Daily Republican., 1886-12-15
sixty LIVES LOST.
}. m. WHITE DESTROYED
by FIRE.
s. Besrt-RendiDg Sight-Women ana
Children Perish-ysssel Bnrned,
to the Waters Edge.

boat j. A. White. from Vieksburg for
New Orleans, was burned AZ 10 O'Clock
iast night as Blue Store, Point C0upee,
| thirty mice above Baton Rouge. She
had pass gers On board, and the loss
Iof life is estimated at 60. Several sur
vivoys of the disaster reached this city
| to-day by the M!ssiesippi Valley Rail-
road from Baton koass They had been
taken to that poins by the steamer
iStella Wilde, which came along soon
after the destruction of the White.
STORY oB TRD DIsAsTER.
The States has the folio wing account,
gathered from the officers and crew:
The boat bad landed to lake on pile Of
Icottouseed, and there were between
thirty-ava and forty rous5abouts en-
gagged IN this work, ghan precisely at
10 18 O'Clock every k'ody was startled by
| the loud ringing of the bsli by Watch
man Tom Miller. Immediately after
the erie of 'hre!' was taken up by
twenty voices. In an iDssant the dIrest
confusion reigred.
Men Garted TO and fro and the work
of sroustng the sleeping passengers was
begun. The fire was discovered by
Thomas Barry, tae second engineer,
who, with his partner, Steven Janney,
was on watch At the time. The FIRST in
tim alton he had of fEe was n zmall
liRhs on the top of Q row of cotton bales
Eamidships, which greatly resemb bled the
fame Of q lantern. Barry left his post
Ito investigate, and WAS Rstonished to
discover that the light was caused by
bale OF cotton bIiskly burning.
Barry gave the alarm, and his voice
tsang through tins deck room of the yes.
sci, Watchmau Miller took in the
situation at once, and rang the huge
bell located on the second deck.
| TIE TERRIFIED PAsSENGRaa..
The terrified passengers quickly got
oat, nearly all Of them in their plight
garments. Among them was . gentle
Imam, name unkr own, but recognized
az superintendent of the Vidalia South
fern Rsilroad. He had his wife and two
iehiidren, girls, of niae and twelve ears,
with him. He osllsd them around him
and bade then follow him. By this
i time the flames had reached the cabin,
Through which thick smoke was roll
ing. The Ianic-ssyickan~4 passengers
lquickly made for a. entrance. some to
tine stern and the 0thsrs 70. the 'front.'
The gentleman referred to was among
lthose that went to the stern. Upon
Preaching the deck he graSped his two
tchild-en, one at tim5, and throw them
into the river. Before he and his wife
icould follow the flames had reached
them, and they were bprnsd to death.
THE two pilcss on watch. John Stout
land Bob Smith, were in the pilot house
land wera compelled to jump into the
Iriver, where they were picked MP. They
had narrow escape from death.
AN EXPLOSION. OCCURS.
l While the passengers and cpsw were
, iescsping from the boat, the staam-pipe
, BILE n up, and was hurled 800 yards in
, the air. The forge OF the explosion
caused over twenty bales OF burning
cotton 10 bs hurled high IN the air,
lVhers .hey revoiYed several times and
then K Ii into the river.
Lmuediatsly aftsr the explosion
shrieks were heard comiag fgom the
lsbern Of the vessel. For aa,inssant two
. cnlosed women were soen standing OF
= tue galley just back of the wheelhouBe
4 ana the nexs instant they were hidden
!. tram view by the smoke and flame
|, The first part of the boat to give way
y Was tina wheelhouse. Il fell into the
!. water, and a craft being created the
o Names we-a Sept Though the centre o
, the boat,
III Those who escaped were taken away
= from tho scane by she steamboat Stell'
!, Wild, which plies between Bayou Sars
" and Nstehes As the Wild was back
Il ing ort four kegs of guppowder tina
e were in the hold exploded, and cotsol
a and burning timbers were hurled in al
II directions. This virtually pat the fir
T. iout, and what was once o palatia
Ia steamer was now a blackened wreck
1e When the wild reached the river
q Loud cry for help came from thu midd'
IN OF the stream, a boat was lowere,
p, and was quickly pulled in the direc
ton of the cry. Through the dArEnes
the crew saw the figure Of q man GRASP
ing bale Of cotton, bus before the
lcoulo reach him the bale turned oveI
and when it was righted the man wa
gone.
Captain Eer ~ c. Brown, State Er
b, tRineer, who was a passenger on tn
!. White, estimates the loss of life at onl
q thirty. six.