of tho following have been found (
 E. Spriggs, Hammondsville; Belle Brandon . David Hogg Sarah Ridely, Stewart Pipes , | Joseph Connor and Edward Smith, Well
 vile; R. E. Beardman, E. B. Burke, Molli Shields, East Liverpool; Eddie Thomas, so 5 of Captain Thomas of the Scioto. Many otl
 or bodies are supposed to be in the sunke 5 | boat.
 SrEuBENy1LLE, O., June 15.-Ten bodi, - have been recovered from the Scioto this sic
 of the river and two others below here al The following additional victims of Il r, disaster have been identified John Tomlil V- son, Wilson Paul, John Christy, Micha Emerly and wife, Eugene Farmer, Lin