Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-10-01
The Terrible Cry Which Start
the Sleeping Passengers ard
Crew on the r. E. Lee.
Twenty-ons Lives are Saer
feed by Flood and Flame
Before Help is Had.
A Scene of Horror on Board a mis-
sissippi River Steamboat
List of the Survivors.
so,.,a, Dt,patch to the Sunday Register.

NICKsBURG, September 5o.-ihis inoihas
inst before one o'clock fire broke ont On
board the steamer Robert E. Lee, bound up,
with cotton and about fifty passengers.
The flames spread with extraordinary "a
pidity, and although the boat was
provided with very complete ap-
pliances for the extinguishment OF
fires, all efforts TO save 1t were fruitiess.
The loss of life is
Reported at Twenty-one,
about equally divided between passengers
and crew. Nothing whatever was saved,
the people on board being reused from
their slumbers by the roaring and crack
ling of the flames. The pecuniary loss Is
very heavy. Assistance has been sent from
this city, and the survivors are expected 70
arrive this evening.
New ORLEANS, La, September 3O.-The
Picayune's Vicksburg special says: This
morning at 3 o'clock fire broke out on
the steamer R. +. Lee while on her trip to
this city, about thirty miles below here,
resulting in the total destruction OF the
boat with a terrible loss of life. The fol-
lowing list of persons
Are known TO be Lost:
Cabin Passengers-Mrs. Painter, Mays
willie. Ky.: Mrs. Mcclellan, New Orleans;
Miss Adams, music teacher on her way to
Baton Rouge; an infant OF Mrs. Tearle, OF
Vicksburg, and two colored women. Also
the following: Frank Jones, fireman ;
Opheha Jones and Martha Webb, second
and third chambermaids; Thos. Fisher, Joe
Murrell, Scott Cox, Thos. Collins and Irwin
Duncan, cabin boys; Samuel Brown, roust-
about; - Kardo, carpenter; VIM. West
maker. second engineer, and all the COOKS
and help except the pastry cook. The
books of the boat and the United States
mail were lost, together with cargo OF
500 bales OF cotton.
The Lee has Just been overhauled and
newly painted and was on her first trlp, OF
the season. She left ViCksburg yesterday
evening for New Orleans with 800 bales ot
cotton and good list of passengers. While
opposite Point Pleasant at $3.50 A. NJ. she
was
Discovered on Fire,
and was Immediately headed for the Loui'
siana shore and landed at GuCatau pl9nta'
tion. thirty.tive miles below Nicksburg.
In few minutes she was completelgSapr
yeloped In flames. Twenty-one persons are
believed to be lost, including many oil the
crew. The steamer S. Memhite passed the
| wreck about Il A. NJ, and took the remain
10 rl,Sh ~
| c. Rawlings and Robert Smith, pilots, were
Both Burned
and otherwise hurt. The fire is supposed
| to have originated in the pantry.room. 90
rapidly did the flames spread that 1t was
| impossible for the passengers or officers to
save ANYTHING except what they had on al
| the time. Capt. W. S. Cannon stated thai
| the steamer was owned by the estate
Of his father, and her commander, Capt.
| VIM, Campbell. She was valued at $lOo,,
600 and insured for $4,000, mostly IN local
| companies.
The Crew was Composed
| almost entirely OF men who have been on
| the river twenty or thirty years. The
| boat besides supply pumps had new nrt
| pumps, with Ii inch cylinders and 100 feel
| Of hose, and there were always three watch
raen on deck. The following
1bI E..-4s Passengers Were Saved:
bIi sna;n. * z Chapman, q. o. Rourke
III NJ fafnum,i Nfs . esanam, lineage y
i Henry. Mason, .Msnres, e.lls1,es ~, :, =
| Scott New Yprk, ~ W. Neef6ss ssT Z \ %. of..
LIN. .Frsedmen, Nicksburgs ]. b psrssrr
Easton, Pa WV, Irish, Gariisiei Ell. y =
II. Ludington, New 0rlcans Mrss ;Searles
Vicksburg, with eight children. nazEles nm
| known, The Lee left this eitT last Tnea
day. 1t was her first trip for i've months