Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-31
EVANSVILLE'S ICE WIND.
10 OR 20 LIVES LOST BY THE
BELMONTS CAPSIZiNG.

The Horrors of the Death but of a Mo-
ments DuratiOn-SurYivOrs Pierced
to the Heart by the Shrieks of the III
Fated Women and Children.
EVANSVILLE, IND, Aug. 30.-Ohe of the
survivors states that the passengers on the
lost steamer Belmont were terror stricken
some time before the accident occurred,
and when the boat actually capsized it
was all over in few seconds. The cir
cumstances were such that those who re-
manned on the barge saw the steamboat
sink with all on board without being able
to assist them. The boat lies in fourteen
feet of water and will be a total loss.
She was built in Pittsburg three years
ago at a cost of $22, 900. When the ropes
broke the wind drove the barge ashore.
The horror of the calamity continues
to throw gloom over the city. 1t hap
pened that most of the through passen-
gers on their way from here to Hender-
son were in the cars on the barge while
those on the steamer Belmont were
mostly Evansville and Henderson people.
The fury of the storm was inconceivable
and its work was done swiftly. Three times
the cables lashing the barge to the boat
were snapped, and the last time the barge
floated away out of reach. Then it was
that the boat with sudden lurch, too
sudden to permit the escape of her pas
sengers, turned over in fifteen feet of
water, about the deepest between here
and Henderson. During the fierceness OF
the storm Capt. Smith ordered the cabin
doors locked to keep out the drenching
rain. When the last attack of wind came
the pilot was steering the vessel for a
sand-bar to run her aground. The Cap
tain ordered him to keep in the channel,
to back her and keep her steady. When
the boat stopped the wind seemed literally
to take hold of her and turn her over.
HANGING TO THE KEEL.
Mr.. Mitchell, of Evansville, was in the
cabin, and thinking of the danger of cap
sizing, had, with the assistance of Sam
Butler, of Evansville, forced open the
door of the cabin. They got out on deck
just as the boat began to careen, and by
an unusual effort managed to hold on
while the boat went over, and in holding
on to her upturned keel. Pilot James
Kay, First Engineer Robert Reddington,
Milton Long, of Evansville, and another
person whose name is not known,
also succeeded in holding on to
the wreck till taken off by skiff. Mr..
Mitchell says that the screams Of the
helpless women and children in the cabin
as the boat went over rang above the fury
of the storm. He saw Mr.. Kooch, one of
the lost, try to get out, but the boat had
turned so far over that he fell helpless
against the lowest side of the cabin. There
were many narrow escapes besides
those above named. Joseph W. Reid, of
Evansville, jumped to the barge, but was
almost blown into the river. Dorsey
Pierce, an express messenger, and Mat
Brasley, chief train dispatcher, also had
narrow escapes. Late last night diver
was sent from Henderson and recovered
the body of an elderly woman having
valise marked 81. W. NJ" and a collar
marked ''Martin.'' She had been drowned
in the cabin. The diver will be able to
recover all the bodies soon,
DETAILS STILL COMING IN.
The details of the storm are coming in
slowly. There was no storm above Prince
ton or ROckport, Ind. Great destruction
occurred near Harmony, Carmi, Gray
vile, Mount Vernon, UniontoWn and
Henderson. Houses, timber and crops
were destroyed in this section, but no
lives were lost. Telegraph lines are all
up and full particulars are expected TO-
night. The damage to shipping was slight,
excepting the capsiZing of the steamer
so far, but diver Hill will try to recover
the ten or fifteen bodies that are still sup
posed to be in the wreck. In Uniontown
the Commercial Hotel was unroofed and
other buildings damaged. The opera
house at Henderson was unroOfed and
many buildings injured. The loss to
Evansville is very heavy, and in the cOun-
try barns and crops suffered greatly. A
heavy hail mas injured the corn crop. The
steamers damaged at their landings are
being repaired.