The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-05
Passengers and Crew Struggling Bravely for
Life in an Ice-Cold River in the
Dead of Night.
Out of Forty Persons, Only Fifteen
Known to Be Saved.
Partial List of Those Known to Be Lost-Cool
and Courageous Conduct OF the
Boats Officers.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


negro roustabout, who stated that she had
been caught in an eddy and capsized, and
about fifty persons had been drowned.
Captain Sullivan, Chief Clerk Foulke and
thirteen others of the crew and passengers
of the Yazoo reached the city tonight on
tug dispatched by the Times-Democrat to
the scene of disaster, and on the steamer
Jesse K. Bell, and from them the true story
of the disaster was learned. Captain Sulli-
van was interviewed by your correspondent,
and gave the following account of the dis
aster:
The Yazoo left this city at o'clock Satur-
day afternoon, on her way to bayous Tensas
and Macon, with two-thirds of cargo aboard,
and about forty people among her passengers
and crew. At 12:45 o'clock this morning,
when the steamer was opposite Thirty-five-
mile Point, Captain Sullivan, who was stand
ing in the cabin at the time, felt sudden
and heavy jar. He rushed on deck
and found that the steamer had
struck some obstruction and had stove
large hole in her port side. The shore was
near by, and he ordered the pilot on duty to
put her into the bank. This was DONE and
a number of rousters, and Pat Clark, the
Waterman, got ashore with line, Captain
Sullivan then instructed the first mate, Chris
Kerns, to arouse all the passengers. While
Kerns was doing this, Captain Sullivan de-
scended to the lower deck to assist in steer
reached it he found water rushing over it
from the port side, and saw that further
effort was useless, as the boat had caught in
an eddy and drifted from shore. He reached
the upper deck, climbed up by the cabin
Sanctions, and, supporting himself by the
hog chain, made his way to the rear of the
cabin roof, where a number of the passen-
gers and crew had congregated
At this moment the boat went
down. and all who had gathered
on the roof as place of safety were thrown
into the water. Several of them went down
with the boat, which at this time was one
hundred and fifty yards from the shore;
others supported themselves on planks and
other floating material until the cabin rose
ceeded in reaching it.
RESCUE OF THE SURVIVORS.
After floating down the river about four
miles they were rescued by the steamer st.
John, whose officers and passengers received
them with the utmost kindness. provided
them with clothing, 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 the night
was raw and the water very cold, and those
who escaped on the floating cabin were
nearly frozen when taken off. He says he
nevor saw Mate Kerns after instructing him
to wake the passengers He is placed among
the lost.
The chief clerk, W. B. Foulke, is among
the saved, and corroborates the captains
statement. He was preparing to go to work
in his office when the Yazoo struck the OBJ
struction. 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 slid
ing down the nosing, he found
it under water. The boat sunk Immediately
after, and left him in the water. He secured
one end OF plank, rooster having the
other end, and they managed to keep afoat
untilthe cabin rose to the surface, when they
got on it.
Captain Sullivan and Clerk Foulke agree
upon the following list of missing who are
supposed to have been drowned:
Mrs. C. z. Lewis, of Chicago, cabin pas
senger; Chris Kerns, first mate; Lee Car
penter, second clerk; ] ohm Franks, carpenter
a colored chambermad, name unknown;
Daniel Lightner, steward colored women,
name unknown, cabin passenger; an infant
child of Pilot r. E. Cooley; four or five deck
passengers, names unknown; five negroes,
names unknown.
1t is probable that large number of
rousters were lost About fifteen are known
to have been saved. There were twenty
aboard according to Captain Sullivan's state
ment, and twenty-seven according to that of
Pat Clark, the second mate. The latter was
brought more directly in contact with the
and his estimate of the number is
probably correct
Mrs. Lewis was on her way to her plapta-
ton OH Bayou Tensas, which she has been in
the habit of visiting every winter. She had
been aroused from Sleep and had succeeded
in reaching the roof the deck
when the Yazoo went down.
The infant of Pilot Cooley had also been car
ried to the roof when the boat sunk. Its
father was engaged in saving the mother,
and the child was swept away before any
thing could be done to prevent it from
drowning. Miss H. Daniels, lady
passenger, was aroused from sleep
by Mate Kerns, and was slow
ly adjusting her clothing unconscious
of the danger, when the door of her state
room was burst open by her cousin, ]. H.