The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1882-10-04
TIE BURNING OF THE +. Z. LEE.

THE CHAMPION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
wArERs BURNED-TwENTY ONE PER
SONS, INcLupIN9 MANY OF TIE CREW
ARE BELIEVED TO BE LOST.
New ORLEANS, September 3d.
The Pieayunss vicksburg special
says: This morning at 8 o'clock a
Ire broke out on the steamer R. E.
Lee, while on her trip to thfs city,
about thirty miles below here, re-
sulting in the destruction of the
boat with terrible loss of life. The
following list Of persons are known
to be lost: Cabin passengers-Mr.
Painter, of Maysville, Ky; Mrs.
Me- lellan, Of New Orleans; Miss
Adams, music teacher, on tho way to
Baton Rouge; also an infant of Mrs.
Searls, Of Vicksburg, and two COL
ored women; also the following
Frank Jones, fireman; Ophelia Jones
and Martha Webb, second and third
chambermaids; Joe Murrell, Scott
Cox, Thos. Collins, Irvaus Duncan,
cabin boys; Samuel Brown, roust.
about; VIM. Mestmaker, second en-.
gineer, and all the cooks and help
except pastry cook. The books Of
the bpat and u. S. mails were lost,
together with cargo Of 500 bales
Of cotton.
TIE Lee had just been overhau|ed
aud nawiy painted, and was on her
drst "trip this season. She left
vickaburg yesterday evening, for
New. Orleans, with about 500 bales
| of cotton and good lot of passen
gers, While opposite Point Pleas
ant, st $3.50 .. m, she was discov
cred TO be on fire, and was immedi.
ately headed for the Louisiana shore
and landed at Yucatan plantation,
IS miles below vicksburg, and 10 q
few minutes she was completely en-
veloped in flames. Twenty.one per-
sons.are believed 70 have been lost,
including the crew. The steamboat
j. NJ. White passed the wreck about
s q. M. and took the remaining pas.
sengers and crew to vicksburg. S.
C. Rawlings and Robt. Smith. pilots
were both burned and otherwise
hurt The Ere is supposed to have
originated in the pantry room. So
rapidly did the flames spread than it
was impossible for the passengers or
omcers to save anything but what
they had on a. the time. Capt. ".
s. Cannon states that the boat was
owned BY the estate Of bis father,
Capt. WIN. CAMPBELL. She was val
ned AZ 100000, and insured for $780,.
600, merely in local companies. The
crew was composed almost entirely
Of nsn who have been on the river
tNsnty or thirty years. The boat,
beti5es her supply pumps, had a new
6s1 bump with a 24.inch cylinder
aud 700 feet of hose. There were
always three watcl,men on deck.
The Lee was insured for $500 in
tho Aetna Of Hartford; $4,000 eacl,
in he National Enterprise and Mer.
chil Its Of Cincinnati, and $35, 900 in
NeN Orleans companies.
Me following is the list Of pas.
. s(pfers: Thomas J. Spain, Of Ten.
sa6, La, C. H. Chapman, of the atea.
mar Naomi; J. O'Roukes, Of Ns,l
dti@ans; j. N. Garmnn, of St. Louis;
Mas Abrshams, OF Chicago: Henry
| Mslen, Of Monroe, In; j. C. Siatt
OF NsS York; j. M. Friedman, Of
vicksburg; Miss j. B. Berger. o|
Easton, Pa; w. w. Irish, Of Car
lyle, ..IIls; John H. Ludwigson, oI
New Orleans; Mrs. S. Earle, o.
vicksburg, and lady With elgh,
children, name unknown. The lie.
left this city last Tuesday, the frs
trip for Eve months. 500.
/ The States says the announce
ment of the destruction by FIRE o
that grand old steamboat, Robert +
Lee, will be heard with universal
sorrow. She was the champion o
| Mississippi waters, the favorite o
all from New Orleans to Vicksburt
and named after the greatest Of he
|,roes and, statesmen. Her destruc
ton just at the beginning Of the cot
ton season, and after having under
gone q thorough overhauling, will b,
a serious blow to her owners IS wei
as to the trade in which she ha'
been 80 long and 90 faithfully on
gagged.
VIcKsBuRe, September 30.-Whe.
ever q survivor is seen on the stree
lin mediateiy q large crowd would
gather round. eager to learn what
ever he knew of the sad occurrence
A aumber we're seen with their heads
arms, etc., bound. Some OF then
we're in considerable pain, while 9th
ers were not SO badly hurt. Mr.
Orvice Bell, second clerk of the Lee
who was up at the time the scciden
occurred, stated: l never saw any
thing burn SO quick; l was alott a
the time, and when l heard TIL
alarm, knowing my partner, VIII,
sleeps soundly, and other officers
we're in the texas and in great dan
|ger, / rushed up to awaken them
| The FIRE followed me 80 fast that By
the time had them all up my part
ner had his hair siuged in getting
down the stairs from the hurricane
roof, and was forced to get ovel
tho rails. / thought was gone q
lone time. The boat did not hav'