The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-03-07

standing in the cabin 1T the
time, felt a sudden and heavy jar.
rushed on deck and found that
the steamer had struck some OBJ
.truction and had stove "A large hole
in her port side. The shore was
near by, and he ordered the pilot to
put her into the bank. This was
done and a number of rousters and
Pat Clark, the Waterman, got ashore
with a line.
SAVING THE PASSENGERS.
Captain Sullivan then instructed the
first mate, Chris Kerns, to arouse
all the passengers. While KeIns
was doing this Captain Sullivan de-
scended to the lower deck to assist
in steering the boat to the shore.
When he reached it he found the
rushing over the deck from
the port side, and he saw hat fur
Their effort was useless, as the boat
had caught in an eddy and drifted
from the shore. He reached the up
per deck, climbed up by the cabin
stanchious and, supporting himself
by the hog-chain, made his way to
the rear of the cabin roof, where a
number of the passengers and crew
had congregated.
ENGULPHED IN THE WATER.
At this moment the boat vent
and all who had gathered on
the roof as a place of safety were
thrown into the water. Several of
them went down with the. boat,
which at this time was $50 yards
from the shore. Others supported
themselves on planks and otherfloor-
ing material until the cabin rose to
the surface, when fifteen Of them sue
ceeded in reachingit. After floating
down the river about four miles
they were rescued by the Steames
st. John, whose officers and passen-
gers received them with the utmost
kindness, provided them with cloth
ing, and carried them up the river
until the Steamer Bell was met, when
they were transferred to that
vessel and brought back to the city.
Captain Sullivan says that the
night was raw and the water very
cold, and those who escaped on the
floating cabin were nearly frozen
when taken of. He says he never
saw Mate Kerns after instructing him
to awaken the passengers. He is
placed among the lost.
THE CHIEF CLERKS STATEMENT.
The chief clerk, w. B. Foulke, also
among the saved, corroborates the
captains statement. He was pre-
pairing to 90 to work in his office
when the Yazoo struck the obstruc-
ton. He rushed out of his state
room half-dressed. and attempted to
save the books and papers, but could
not open the safe. When he reached
the deck, which he did by sliding
down the nosing, he found it under
water. The boat sank immediate
ly afterwards, and left him in the
water.
He secured one end of a plank, a
rouster having the other end, and
they managed to keep ahoat until
the cabin rose to the surface, when
they got on it.
Captain Sullivan and clerk Foulk
agree upon the following list ofmiss-
ing, who are supposed to have been
drowned:
THE DROWNED.
Mrs. C. p. Lewis, Chicago, cabin
passenger.
Chris Kern, first mate.
Lee Carpenter, second clerk.
John Franks, carpenter.
Colored chambermaid. name un-
known.
Daniel Lightner, colored stew
ard.
A colored woman, name unknown,
passenger.
An infant child of Pilot Z. T..
Celey.
-Four or five deck passengers names
unknown.
Five negro roustabouts, names I'M
known.
1t is probable that a larges num-
Der of rousters YER lost. About if-
teen are known to have been saved.
There we're twenty aboard, accord
ing to Captain Sullivans statement,
and twenty.seven according to that
of Patrick Clark, the second mate.
The latter was brought more directly
in contact with the rousters, and his
estimate of the number is probably
correct. Second Clerk Lee and Car
penter Franks are supposed to have
gone down with the boat. The va
zoo sunk in less than eight minutes
after striking. She was q small
steamer, valued at $500 and was
insured for $1,000 in the Peoples Of
New Orleans, and Eureka of Cincin-
natl. The personal effects of the pas
sengers and crew were lost.