The conservator., 1886-12-18
A RIVER HORROR.
Destruction by Fire of the Fa-
nous Mississippi River
Steamer ]. M. White.
At Least Sixty Lives Lost-TerrIble
Scenes on the Ill-Fated
Craft.
New Orleans special !

| lHbN brlRtlilS special.
The steamer j. M White, on her dow
trip from Nicksburg, caught fire at I0:3(
o'clock on Tuesday night while at st
Maurice Landing, in Pointe Coupee Parish
1our miles above Bayou Sara, and was en-.
tlrely destroyed in a few minutes The fire
originated near the boilers, and spread with
such iapidity that the flames enveloped the
boat before warning of their danger could
De gwen the passengers and crew. One of
the mates was the nrst to see the fire from
the river bank and by the time he reached
the cabin the smoke was SO dense that he
| could only awaken the occupants of few
| OF the staterooms ii front and escape with
| Inc rest OF the officers to place of safety
All the books and papers in the clerk S
Once were destroyed. Capt. Muse was sick
In his room at the time, and was notified
JusI III time TO save his lie.
All the passengers in the forward cabin
We're saved, with one exception. Those in
the ladies' cabin were shut off from retreat
oy the flames, and were burned in. their
rooms or were forced to Jump into the
RIVER, where only three were rescued.
washington Floyd. Captain of the Will
>. Hays of Louisville, was aroused in
tune to save himself, but rushed back into
'he ladies' cabin 10 save the occupants, and
was himself destroyed.
ihe following is a partial list of the lost
Mr.. Spatford, Superintendent of the
Natchez and NidalIa Railroad, wife. and
child ''--"
Captain Wash Floyd Of the Will S. Havs.
MISS Agnes McCaleb OF West Feliciana.
Two women, names not known.
Two white men from the West.
lnef6 tWputv
ing several Of the boat hands. and two ne
gro preachers, who were also killed.
Nhlle the passengers aid crew were es-
Gaping from the boat, the steampipe blew
up and was hurled three hundred wards in
the ar. The force Of the explosion caused
over twenty bales Of burning cotton to be
hulled nigh III the air, where they revolyed
several tunes and then fell into the river.
lmmedlatey after the explosion, shrieks
were heard coming from the stern of tha
vessel. For an instant two colored
women were seen standing on the gallery
Just back of the wheelhouse. and the
next instant they were' hidden from yiew
10y the smoke and flames. The first part
OF the boat to give way was the wheel
ho@se. 1t fell into the water and, a draft
o1ein9 created, the flames swept through
The center of the boat
those who escaped were taken away
rom rom the scene by the steamboat Stella /
Wild, which plies between Bavon Sara and and
Natchez AS the Wild was backing ont
hree kegs of gunpowder that were IN tbe
lold exploded, and cotton and burn
n9 tlhbers were hurled in all directions.
l his virtually put the fire out. and what
vas once palatial steamer was now
bIackened wreck. When the Wild
eached the river loud cry for helm
anne from the middle of the stream.
BOAT was lowered and was quickly
ulied IN the direction of the CRY. Through
ne darkness the crew saw the figure of a
4Y 8rasplng a bale of cotton, but before
leS could reach him the tale turned over.
no "htn 1t was ligh'ed the man was gone
y y = me people rescued from the steamer
.f.ra EH toI.ad landed me at Bayou Sara. The rest
FllG These wer< brouo6t 70 tbiS 80 c;tr r',oaa
3nEineer r'Msiss'la Me- ire' Valley Road. Chief
tga4fne, h4fse and sSt Of BoTasr le j.
sm the flames ssoa nn abont ,ns nre
eN high. The sight was the most Iearl-
.rdlng one ever witnessed by n bnnon
ing: The shrieking of women and CHI
rem LOT help was awful. / saw The en-
Of the Vidalia route railrood
andin9 outside the ladies' cabin. throw
g ms Two little daughter into the wafer
lie stood there and burned to death with
IS "l'e' There were i'll the cabin nine
dy passengers and about eight men. At
eW leXaS twenty deck hands were taken
ID BOARD All a'e supposed to be lost"
lhe.J NJ. White was built in 1878. at q
'st OF $50 COO, and was regarded by many
the flnest and fastest boat ever run on
{ Mlsslsslppi River. The boat was owned ,
capt. John W. Tobin. She carried a
r5o consisting Of 2,100 bales of cotton 4
III 5000 sacks Of seed. She was valued 5
Sloo,000; the cargo at 800, 600. The I
Snrance on the boat is $29, 600; the cargo !
doubtless fully covered BIZ insnrnaoo 9