The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-12-21
Another Account.

Another Account.
New Orleans, La, Dec. 1.-THE State,
las the following account of the loss oi
the j. III. White, gathered from the officers
and crew: The boat had landed to take
on pile OF cotton seed and there were be-
tween thirty five an forty roustabouts en-
gagged in this work, when precisely at l0lj
o'clock everybody was startled by the loud
ringing of the hell by the
watchman, Ton Miller. Immediately after
THE CRY OF SIRE"
was taken up by twenty voices. In an in
slant the direst confusion reigned. Men
darted to and fro aud the work of arousing
the sleeping passengers was begun. The
fire was discovered by Thos. Barry, the
second engineer who, with his partner,
Stephen Denny, was on watch at the time.
The first intimation he had OF fire was a
small light on the top of a row of
cotton bales amidships which greatly
resembled the flame of lantern. Barry
left his post to investigate and was aston
ished to discover the light was caused by
BALES OF COTTON BRIsKLY BURNING.
Barry gave the alarm and his voice rang
through the deck room of the vessel
Watchman Miller took in the situation at
once and rang the huge bell
located on the cOnd deck. Miller stood
at his post ringing the bell until he was
forced to retreat by the approaching
flames. The noise of the changing bell
aroused VIM. McGreevy, the chief engin-
eer, who was asleep in the Texas He sprang
out of bed and CROPPED his way through the
smoke 10 wake up his partner, John Palla-
sier, second engineer who was asleep in
the forward part of the Texas,
about midway he met Pallasier, who had
also been
AROUSED By THE BILL,
and was on his way to hunt for McGreevy.
The two men then looked as best they
could through the sitting smoke for the
others who slept in the Texas, but not see
ing anyone and believing that all but
themselves had left, they crawled
out on the hurricane deck and
were compelled to slide down on one of
the stanchions to the right side of the boat
from whence they got on shore. In the
meantime two streams OF water were
brought to play on the fire, but the heavy
black volumes of smoke drove the engin-
eers back.
THEY FOUGHT THE FLAMES STEP BY STEP
but were at last forced to drop the hose 10
save themselves. The fire burned with
frightful rapidity and in less time than il
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 could be rendered
the boat looked as if she was encircled by
by stream of fire. The cracking of the
flames and the shrieks of the passengers and
crews caused the most intense
excitement. When the alarm was first
sounded Alexander :McVey, head cl -rk,
was sitting at the stove in his cabin. The
y first peal of the bell caused him TO rush
outside and seeing the
FLAMES LEAPING HIGH IN AIR,
he ran back and endeavored to get the
books and money. The fire gained rapidly
on him and he was compelled to leave the
Office but not until he had Sc
cured sun of money from
the safe. McVey then turned his
attention to saving the cabin passengers, of
whom there were about fifteen or eighteen
including eight ladies. He first called
the second clerk Jno. Callahan who ran
out of his room In his under shirt and
trousers, Callahan and McVey went to
each room and awoke the inmates.
THE TERRIFIED PASSENGERS
quickly got out, nearly all of them in their
night garments. Among them was a gen.
tlemen, name unknown, but recognized as
the superintendent of the IVidalia South
ern Railway company. He had his wife
and two children, girls of nine and twelve
with him. He called them aronnd him
and bid them follow him. BY this time |
the flames had reached the cabin !
through which thick smoke was
rolling. The panic stricken pas
sengers rushed quickly for an exit, some |
to the stern and others to the 'front.' The |
gentleman referred to was among those |
that went to the stern. Upon reachi 1g the
deck he
GRASPED HIS CHILDREN.
one at time, and threw them into the |
river. Before he and his wife could follow |
the flames had reached them and they were /
burned to death. The two pilots on watch, |
John Stewart and Bob Smith were in the 1
pilot house and were compelled to jump
into the river where they were picked up |
They had a narrow escape from death. !
The fire burned SO quickly that it was
impossible to see who was saved and who i
was lost.
THE DECK WAS CROWDED
with roustabouts and deck passengers,
thirty days of latter having got on the
vessel at the new Texas landing just above