Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-27
ATHRILLING STORY
Of the Sinking Of the Towboat
"Am0s."
How the Accident Occurred and the Terrible
Experience of Some of the Crew
Who Were Saved and by
What Means.

The telegraph. yesterday morning,
brought brief account of the sinking Of
the towboat Amos, of the Monitor Towboal
and Lumber Company, of this city, which
struck a pier of the Fort Wayne railroad
bridge on Friday night. A fuller account
contains much OF interest. The boat was
better known here as the c. w. Hornbrook,
named from the third son of Capt. Ed
Hornbrook, who built her.
No person except members OF the crew
were aboard. Tom Hauser, of New Martins
vile, W. Va, a deck hand, is supposed to
have been lost, as he had not been found
at midnight. Those saved were Thomas
Stockdale, OF Wheeling, Captain, and in
charge OF the wheel when the accident
happened; A. c. Donbargar, of Parkers.
burg, pilot; John Russell, of Wheeling and
VIM. Davis, of Sunfish, engineers; James
JOY, of Sardis, and Z. Cunningham, OF
Muses. Bar, firemen; Charles Ray, Of
Parkersburg, Scott Sprague, OF Lowell, and
NJ. Potts, OF New Martinsville, deck hands;
and Dora Brown, OF Martins Ferry, cook.
The boat was valued at $4,000. and it was
thought by members Of the crew to be in
sured Mr. Armstrong OF Wheeling, was
president OF the company that owned the
used in towing in the pools up the Monon.
gahela.
DISASTROUS TEIr.
On Friday morning it came down and
did nothing during the day. About :
o'clock at night Capt. Stockdale took the
boat up to Twenty.eighth street to get
barge. The barge was not in condition 10
be brought down, and shortly before 10
o'clock the return trip was begun. 1t was
the intention of the Captain to 60 up the
Monongahela that night and come back in
the morning. Owing to the heavy smoke
which hung over the river, Captain Stock
dale did not see the bridge until about 80
feet distant. He was coming down under
slow bells. When he caught sight OF the
pier the bow of the boat was pointing d.
rectly towards it. He rang to back the en-.
CINE, but the current was too swift, and
the boat was not materially checked till on
the larboard side, near the bow, 1t struck
the pier. Immediately the larboard side
of the boat was lifted outside OF the water,
and the starboard side went under to a
depth of eight or ten feet. The stern
swung around. throwing the boat across
the pier, with the bow pointing towards
Allegheny. 1t is thought the hull is bro
ken in two. The forward cabin and pilot
house iloated away, but the aft cabin re-
manned.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
When the Captain saw that the boat
would strike, he shouted as loud as he
could for everybody to to take care OF them
selves. When the collision occurred the
Captain was thrown from the starboard
side into the water and under the sinking
boat. Last night, in relating his expert
ence, he said: 81 cannot tell how | was
saved. Twice got my head out OF water,
only to be pushed blck again by the crash
ing timber. Once | thought ! was gone
sure. The third time, however, that |
got my head out of water, grabbed
piece of the boat, got on it and was taken
away"
The most thrilling escape was that ex-
perienced by the pilot, John Russell, one
of the engineers, and the cook. Russell
and the pilot had gotten into their berths.
The former was asleep, but the latter ex-
pecting to get up in a short time, was
awake. The cook was sitting in the cabin.
When the boat struck the pier both Rms
sell and the pilot rushed into the cabin
with nothing on but their undertaking.
hardly had they reached the cabin before
long extension table was thrown against
Dunbargar, the pilot, and Miss Brown, the
cook, who had grasped the arm of the
former. So strong was the force OF the
table thrown against them that the
two were knocked through the bulk.
head under the sinking boat. Russell
was thrown through the window OF a
door, his hands and feet being cut. The
woman screamed and continued to hold to
the arm of the pilot. She chung to his
arm till he finally got both out Of the
aituatinn The aspane Of thp
two seemed almost miraculous. Dunbar
ger struggled in the water the boat break
ing to pieces above him and his compan-
ion clinging to his arm. Finally he pul led
himself up by catching pieces Of the bro
ken timber. In the same way Russell es.
capped. He declared that he was under
water five minutes. Others OF the crew
Jumped into the water. One or two man.
aged to get upon the boat while the re-
mainder attempted to swim ashore.
HOW TIE CREW WAS SAVED.
As soon as the accident occurred, few
persons who CHANGED to witness it, fastened
TO rescue the survivors. A party secured
a rope, and going on the railroad bridge
above the wreck, aided several OF the shiv.
eriLg unfortunates to escape. John Powers
and Hugh Mclntire took skif and res.
cued the pilot, the cook and Russell, the
three that had snCh narrow escape. Idt-
rick Luther rowed TO the few who were
swimming down the river. Immediately
after the party we're saved, all but the
captain and cook secured dry clothes at
the boat houses along the river. The two
mentioned went to the residence Of Cap
tain John Kennedy, on First avenue,
where they were provided for.
About midnight the captain. a tall slim
man with heavy whiskers, joined his crew,
who were huddled in the boat house lying
above the Sixth street bridge. Anybody
lost" was his first question. When told
that deck hand was missing look Of sad
ness came over his countenance. and he
said: well, we may be thankful that our
lives are spared. 1t was narrow escape,
tell you"
The pilot telegraphed to Wheeling imme-
diately after his rescue. informing the pro
prietors of the boat of the accident. The
Amos was about seven years old and with
in the past two years had been renovated.
She had no freight aboard. The men lost
their clothes, The pilot lost his watch, a new
suit of clothes and other things TO the
value Of $3.50. Several of the crew lost a
month or two Of their pay that they had
been saving.