The Dawson journal., 1883-04-19
T.ERRslS..z1 RIVER ACJI-
DENT.
Steamer Wyiiy Sunk and SIX
LIVES Lost.
Erfaula Bulletin.

Elfauia bulletin
Tie following startling telegram
from Fort Gaines, Ga, was bullctined
al the telegraph Office in this city yes
terday morning:
FoRr GAINES, GA, April IL
The steamer WyHy coIhded with the
brid e over the river al this point.
about len o'clock last might, ilth inst
The cabin of the boat was thrown off
and the steamer rapidly sunk. She
had aboard fifteen passengers. The
steamer Tbronateoska picked up the
following Geo Haiues, of Columbus,
and Simon Berry, colored pilot on
the boat.
KVOWN TO BE LOST
Dan Palmer, purs at the Wylly
y. Rivers, of lola, Fl T., Second
Clerk negro child and three deck
hands.
We are told that Mr.. Dan Palmer
bad been married only a fcw months
He left letter as the boat pass d here
with Mr.. T. Z w Calm, wharf clerk
to be mailed to his wife at Colu nbus,
Ga.
Mr.. Rivers was married and has two
dau- hter3 living with their grandfather,
Rev Dr.. Rivers, at Greenriila Ala
hama
FURTdER PARTICCLARs-R OF
An EYE wITNE,s.
Mr. II. J. Deal of baltimore, who
is travelling for Jackson 81 Tyler. rail-
way mlclinists nd manufacturers OF
mill supplies, of that city, was one the
passengers on the ill-fai ed boat, and
from him wa got the fo lowing parlicu-
lars in an inter view last afternoon at
his room at the 81 Julien.
The Goe. W, Wylly at the time Of
the accident was in command Of Capt.
Tom Whiteside. She had aboard a
crew Of 81 persons and is passengers,
or SO sou 5 in all M~st of the pas
sengers were ia their ate rooms aud
ali seemed to be going ely and
smoothly, when sud 'eilya tremendous
shock was iett thar startled all on board
and Shey hurried FROM their be, tbs and
began to buckle on ,fe preservers and
make for tho hulricane deck and
guards 70 see what was the matter, but
Iii anoinar momeat the whole cabin
careened and tearing away from the
hill rolled over Into soft water. The
boat had struck one of the piers to the
| erldge-the current pe.ng so swift AT
hat point that the pilit lost controi ol
the boat and thus it strBck tie pier
with tremendous force, breaking in the
side of tde hrlI and plunging the cabin
upper deck, boilers and everything ou
the boiler deck into the river. Ihi.
was about l0a o'clock at night. The
Passengers an por,i Of the crew
III all about thirty persons -cIung tc
the cabin and succeeded III climbing
upon the hurricane deck, an were
foated off down the river at the rate Of
ateDt s miles an hour. The hui
broke in two and turned oser. and {
few persons elung to it or such ohjec,
as they could get hold of, Capt White,
side saved himself by clinging to a
| Hour barrel. Mr.. Deal remembers on
ly the following pas ssengers aboard, all
Of whom were saved, but says not q
passenger was lost Geo. " Haiues
Of Columbus who is in charge of the
Government DIRE lge boat on. the river
\ j Smith, of Opelika Jas. Russell
of Columbus. GA; \ VI Villa MS, Of
Gordop's Landing G ; Harris, oi
Aarling.o on Ga; j I Davis of Colum.
bus, Henry cou 'ty; j. T. Clark, oI
West Point Ga, wDo was severely
bFuIsel' by furniture and other article,
falling against or upon hin.
These and others foated off on the
wreck, until Adelphus Cooper and ST.
mon Berry, co4ored men, discovered a
skifF cliugiUg to the wreck, and they
nulled 1t up anI empted the water
from it, and with such paddles as they
could inpro' Use, began to land those
on the wreck iii squads of four. Mr.
Deal says these two men acted very
nobiy and stood by the wreck to the
last. The last squad of six were AN
ded at Samford's landing on tne Geor
ga side, about twelve miles below
For Gaines. Soon the steamer ThrolG-
ate Ma came up and brought Mr.,
Deal and others who had been landed.
to Fort Gaines. The total missing
numbers seven.
All baggage, book, cargo and boat
are total loss. A few lnoments before
the boat struck Mr.. Hanes deposited
in the safe $3.50
We received a special of the disaster
last night, but its contents are above
Sc forth
SEARCHING FOI THE LOT.
Messrs Palmer and johnson, of
Columbus, Ga, the forwer brother Of
Mr. II. l. Palmer, who was lost in the
liver disaster of last Wednesday night
at Fort Gaines, arrived here by rail on
the 1920 night train Yesterday, and.
securing a horse and bugg,, imnedi.
ately left for the scene of the disaster
10 institute search for the bodies Of
Mr.. H. l.. Palmer, and Mr.. w. J
Rivers. They think as does Mr.. H
j. Deal, a passenger on the Willy,
that when the boat struck the pier,
Mr.. Palmer aud Mr. Rivers rushed in
to the Office to save the books or other
yaluables, and that as the front part Of
the boat went down first, they were
eau ,,ht in ,he Office and drowned be-
fore they cnmld yet ont and thnt th.ir