Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-31
STEAMBOAT BURNED.
The Bradlsh Johnson Laid up at lack
son, Alabama, Burns 10 the
Waters Edge ani Sinks,
Men In The Cabin Playing Cards Lose
Their Heads and Fall to Reuse
the sleeping inmates.
Sis Men Kaewntc Have necn tost ia a
Noble Euert TO Save Rife nan
niiihouse Dies.
ANornrn nlNRn nnnnnn

MontE, AKA, Dec 30. News was ro.
oelvsd here late last night Of the burning
q the steamer BrAdlsh johnson, used ~
a boarding house at Jackson on the Tom
oighee river, eleven miles above Mobile.
on wednesday nleht, The Johneon WAS
lying to the bank, and tho gabg.plank was
out A.C, AysAll, one OF the bosses,
gave the following description of the flro
~ had Just gone to bed when
! heard the cry Of are, Not
into my pants, seized my other
effects cad rushed Into the cabin. Tbere
had been party OF men ont there play.
Ing carols aud they saw smoke rising
when came Into the cabin Fire
seemed 10 be In tho state-room an OF the
pantry, on the port side, and the men
who had been PLAYING cards were stand
Ing there az the door looking In at tue
hre They seemed like they were daged
aud old not know y hat 20 do They had
shouted Are, but there they stood staring
att. ! hAl6sd, For Gods sake, what are
You standing there fotY wake the men np
and let us got out Of hese' There
was an Old man, an Alahamiau,
10 Tho next room 70 mln0. | don't know
bis name, He was asleep when won't 10
bed Tor heard him enoFing. Whether |
got him awake or not ! don't know,
hammered and pounded away with all nay
might Dense smoke was already flling
the cabin and men were running around
like mad. ! ran forward through the
cabin and my Dyes AMI mouth gnt fun OF
smpko, ! did not know where was
going, Negroes mostly lodged on the
lower deck and they AL came rnnhiag out
about she same tlme we ain. The yossel
burno very fast SUD was solid mass OF
namea Ia moment, Whom md reached
tho hank ! turned around aud saw
the pllothpuse aud texas fan in The
Hsgrooa aed np the bank ln mob aud
rushed 10 the waoda where they hndalpti
like sheep aud could not be persuaded 10
come down to the host They saw A0me
0fiheir number lost and they were super.
stitiuus about H. The boat burned for
about hall 40 hour, when she sank. As
soon as ! got ashore thcre was report
that there were men Ia the water. Skiifs
were man cd aud sent 10 their rescue.
rncy picked mp Mr. Daily, one OF the
Cassnn mon, William hual, an Eugllsh
nlan IN one Of the sklifs, had two npgroeA
night near him but they sank CUT Of sight.
WIN. rowiinP, tho cook, reebiycG slight
urns on thu face and hands. lIo found
white man lying IN tho state.fuom door
when Dan lllllhonse camo up, aud the
two dragged tho man, supposed 20 BIO
McElroy, out on the boiler deck. The
man was unconscious from the effects OF
smoke, Just then the flames burst out on
the Side aud Dowllng jumped over tho
railing 20 save his life, iIlllnouso, how.
ever, said he heard the man grooming lust
outside tbe cabin and he went back 10
rescue this man. He never came ont
again and was not seen alive nftpr that,
and II IL believed he Was Racrlnced Ia a
noble attempt TO save another mans llfc.
"inore ~ no telling just bow many lost
their lives, some say ten are missing, bet
all that | know are the two negroes,
LAWS Adams and Benz min Buab who
we're drowned, and tro whites missing
! think Two other white men were burned
with tho beat and there must have boon
olhsrs, fer dou't thng hey hsd chance
10 be awakened aud tlm9 for theifeEcapc,
for IL was all ! could 30 with
smert klnd ~ running 20 got out Had
the IRE broken ont onu hour later When
all she men would have beon III bed none
OF us would have escaped As TO the
origin Of tho Are know nothing. The
ca0k says the boys told him before be
went ~ sleep that the fires IN the valleys
were ~ out and everything aafc.p