The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-01
THE RIVER DISASTER.
Particulars of the Sinking of the
Steamer Belmont.
struck by Tornado She CapsiZes-
Fourteen Persons Drowned
Effects of the Storm at
Evansville.

Evansville.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Aug. "A terrific
storm visited this portion Of the Ohio river
valley in the morning, during which the
steamer Belmont, the transfer boat between
this city and Henderson, KY, was entirely
destroyed, carrying down to watery grave
some welve or fifteen persons The steamer
left this city at O'Clock, having a number
OF passengers on board, also towing barge
containing two passenger coaches for the
Louisville q Nashville road containing about
sixty passengers Those in the cars were mostly
through passengers, while those on the boat
were nearly all Evansville people. When
about five miles below the city the storm,
which came on very suddenly, struck the
boat, but she bravely weathered the fury of
rain and wind, the pilot being able TO hold her
in the channel. The boat ran about four or
five miles during the storm, and was
about three miles from Henderson,
just above Towhead island when the
fury of the storm capsized her, breaking
her loose from the barge The steamer was
blown clear over bottom-side up, and went
down in two minutes after. The startling
suddenness of the accident prevented those
on board from any opportunity to get ON the
barge. The water came down in perfect
Sheets and the combined power of rain and
wind was irresistible, When the boat went
down all those in the cabin was drowned.
NAMES OF THE VICTIMS.
The lost are Mrs. NJ. s. Lyon, of Evans
vile, and her two daughters, Miss Laura
Lyon and Mrs Salie Bryan, who were en-
route to Madisonville, Ky; E. c. Roach, a
merchant of Evansville, and, and his son,
Keen Roach, years old; Capt John H.
Smith, master Of the steamer Belmont, also
of Evansville; Mrs Adde Murray and
child, of Brookville, Ala; Mrs.
Wookville, of Henderson, Ky; Alice
Bell teolored, of Evansville; also two
other colored women from Evansville, names
unknown. 1t is also supposed that gentle
man named Ptifer, with his wife, were lost
They had been visiting Jacob Kuhn Of this
city, a salesman for Mackey, Neshet & Co.,
and went on the Belmont at the city wharf
They reside in New Orleans.
The barge containing the railroad cars was
blown over to the Kentucky Shore and all
those on board were saved
SURVIVORS, STATEMENTS.
The special train from Henderson bearing
survivors of the boat disaster was DELAYED
by wreck, and did not arrive until 10
O'Clock. Deputy Pierce, of the Adams Ex-
press company was passenger, leaving
| Evansville at 80 a. m. The weather was
then perfectly calm. The steamer had been
| out only a short time when "a heavy
| gale came up. He saws; My
self and daughter remained on the
| barge. A black, funnel-shaped cloud came up
| from the northwest and the wind was terri
| ble, striking the steamer and turning it. The
| pilot tried to make for shore, but the boat
was umnanageable The wind struck the boat
full in the side breaking her fastenings to
| the barge and she sank, at the same time
turning over and evidently springing leak
A young married woman and child just
| before the storm struck lis went over to the
| boat, and were last seen in the cabin
| Her valise was marked J. g. Murray. and
she was from st. Louis On her way to Nash
vile. Two drummers and three of the boats
| crew slid to the upper side of the steamer
| got on its bottom, and were rescued by a
skill Our barge was blown to the Kentucky
| shore, three miles north of Henderson, and
was made fast to the shore Conductor
| Charles Wood did all in his power to save
the passengers Mood went to the shore and
walked to Henderson through the storm in
order TO get relief
Matt Bradley, chief train dispatcher of the
| Loui.Ni ille road, was ON the steamer when it
was struck by the cyclone. The Belmont
was towing the barge with two passenger
coaches, the express mail, and three freight
cars The steamer commenced rocking and
| straining The pilots tried to keep her in the
channel A panic seized the passengers, but
| the steamer stood the gale for half an hour.
| ] went on the barge, when suddenly there
was a Jerk, and the hawSer broke. The
| smoke-stack of the Belmont came
rafting down The steamer gave a
convulsive shock and keeled over. A
drummer, just before the upset, jumped in
the river and swan ashore Passengers on
the cars on the barge took the matter coolly
but to those on board the steamer the scene
| was most heartrending. The five women
were shrieking and appealing for some one
to save them. Excited men besieged Capt
Smith, begging him to do this and that. HI
remained cool, however, and cOunscled al
to remain calm, and although he lost his owl
life he saved many of the passengers. The
storm lasted only forty minutes. The rain
poured in torrents and the wind was the
strongest ever felt by those who expert
enced it.
EFFECT OF THE STORM IN EVANSVILLE.
The storm in Evansville caused immens'
damage Hundreds of houses were injured
roofs torn off, walls blown down, and hun
dreds of shade trees destroyed, Several wer
injured by flying timbers, and negro wa
killed below town by being struck by Il fall
ing wall Much damage to crop
is reported Among the heavies
losers are the following: J. II
Rockers building was mroofed ant
the walls blown down; a loss of 5000 TIL
Evansville cotton mill roof was torn off am
machinery damaged 10y water The Evans
Vile wooden mill roof was blown off am
machinery flooded; loss, $4,000. The Evans
Vile coffin works roof was ruined; loss s., ,00G
The steamer Josh V. Throop's chimney wer
blown down. and she was otherwise damaged
loss, 81, 200. The Canal street school house
a new building in course of erection, had it
| walls blown down; damage, $4,000. ~
Johns Evangelical Lutheran churc
steeple was blown down; loss $1,000. F
Smith. undertaken, building destroyed loss
5000. T. w. Venemann's transfer stables
walls blown down and roof fallen IN; los
$4,000 George He'll & Co, feed and agri
= cultural implements, building blown dow
and machinery destroyed; loss, $1,000 c. W
Ossenburg, grocery and residence, roof OF
and walls blown down; loss, $1,000. Arm
strong's Furniture company, roof off and il
terror flooded; loss, $1,000. The round
house at the Louisville & Nashville depo
is a total wreck. The roof was blow
off and walls crushed in, covering four loco
motives with brick, mortar and other debris
Charles Sursa, the engineer of No, S35, ha
an arm broken in two places. Dick Starl
his fireman, was also slightly injured. Th
loss by the destruction Of the round -hous
and the repair of engines is placed at 81, 0Ol
Telephone and telegraph wires were blow