Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-31
A MIDNIGHT SEANCE.
The Wierd and Horrifying Sight of
Burning Steam bOat

MOBILE, Ala, Dec 30.-One Of the
bosses of bridge work near the scene of
the burned steamer, Bradish johnson, at
Jackson on the Bigbee river. eleven miles
above this city, that occurred Wednesday
night, gave the following description of
the fire: l had just gone to bed when l
heard the cry of fire. got into my pants
and sliced my other effects and rushed out
into the cabin. There had been a party of
men out there playing cards and they saw
smoke rising. WI hen | came in the file
seemed to be in the state room, aft Of tn,
pantry, on the port side, and the men who
had been playing cards were standing there
at the door looking in at the fire. They
seemed like they were daZed and did not
know what to do. They had shouted fire.
but there they stood looking at it. l he'll
lowed For Gods sake what are you
standing there for? Wake the men up and
let's get out of here There was an old
man, an Alabamian, in the room next to
mine don't know his name. He was be-
low when l went to bed for l heard him
this morning Whether | got him awake
pounded away with all my might You
see the smoke was already filling the cabin
and the men were running around like
mad. hardly know what happened: |
ran for water through the cabin and my
eyes and mouth got so full of smoke that
did not know where was going.
The negroes were mostly lying on the
lower deck: they all came running for
water about the same time we did The
vessel burned very fast and was solid
mass of flames in moment. When had
reached the bank turned around and saw
the pilot house falling with the negroes;
they fled up the bank in mob and rushed
to the woods where they huddled like sheep
and could not be persuaded to come dow
to the boat. They knew that some of
their number were lost in the burning boat
and were seemingly superstitious about it;
they did not want to go near the place.
So the boat became mass Of flames and
burned for about half an hour, when she
sank.
As soon as got ashore there was re-
port that there were men in the water.
Skiffs were manned and sent 10 their res
cue They picked UP Mr.. Daily, one of
the cabin men VIM. Neal, an English
man, in one Of the skiffs, had two negroes
right near him. but they sank out of sight.
VIM. Bowling, the cook, who received
slight burns on his face and hands, found
a white man lying in a state room door;
Dan Hillhouse came up aud the two drag
ged the man supposed to be McElroy out
on the boiler deck; the man was uncon-
scious from the effects of the smoke. Just
then the flames burst out up the side, and
down they jumped over the railing to save
their lives. HillhOuse said he
heard man grooming just outside
the cabin and he went back to rescue this
man. He never came out again and he
was not seen after that, and it is believed
he was sacrificed in the noble attempt to
save another mans life
There is no telling just how many lost
their lives in the fire: some say that ten
others are missing, but all that | know are
the two negroes, Adams and Benz. Bush,
who were downed, and two white men
missing | think to other white men were
burned with the boat and there must have
been others. for don't think they had a
chance to be awakened and then escape,
for it was all | could do with the smartest
kind of running to get out alive.