Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-10-16
STEAMER BLOWN UP.
The Boiler Of the La Mascotte ExpIodes and
the Boat is Destroyed by Fire.
Twenty or Thirty Lives Lost-Partisl List
of Dead and Wounded.

At + o'clock on the evsning OF the 9TH, the
very disastrous news of the explosion and
burning of the steamer La MascOtte was
received at Cape Girartleau, No, the news
being brought there by the steamer Eagle,
which at the time the explosion occurred
was within hall a mile of the disaster. La
Mascotte left the wharf at > o'clock "a. IN.
her regular time, and blew up Just above
Neeley's Landiag, caught fire and burned
to the waters edge. She had on board
some sixty persons. including crew and
passengers. From best accounts there
were about twenty passengers on board,
all EXCEPT one from Cape tIirardeaU. Be
tween twenty-five and thirty-tive are sup
posed TO have been lost. 1t is almost i'm
possible to give correct account Of the
lives lost and those missing, the cabin reg
lister being lost. Among those known to be
lost to "A certainty are:
Roy Perkins, first clerk.
Mrs William Wheeler and two children.
Judge William Hager, presiding justice OF
County Court OF Cape Girardeau County,
and wife.
Fritz Lind.
Mrs. Kruger.
Billy OBrien, head engineer, of Evans
vile, Ind.
Four dead bodies were brought down on
the Eagle, supposed to be Mrs. Barnes and
children, OF PuXico, Mo-, and the chamber
maid. colOred.
Some twelve or fifteen seriously wounded
were also brought down. Among those
! injured and saved are II. L. Geayeau, pilot
who was in the pilot-hOuse when the acci-
| dent occurred; he is injured internally by a
! blow and was taken to the st. Charles
| Hotel.
! At the Sisters OF Mercy Hospital are the
| second mate, one carpenter and q scrub
| boy, that are severely burned about the
/ heads and bodies. The carpenter, ID. :.
| Davidson, is also burned internally. There
| are also ten deck-hands at the hospital that
are the most horribly scalded, and some OF
| them can not live. Some OF the deck-hands
| have not "A siX-inch space that was not
| scalded and denuded OF skin. The names
of hese deck-hands are asfOllOws, as far as
| can he learned:
Or. Chapman, of Paducah, Ky.
Thomas Lacy, st. Louis, and one known
/ as Virginia. from st. Louis.
! George KeywUod. Nashville.
| William Elliott, St. Louis.
Joe Burning, Chester.
Marshall Wade, Walnut Hill, Ky.
Charles T. Austin, the barber, is also
severely injured about the head and back.
Miss Lena Buchanan, OF 81. Louis, Is
! seriously injured, but will recover.
D. w. Wilson, of Cape Girardeau, was
/ also slightly injured.
! The scene on the Eagle when she landed
| at he Cape was most horrible and heart
rending. Physicians and citizens at once
| did everything IN their power to alleviate
tie suffering OF the injured people. The
| crew on the Eagle, as well as those rescued
from the Mascotte, censure the captain OF
the Eagle for not making greater efforts to
save the victims.
Capt. Thompson, of the La Mascotte,
and several OF the rescued state that the
captain sf the Eagle refused, until he
| (ThOmpson) and his crew threatened to
take charge OF his boat by force, 70 take
the rescued and injured 10 Cape Girardeau,
! where assistance could be rendered them
but said ne would take them TO Grand
Tower. where little if any aid could be given
| them. After getting the injured aboard
the Eagle he locked the state rooms on his
boat and refused the use OF covers for the
| wounded.
No cause can be assigned, as far al
learned for the catastrophe. The boat il
said to have been steaming along under
15O pounds OF steam. her usual amount &c
carry, when an explosion suddenly occurred
blowing the fire in every direction, anC
! causing the boat to spring into flames al
| mUet instantly. The utmost confusion
! prevailed, but the pilot taking advantage
of her heading, turned her toward tn,
shore. but the flames caused him to aban
don his post before the stage plank cou.C
| be lowered. After leaving his post the cur
rent turned her out into the river again
and her stern swung close to the bank
which afforded a means OF escape for sew
eral who we're at that end OF the boat, th'
pilot and one cabin-boy getting ashor
| without any injuries or even a wet loot
The stage-plank was lowered and many
were placed upon it, mostly women ant
| children, who would have been saved bu
for I ne smokestack falling right across tn
same. and all who were not killed by III
falling stack were drowned. Capt. ThOmp
son. after doing all in his power to saw
the passengers and crew, jumped over
board and SWAN ashore, the boat havln
by this time drifted fully 200 yards out IN
to the river La Mascotte drifted over &
the Illinois shore opposite Wizards Land
ing, and sunk, the only thing visible bein
her wheel.