The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-12-18

NJ. White Ot BlGo Store Landing, five
miles north of Bayou Sara La, at Il
o'clock last night, gathered from the OIL
GERS and crew.
The boat had landed to take on pile of
cotton seed, and there were between 30
and 40 roustabouts engaged in the work,
when precisely at 1915 O'Clock everybody
was startled by the loud ringing of the
bell by Waterman Tom Miller. Immedi-
ately after the cry Of "fre" was taken by
20 voices. Ia an instant the direst con-
fusion reigued 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 at the time. The first in
timation he had of the fire was small
light on top of a row of cotton bales amid
ships, which greatly resembled the fame
Of lantern. Barry left his post to inves-
tigate, and was astonished to discover that
the light was caused by bale Of cotton
briskly burning
BARRY GAVE THE ALARM,
and his voice rang through the deck.rooW
of the vessel Waterman Miller took in
the situation at once, and rang the huge
bell located on 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 en-
| gineer, who was asleep in the texas. H.
/ sprang out of the bad and CROPPED his way
/ to wake up his partner John Pallaner, sec
/ ond assistant engineer, who was asleep IN
/ the forward part Of the texas, about mid
way. He met The Waterman by the bell,
and was on his way tohunt 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 seeing anyone, and believing that but
| themselves were left, craWled out on the
/ hurricane deck and were compelled to
climb down one OF the stanchious to the
right side of the boat, from whence they
got on shore. In the mea ntine two streams
! of water were brought TO play on the fire,
! but the heavy black volume 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 frightlul rapidity and in
less time thanit takes to tell, the entire
| left side of the boat was a mass Of flames
The fire soon caught the railing Of tho
| cabin deck.
BEFORE ANY ASSISTANCE
was to be had the boat looked as il She
were encircled by a stream Of fire The
cracking of the flames and the shrieks Of
the passengers and crew caused the most
intense excitement. When the alarm was
first sounded Alex McVay, head clerk was
sitting at the stove in his cabin. The first
peal of the bell caused him to rush out
side, and seeing the flames leap high in
the air he ran back to the cabin, and en-
deavored to get the books and money.
THE FIRE GAINED RAPIDLY
on him, aud he was compelled to leave the
office, but not before he had secured snm
OF money from the safe. Mr.. McVay
then turned his attention TO saving the
cabin passengers, OF whom there were
about 10 or Is, including eight ladies. He
first uwoke the second clerk, John Gala
han, who ran out Of his room in his un-
dershirt 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
garments. Among them was a gentle
man, name unknown, hut recognized las
Superintendent of the Vidalia Southern
Railroad. He had his wife and two chill
]
He called them around him, and babe
them follow him. By this time the flames
reached the cabin, through which thick
smoke was rolling. The
b PANIC STRICKEN PASSENGERS
quickly made for an entrance, some to She
stern, the others TO tho front The gentle
man referred 10 was among those that
, went to the stern. Upon reaching the
deck he grosped his two children, one as a
time, and threw them into tho river Be-
fore he and his wife could follow, the
flames had reached them and they were
burned to DEATH The two pilots on watch.
John stout and Boo Smith, were Ina 5ho
pilot house, and were compelled
70 JUMP INTO THE WATER,
where they wrre picked up. They had a
; narrow escale from death. The fire
burned so quickly that it was impossible
I to see who was saved and who was lost.
The deck was crowded with roustaboUts
and deck passengers, 80 of the latter hav-
ing got on the vessel at the New Texas
: landing, just above where the boat was
a burned. Nearly all of these were lost.
, DIRECTION OF THE CRY.
, Through the darkness the crew saw tEt
figure of a man Crasping a bale OF cotton,
~ but before they could reach hi the hafa
burned over, aud when it was r-htod the
=
=. Several survivors Of the disaster reached
r this city by the Mississippi Valley Rail
/ road from Baton Rouge. They had beer
e taken TO that point by the steamer Stella
: Wild, which came along soon after the
destruction of the White. Col s. L.
James was taken 10 his home, at No. pa
e Prytan a street, on his arrival, whore he
c is in a critical condition. He stated that
1 tho sight was horrifyiug, and could not
+ be told. He positively declared that Their,
. must have been sixty persons lost, be.
q cause out of sixty.fve in the cabin h,
could only see himself and four others
amOnglwhom were II. c. Brown, State en-
gineer; f. Denery, barber; Fred Gray.
porter, and j. Collins, a deck Waterman.
G Denery said he would never forget IN,
Q sight he beheld at st. Morris plantation
Y when the White was enveloped in flames
tie was sure one child had been rescued
f and brought into st. Morris plantation
To his knowledge, Of the boats emplove
q there were two cabin boys, two chamber
= maids, one fireman and one stevedore lost
4 besides Ed Jackson, Amos Moss, Loui
Walker, Piney Walker and another col
4 Ored woman named Lucy. al do believe,
- continued Denery, shat the boat burne
, | up about hfteen minutes after fba frs