Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-10-02
LOSS OF The LEE.
Famous Steamer Robert E.
Lee Burned.
Twenty to Thirty Persons Burned
or Drowned.
Boat and Cargo a Total Loss.

Boat and Cargo q Total Loss.
srecillto the Cincinnati Commercial.
VTcKsBuRo, September S0-Tho Lee
left here at 8 p, m Friday, found for New
Orleans, with something over four hun
bred bales of cotton and about thirty pas
sengers In all. She added q number Of
bales to her cargo en- route down; she
wooded about twenty miles below here nj
1870 y. M, and ut Ashland Landing took
on about 250 bales of cotton, making in
all 5l5, which she had on board at the
time of her destruction. After leaving
Ashwood she steered out into midstream
and continued her journey without again
stopping until, while passing Brooks
Landing, Mlsr., the alarm of FIRE was
given from below. John Stout, the hero
OF the hour, rounded to and headed his
boat for the bank at Yucatan Plantation,
thirty miles from this city. When she
was landed and held fast, he gave the
signal To William Perkins, engineer, an
other hero in the hour of desperate need,
to quit his post, and then, amid flame and
smoke and n thousand terrors that sur
rounded him on every side, John Stout
left the pilot house to take his meager
chances and to save, if possible, his own
lie.
1t is estimated that in less than five
minutes from the time the fire was dis
covered the Lee was wrapped in a perfect
sheet of flames. Second Clerk Ovid Bell,
who was on watch at the time, and who
displayed Il wonderful amount of fore
sight, was first to give the alarm. He
passed down through the cabin ofthe i'll
fated steamer, knocking in doors and
waking up all on board, after which he
went up on the hurricane roof and did the
sumo II was impossible for him to re-
turn down stairs, so letting himself down
from the boiler deck, he plunged out into
the stream md was saved.
The third clerk, Mr.. John Luckett, who
wins sleeping in the texas, made his escape
with several slight bruises, and several OF
the cabin passengers and deck crew were
burnt severely, but not fatrlly.
Two chambermaIds, Ophelia Jones and
Martha Webb, were seen to Jump from
the starboard wheelhouse into the river
after the boat was landed, but Just at that
moment the wheelhouse gave way, ana
falling over on them the unfortunates
were seen nc more.
Mrs. Dor Searles, a young wife with her
infant son only one year Of age, with the
courage and calmness of a Spa tan mother
in the face Of danger, took her baby in her
arms, and throwing a life-preserver about
her person, leaped from the a~fter-cabin
into the murky water beneath. By some
disarrangement ofthe liEe-preserver, Mrs.
Searles was thrown upon her back. an ut
titude in which she was rendered per-
fectly helpless, and this, together with the
shock occasioned by her heavy fall into
the water, caused her to lose her gran
upon the child, and it passed from her
arms into the depths beneath. Half an
hour after the burning of the boat, Mrs.
Searles was picked up in midstream, in an
almost insensible condition.
The majority of those who were fortu-
nate enough TO make shore alive were
many Of them without hator coat. and in
several instances we're only meagerly clad.
Mrs. Williams, who had FIVE little chill
dren travelling with her en- route to
Natchez, with unparalleled fortitude and
presence Of mind. succeeded in saving the
lives of all.
In less than ten minutet after the dis
covery Of the fire, which was almost in its
incipiency, the boat was burned TO the
waters edge, and sunk, and only a few
charred timbers and an ugly hulk are all
that was left remaining Of that magnificent
floating palace and champion of the West
ern water.
The Lee sunk in about twelve feet of
water. She is Il total wreck, and William
Perkins, her engineer, says that all her
splendid machinery will be fit only for
scrap iron.
The U. s.. mail was lost, baggage of
passengers was lost, and nothing was
saved
AT Hard Times, six miles below the dis
aster, the J. Nj White met a number OF
charred bales of cotton floating down the
river, and further up saw a portion OF the
Inflated steamers wheel, upon which the
name of Robert K. Lee was still intact.
When the White arrived at Yucatan
there was very little of the wreck visible,
and the passengers, officers and crew were
standing out on the bank,
The new Lee, as she was called in con-
tr~adistinction to the X, Il. Lee, that won
the famous race against the Natohez, in
1870, was built by the Howards, at Louis
vile, KY, She was built from the ma
chinory Of the old r L Lee, and like her.
was remarkable for great speed, power,
model and beauty; indeed, she was a far
handsomer boat than the old Lee, and in
the judgment of many steamboatmen.
much faster. She was built to carry a
cargo of 1900 tons, and 700Q bales Of cotton
could be easily stored on board. She was
in all probability the greatest boat of her
day. She had been laid up during the
summer months, and was just making her
first trip of the business season. During
retirement she had received a mosi
thorough oyerhaullng and repair.
ing, She was built by tht
lamente1 Jno. w. Cannon. The Lee
was valued at Sl87, 900 when she came
out, and at the time of her destruction
10000, She was insured for $4,000.
All the officers left by to nights train
; for New Orleans to bring out the Ed
Richardson on Tuesday in place Of the
i'll fated Lee.
|, The fire was discovered in the cook.
, house, but the origin of il is not known.
The White brought mp all the passenger
and officers and crew of the Lee, free o.
; charge.