Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-12-24
HEART RENDERING DISASTER.
a Steamship on the Mississippi Burned and
Many Lives Lost

The steamboat j. NJ. White, from Vicks
burg, Miss, to New Orleans, La, was
burned at 10 O'Clock the other night at
Blue Store Point Coupe, thirty miles above
Baton Rouge.
The boat had landed TO take on cotton
seed, and there were between IS and 10
roustabouts engaged in this work when
precisely at 1913 O'Clock every body was
startled 10y the loud ringing of the bell by
Waterman Tom Miller. Immediately after
the cry OF Fire wa, taken up by twenty
voices. In an instant the direst confusion
reigned. Men darted 10 and fro and the
work OF hrousing the sleeping passengers
was begun.
The iire was discovered by Thomas Bar
~, second engineer, who with his partner
Steven Jenney, was on watch at the time
The iirst ntlmation he had of fire was "A
small hight on the top of row of cotton
bnles amldshipS, which greatly resemhel
the llSht Of lantern. Barry left his post
TO investigate and wa, a,tOni- he'd To dis
cover that the light wa, caused by bale
OF cotton brl>kiN burning. He gave the
alarm ana his voice rang through The deck
room ut the vessel w utchman Miller took
IN the situation at once and rang the huge
Dell located ON the second deck Miller
stock az his post ringing the bell until he
was forced TO retseat by the encroachng
flames.
The fire burned with fearful rapidity.
and in less time than IL takes 20 tell it, the
entire eft -ide OF the boat was a mass OF
names. Fire loon caught the railing of
the cabin deck and hciur, any assistance
was 20 be had The boat looked a, n she
were enc Oeed bN lire. The cracking of
the ilames and the shricks of the passen-
gers aud crew caused the most intense ex-
element.
The terrified passengers quickly rot ont.
nearly all ot them iV their night garments.
Among them wa D gentleman, name un-
known hut recognized as tho saperintend-
ent oi the daha southern railroad. He
had his wife ard two children girl, Of
and r. years WltA MIN. lie called them
around hmm and baGc them follow hum.
by this time tie flame, had reached the
cabin, through which thick smoke was
rolling The panic stricken Passengers
quickly made for an entrance. some 10 the
stern ana Others 90 the front. The gentle .
man referred 90 was among thO.e that
went 10 the stern Upon reaching the
deck ne cra-ped tine two children. one at "a .
tlme, and threw them into the river. Be
Tore nc ana lis wife could follow the
flame, had reached them and they were
burned To deuth
The two pilots ON watch, John Stout
and Bob Smith. were IN the pilot house
and were compelled 10 jump into the riv-
or, where they were picked up. They had
a narrow escape from death
The fire burned so quickly that it was
impossible 10 see who was saved and who
roustabouts and deck passengers. thirty of
the latter having got on the ves.e al at the
New Texas landing, Just above where the
boat was burned Nearly all of these
were lost
While tho passengers and crew we're es-
Gaping from the boat the steumpipe blew
up and was hurled 80 yards IN the air.
The force of the explosion caused over
twenty bales of cotton % toe hurled high
III AR. where they rcvo!ved several times
and then Tell into tho river
Immediately after the explosion shrieks
were heard coming from the stern OF the
vessel For an instant two cOlOred women
were seen standing on the gallery lust
back of the wheel house and the next in
slant they were hidden from view by the
smoke and ilame,.
The first part Of the boat to give way
was the wheel house. IL fell into the wa
Ter, ana draft being created the flames
swept through the center OF the boat
IL was sad to see the former palatial
river steamer mass Of smOuderiug ruins.
but sadder still 20 hear the details of the
sad calamity and the tales OF suffering. J
distress and death. st Maurice landing.
where the White burned, /, about five
miles above and within sight OF New or q
cans. he fire illuminated the river and the !
country for miles and the burning float !
ng cotton made a CHASTITY procession
Town the river. 1t i, impossible even af-
er intervening tho officers and some Of
he passengers TO ascertain the total mum.
Der OF lives lost but pilots Stout and a
smith say that from the number of per. q
ons they saw around in the river fully !
orty must have persisted, and the loss Of 1
lie may be even greater.