St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-15
SCORES OF LIVES LOST.
Total Destruction by Fire Of the Palatiai
River Steamer ]. Il. White, Near
Baton Rouge, La.
The Boat Burned to the Waters Edge in
Fifteen Minutes After the Flames
Were Discovered.
Frantic But Unavailing Attempts of
Those On Board to Save
Themselves.
Those Who Were Not Cremated
Found a Watery Grave--Sur-
Vivorss Tales.


BATON ROUGE. La, Dec. 14.-The
steamboat j. NJ. White, from VickSburg to
New Orleans, was burned at 10 o'clock last
night at Blue Stone Point Coupe, thirty
miles above Baton Rouge. She had quite
number of passengers aboard, 2,10O bales
of cotton and 5000 sacks of seed. The
boat and cargo are total loss. The 5. NJ.
White was built in 1878 at cost of $780,
600. and was regarded by many as the finest
and fastest boat ever run on the Mississippi
river. The boat was owned by Capt. NJ.
Tobin and was valued at 500, 600; the
cargo at $50, O0O. The insurance on the
boat is but $50, 600. The boat had landed
to take on cotton seed, and there were be-
tween thirty and forty rousiabouts engaged
i'll this work. At precisely 1915 O'Clock
everybody was startled by the loud
RINGING OF THE BELL
by the watchman. Immediately after the
cry of fire" was taken up by twenty voices
In al instant the direst confusion reigned
Men darted to and fro. and the work of
arousing the sleeping passengers was begun.
The fire was discovered by Thomas Barry,
the second engineer who, with his partner,
Stephen Jenney. was on watch. The first
intimation he had of fire was small light
on the top of row Of cotton bales amid
ship, which greatly reSembled the flame Of
lantern. Barry left his post TO inveSti-
gate, and was aStounded to discover that
the light was caused by bale of cotton
briSkly burning Barry gave the alarm,
and his voice rarg through the deck room
~, 4To4 Miilo- tnnl- in a
situation at once and rang the huge bell
located Oh the second deck. Miller stood
at his post ringing the bell until he was
forced to retreat by the encroaching flames.
The noise of the changing bell aroused
William McGreevy, the chief engineer, who
was asleep III the texas" He
SPRANG OUT OF BED
and CROPPED his way through the same to
wake up his partner, John Pallasier, second
assistant engineer, who was asleep in the
forward part of the texas" About midway
he met Pallasier, who had also been
aroused by the bell, and was on his way to
hunt for McGTeevy. The two men then
looked as best they could through the
sitting smoke for the others who slept in
the texas" but not seeing any one, and be-
lieving that all but themselves had left,
they crawled out on the hurricane deck and
were compelled to climb down on one of the
stanchions to the right side of the boat,
where they got on shore. In the
meantime two streams OF water
were brought 10 play on the fire, but the
heavy black volumes of smoke drove the
engineers back. They fought the flames
step by step, but were at last forced to drop
the hose and save themselves. The fire
burned with frightful rapidity, and in less
time than it takes to tell it the entire left
side Of the boat was mass of flames. The
fire soon caught the railing of the cabin
deck, and before any assistance was to be
had the boat looked as if she was enclrcled
by a stream Of fire. The cracking Of the
flames and the shriekS of the passengers
now caused the most intense excitement.
When the alarm was first sounded AleXan-
der McVav, head clerk, was sitting at the
stove in his cabin. The first peal Of the
bell caused him to rush outside, and seeing
the
FLAMES LEAP IN THE AIR,
he ran back to the cabin and endeavored to
get the books and money. The fire gained
RAPIDLY OF him. and he was compelled to
leave the office, but not before he had Sc
cured sum of money from the safe. Mr..
McVay then turned his attention to saving
the cabin passengers of whom there were
about fifteen or eighteen. including eight
ladies' He first awOke Second Clerk John
Callahan. who ran out of his room in his
undershirt and trousers. Callahan and Nc
Way went to each room and awOke the in
mates. The terrified passengers quickly
got out, nearly all of them in their night
clothes. Among them was q gentleman,
name unknown but recognized as Superin-
tendent of the Vidalia Southern railroad.
He had his wife and two children, girls of 9
and 12 years. with him. He called them
around him, and babe them follow him.
Bv this time the flames had reached the
cabin. through which thick smoke was roll
ing.
THE PANIC-STRICKEN PASSENGERS
quickly made for an entrance, some to the
stern and others TO the front. The gentle
man referred to was among those that went
to the stern. Upon reaching the deck nc
grasped his two children, one at q time, and
threw them into the river. Before he and his
wife could follow the flames had reahed them
and they were burned to death. The two
pilots on watch, John Stout and Bob Smith.
were in the pilot house, and were compelled
to jump into the river, where they were
picked up. They had narrow escape from
death. The fire burned so quickly that it
was impossible to see who was saved and who
was lost. The deck was crowded with roust-
latter having got on the vessel at the New
Texas landing, just above where the boat was
burned. Nearly all of these were lost.
While the passengers and crew were escap-
ing from the boat
TIE STEAM PIPE BLEW UP
and was spurted 800 yards i'll the air The
force of the explosion caused over twenty
Dales of burning cotton TO be hurled high up
in the air, where they revolved several times
and then fell into the river. immediately
after the explosion shriekS were heard com
ing from the stern Of the vessel. For an
instant two colored women were seen stand
ing on the galley just back Of the wheel
house and the next instant they were hidden
from view by the smoke and flames. The
first part of the boat to give way was the
wheel house. 1t fell into the water, and g
draft being created, the flames swept through
the center of the boat. Those who escaped
were taken away by the steamboat Stella
Wild. which plies between Bayou Sara ano
Natchez. AS the Wild was backing out,
FOUR KEGS OF GUNPoTD DER
that were in the hold exploded, an1 cotton
and burning timbers were hurled in all direc-
ions This virtually put the fire out anG
eybat was once palatial steamer was now 6
blackened wreck. When the Wild reached
the river a loud cry for help came from the
middle OF the ST. cam. boat was lowered
ard was quickly pulled in the direction of the
crv. Through the darkness the crew saw the
fv11re OF a man graSping bale Of cotton, bu
before they could reach him the bale turneC
over. and when it was righted the man wa:
gone.
AT NEW ORLEANS.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 14.-Several survivor:
ofthe disaster reached this city to-day by thu
mississippi Valley road from Baton Rouge
They had been taken to that point by th'
9teomer Stella Wild which came along sooI
ofter the destruction of the White. Col. l.
3 flames was taken to his residence on his
arrival. where he is in a critical condition
He stated that the sight was horrifying and
could not be told. He declares there mus
have been