The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-09-11
lNGULFED BY THE OHIO.
Terrible Work Wrought by a
Hurricane Near Hender.
son, Ky.
A Railway Transfer Steamer Capsized
in Mid-river and Seventeen
Lives Lost.
Evansville und.) special.

Evansville Undl special.
A tornado lasting fully an hour struck this
city mt $50 this morning. When the storm
ceased aud view OF the damage done was had
1t presented terrible sight. The city had been
raked from one end To the other. Not manu-
factory In II entirely escaped injury. Most seri-
ouSly damaged are the Evansville Cotton Mills.
Flow Works, $4,000; Armstrong Furniture
Company. about ~ 900. large school building
In course Of construct on. and which needed but
root for completion collapsed totally. On es-
cry street cellars are flooded, trees and fences
lavylcd, and tclegraphic and telephone comnu-
nications nlmast entirely suspended: Hun-
drrds OF small dwellings and stables are
razcd To the ground, and families left without
shelter. The scene on the river was ave- -inspr-
Ing. Waves lashcd themselves into unspeak-
able fury, and, dashing twenty and thirty feet
high, small steamers and tugs were broken
from their moorinKs and grounded, or blown up
river to sand bars, where they were grounded. The
Louisville and Nashville transfer barge. with six
cars, was blown from the railway dock and went
hard aground on a bar two miles from where II
started The steamers Josh v. Throop and Sill
ycrthorn were caught by the wind, chimneys
blown overheard, and boats otherwise badly
riddlcd. The James Dlackman was blown out
! in the river and swanped.
But the most horrible and saddest news Of all
Ii the sinking OF the transfer steamer Belmont
and seventeen passengers who were on board
The Belmont lett here at 80 this morning with
u south bound passenger train on barge.
4 About eight miles helow here the storm came
M, aud part of the passengers, horror stricken,
| fled from the cars 10 the steamer for safety.
/ The barge was torn from the steamer and
1 driven In shore hard aground. while the cy-
/ clone seized the steamer and eapsi2ed ",
1 the boat going down bottom upward.
1 The pilot, cook, and engineer jumped
\ on the barge as the steamer went down.
/ All tho others were In the cabin, and
unable to escape. The only officer OF the boat
/ lost was John III. Smith, the captain Those
| lost are ~ follows: Mrs. W. =. Lyon and daugh-
tiers: Miss Laura Lyon; Mrs. Sarah Bryant;
i. 9. Roach and son; Capt. John Smith, o.
/ Mrs. Addic Murray, baby, and niece; Mrs
Laura Morton. of Brarficld, Ala; Mrs. Wood
vile, Henderson. KY: another white lady
name unknown: Mrs. Arthur Hamilton. colored
the l2-ycar-old daughter Of Emma Bell, colored
/ colored man. name unknown, with boy and
/ girl. Those who remained in the cars on tht
/ barge were compelled to sit down with fdl,
hands and watch the death of their companions
In conversation with one OF the survivors ht
said. 1T was such n scene as l shall never for
| get. We were trying To get on tho bank Tht
| women were huddled In the cabin, some weep
Ing. others sitting quietly, fearing the worst, We
/ prepared Tor the inevitable. suddenly, without
warning. the boat careened on her side, the gu,
barge and Just reached II when / fhurd a gurgle
/ and looking around, the boat had gone dowl
head first and there was nothing visible but th,
| bottom.
The boat lies in fourteen feet of water and vii
he a total loss. she was built in Pittsburgh II
1881. cost So 900, and was insured for $4,000
She has been running as transfer packet abou
\ year and half, and has Meathcrcd severa
gales.