The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-07-06
Fully Fifty Of the Passengers Known
y to Be Drowned.
How 1t Was Done.-Statement Of an
Eye Misunderstanding for
the Bodies.


Mingo Junction the John Tomas was
sighted coming down. The pilot OF the
Sciota whistled for the channel, but
owing to q misunderstanding both
boats took the same side, the Tomas
striking the Scioto and sinking her In
about fifteen feet of water in three
minutes from the time of the collision.
The scene on the Scioto was heartrend-
ing, and the life struggles were fright
full to behold. The Tomas was only
slightly disabled, and went to work at
oncs to ave those on board the unfor-
tunats Scioto. This task was rendered
easier by bright moonlight, and many
lives were saved. Arthur McNully,
who lives at Cross creek, an eye witness
to the disaster, was standing in his
door, Immediately opposite where the
collision occurred. 1t was about eight
O'Clock. The Lomas, in passing the
island chute, whistled for preference of
sides, and near as he can judge it was
three minutes before the Scioto ms
vered, and neither of them appeared to
sheer off, and almost Immediately the
collision occurred. General confusion
followed, and he saw people jumping
from the hurricane deck and all parts
of the steamer. As far as he could see
the Tomas struck the Scioto forward,
for fire blew over the bow of the Scioto.
The Scioto sank almost instantly. The
Tomas backed up as soon as possible,
ran to this shore, landed her passen-
gers, and then returned to the wreck.
The crew and officers of the Tomas ex-
ercised every effort to rescue the unfor-
tunate passengers, and succeeded in
landing nearly 400, making several
trips, and continued their work as long
as there were any who desired to leave.
AS soon as he raw the accident he
jumped into a skiff and started for the
wreck. When he got there he picked
up i've persons within a distance of 25
feet, and there were two other skiffs
below him picking them up. They
were h~allooing all over, and there ap-
peared to be a great many In the wreck,
but 1t was too dark for him to tell the
number. He then took the parties he
had rescued to the Ohio side, and by
that time the Tomas had landed a par
ty and returned to the wreck.
Capt. Thomas and his son Dan are
missing, and q deck hand, name I'M
known, supposed to be drowned, from
the Scioto. The rest of the crew are
safe. The first man taken out Of the
water was the Waterman, Chas. Nc
Coy. The Lomls struck the Scioto on
the port, Is feet from her bow, making
a large hole through which the hull
filed rapidly, and she sank at once, and
is now lying on the bottom of the river
with water two feet deep in the cabin.
Hundreds of people are attracted to
the e Of the wrecked Scioto, whom
are in search Of missing loved ones,
others from curiosity. One dead body
has been recovered from the Ohio side.
Two boys were picked up on the Vir-
ginia side who had swan a mile and a
half below tho place Of the accident.
They say about fifty persons were on the
lower deck when the boat sunk, and
many of these were probably drowned.
Capt. Thomas of the Scioto, was crazed
with grief at the loss Of his son, and
benumbed with cold from the fruitless
search in the watery cabin for his body
which has since been found at Brilliant
station. There are more more than
this number missing, and all chances
for escape are heard from. One hun
dred persons went from Wellsvills and
East Liverpool to the scene Of the dis I
this morning.
The scene at the wreck of the Scioto |
almost beggars description. The
anguish of those looking for their lost
ones adding to the walls and sobs Of
those bending over the inanimate forms
Of dead loved ones recovered from the
water, was heartrending.
An associated press reporter arrived |
at the scene at noon, at which time
only nine bodies had been recovered. |
Both banks of the river were lined with |
people, making a crowd of perhaps 1000 |
The work of dragging in the vicinity
for bodies is still going on.
William Mulholland, Of Wellsville, /
Ohio, under whose auspices the excur-
zion on the Inflated Scioto was given, |
aid the boat took on about two hun
lred passengers at East Liverpool and
,wo hundred and fifty at Wellsville.
The boat was very much crowded and
ie refused to stop at the other points
we're tickets had been sold.
Taking his statements with others it
s safe to sayt that five hundred souls
on board at the time of the COLI
ion.
Captain Smith, of Martins Ferry, who
on the John Tomas, says that when
ONE distance from the Scioto he
the boats going to come to-
ether and made preparations for the
hook. Both steamers had on q full
lead of steam. Tomas was going down
streem at the rate of hfteen mIlea