Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-10-14
WRECK ON THE MISSOURI.
Terrible Calamity Attended With
Great Loss of Life.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 6.-No cause can be assigned
as yet for the explosion last evening, Of the
boiler of the river steamer La Mascotte, which
caused such great loss of life. The boat is
said to have been steaming along under 100
pounds Of steam her usual amount to carry,
when the explosion suddenly occurred, blow
ing the fire in every direction. The utmost
confusion prevailed. The pilot taking advan-
tage of her heading turned her toward the
shore, but flames caused him to abandon his
post before the stage plank could be lowered.
After leaving his post the current turned the
boat broad bow out into the river again, aud
her stern swung close to the bank, which af-
forded a means Of escape for several who
were at that end Of the boat, the pilot and one
cabin boy getting ashore without injury or q
wet foot A stage plank was lowered and
many were placed upon 1t, mostly women and
children, who would have been saved had not
the smoke stack fallen squarely across it and
all who were not killed by 1t were drowned.
Captain Thompson, after doing all in his
power to save the passengers and crew, jumped
overheard and swan ashore The boat by this
time had drifted fully 200 yards out into the
river. The La Mascotte drifted over to the
Illinois shore opposite Willerd's Landing ami
sank, the only thing visible at present being
the wheel.
Lew Brahan, second clerk, tells the follow.
ing story of the disaster: "We had landed at
Neely's and were pulling out, and l walked up
stairs and into my room when 1 heard q small
explosion, like that of a sky rocket, and opened
the door to the cabin and saw steam coming
into it from the barberSshop. l saw ladies in
their cabin and called them to come forward.
| saw fire coming from under the boiler deck,
and took the ladies forward to the boiler deck
and started down stairs, where Pilot Geayan
give life preservers to them, telling them all
to put them on Immediately. And / ordered
stage plank thrown overheard, which was
promptly done and We put all.the ladies on the
plank. The rigging broke and the plank
swung out. Mrs. l.. Summers jumped into my
arms and landed her on the stage, while
was thrown into the river myself. I swan
along the side of the stage and made men get
off so 1t would bear up the ladies i then swan
to the ledge of rocks and crawled ashore. A
man from Illinois with a skiff, took the people
off and also saved number that were swim
ming. don't recall the skiff mans rame,
but he did some noble work."
}. j. Hanlon, second pilot, says the Eagle
was near us when the disaster occurred, and
could easily have pushed us ashore without
much trouble and danger, but understand
the captain did notucare to render any sssis-
lance. Adolphus Evelyn, pilot OF the Eagle,
told me that the captain ordered him not to 60
near Mascotte as he did not wish to endanger
his boat. II he would only have pushed US
ashore not single person would have been
iniurn J, exrr"t from scHlls nnd burns.
The word knickerbocker. which
Washington Irving took in vain, means
marble-baker. Marbles for the boys
to play with were formerly baked out
of clay. A gingerbread baker was
called koekebakker. Sneider, which
we hear so often pronounced, was tha
word for Mr.. Taylor, and Roosekrani
which appears to be true Dutch