The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-07
A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Forty-two Persons Lose Their Lives
by an Accident to Steamer.
A Partial List of the Unfortunate
Persons.

ST. LOUIS. Oct. 6.-An explosion of 8
boiler on the river steamer La Mascot oc-
CURED near here last evening which caused
great loss of life. The boat was steaming
along the river under $50 pounds of steam,
her usual amount, when the explosion sud-
denly occurred, blowing fire in every direc-
tion. The utmost confusion prevailed. The
pilot headed the boat for the shore, but the
flames caused him to abandon his post be-
fore the stage plank could be lowered. Al
ter leaving his post the current OF the river
turned the boats bow out into the river
again. Her stern swung close to the bank
which afforded means of escape for several
who were at that end Of the boat, the pilot
and one cabin boy getting ashore without
injuries or even wet feet.
The stage plank was lowered and many
were placed upon it, mostly women and
children, who would have been saved had
not the smoke stack fallen sQuarely across 1t,
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 this time having drifted fully 200 yards
out into the river. She drifted over to the
Illinois shore, opposite Willard's Landing,
and sank, the only thing visible at present
being her wheels.
Lew Braham, clerk. tells the following
story of the disaster:
When we had landed at Neely's and were
pulling out walked up stairs and into my
room. heard small explosion, like that
of sky rocket and opened the door to the
cabin and saw steam coming out from the
barber shop. saw ladies in the cabin and
called to them to come forward. | saw the
fire coming up under the boiler deck and
took the ladies forward and started down
stairs where Pilot Geaveau gave life pre-
servers to them to put on Immediately. /
ordered the 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. swan along
side of the stage and made the men get OIL SO
it would bear up the ladies. then swan to
ledge and crawled ashore. A man from
Illinois with skiff took the people off the
stage and also saved a number that were
swimming.
j. j. Hanlon, second pilot, says:
Steamer Eagle was near us when the dlS-
aSter occurred and could easily have pushed
us ashore without much trouble or danger,
but understood the captain did not care to
render any assistance. Adolphus Evelyn,
pilot of the Eagle, told me that his captain
ordered him not to go near us, as he did not
wish to endanger his boat. Ii he would
only have pushed us ashore, not single per-
son would have been injured except from
scalding burns"
Out of the crew of "a, IL are saved and
the total loss of life is placed at between IS
and %.
La MdSc0L was new DOdt, having D66u
built at Evansville, Indiana, during the
summer at a cost of about $4,000, especially
for the packet trade between st. Louis and
Cape Girardeau. The patronage received
was more than satisfactory, the steamer
making tri-weekly trips with heavy loads of
passengers and freight. Captain Thompson
considered her remarkably fast.
She left st. Louis at o'clock Monday
afternoon.
LATER.
A special from Cape Girardeau states that
the wreck of La Mascotte resulted from a
collapse of one of the boiler fiues. The ex-
plosion spent its force directly backwards
into the engine room and the crew round
about were scalded by the escaping steam.
Eleven of the latter were so terribly burn ed
that huge scaldes of flesh peeled from their
bodies. Six of them have died. Five deck
hands were SO severely burned that their
lives are despaired Of. Others who are
known to have been drowned are:
Mrs. VIM. Wheeling and her two young daugh-
ters, of Cape Girardeau
Judge William Hagar of Cape Girardeau.
Young man name unknown
Miss Amelia Kruger of Cape Girardeau.
Roy Perkins, of Evansville, first clerk of La
Mascotte,
Miss Julia Robson of Cape Girardeau
Head engineer of La Mascotte.
Mace Shearer, deck-hand.
Two chamber maids.
Lew ID. Adams, second mate.
lady ana TWO children, supposed to be Mrs.
Barnes and her two daughters, OF Puxico, Mo.
d. 5. Davidson is 80 badly burned around the
face and throat that he will probably die.