The Portland daily press., 1886-12-15
Women and Children HelpIessIy Call
for Aid.
Most Vivid Description OF the Heart
rendIng Scene.
The Steamer Hurled over 800 Feet
Into the Air.

inc steamer Huried over 800 Feet
Into the Air.
New ORLEANS, La, Dec. 14.-The steam
boat j. NJ. White. for New Orleans, was
burned at 10 o'clock last night at Blue Stone,
80 miles above Baton Rouge. She had a
number Of passengers on board. Her cargo
consisted Of 2100 bales Of cotton and 6,OOO
sacks Of seed. Several lives are reported to
have been lost, but Captain Muse, who was
in command, telegraphs that only one per-
son-the porter Of the boat--is known to be
lost. The boat and her cargo are total loss
The J. NJ. White was built in 1878 at a cost
of s225.O0O. She was owned by Captain
John NJ. T0bin. Her cargo was valued at
S90,00O and the insurance on the boat is
$4,000 Her cargo was undoubtedly fully
insured.
Thomas Barry, second engineer, was on
duty when the fire broke out in the cotton
amidships: For time, he says, he thought
they had the fire under control, but it finally
gained such headway they could do nothing
with 1t. He says the fire spread so rapidly
that in few minutes the boat was wrapped
in flames. He thinks there were ten or
dozen lives lost, including the colored fire.
man, two colored chambermaids, one Of
them named Martha Washington. The sec
ond cook (colored) was also lost. He reports
the loss Of Captain Bind Floyd, and the
superintendent of the Vidalia railroad, with
his wife and daughter, who were passengers.
He says he knows nothing as to the number
OF passengers that were aboard the boat,
but thinks there were not very many He
believes there were some women and chill
dren on deck.
VIM. MeCreary, chief engineer Of the boat,
gives the following statement:
AT about lilo o'clock last night, while
landing at Dr. Ferrett's place, above the
post office landing at Peinte Couree, at which
place the boat was loading cotton seed, fire
broke out amldships on the top Of the cotton
below the boiler deck Engineers Barry and
Jenny, who were on watch at the time, gave
the alarm. Pumps were put to work, but
without avail. Tom Miller, the watchman,
gave the alarm by ringing bell. and Clerks
Callahan and Hill at once aroused the people
in the cabin. The fire spread rapidly, and in
less than 10 minutes the boat had burned TO
the waters edge. There were four kegs Of
powder in the magazine, aud the moment the
fire reached them the flames shot up over 100
feet high. The sight was most heartrending.
The shouting of women and children for
help was awful. | saw the superintendent
of the Vandalla railroad standing aft out
side the ladies' cabin throwing his two pretty
babies into the water. He stood there and
was burned to death with his wife,
Among those lost are: The second cook,
Lewis Baker; Oscar Ames, porter; Dick
Randolph, fireman; and Capt. Wash FLOYD.
A prize Ok, which was taken on at Vicks-
burg, was roasted to death, and two of the
five keepers also perished.
There were in the cabin nine lady passen-
gers and eight men. Mr.. McGreary had his
hair singed while crawling under the cotton
in saving himself.
At New Texas 20 additional deck hands
were taken on board, and all are supposed TO
be lost.
1t is learned that Andry Pierce, sailor
and Antonio Nebatta, fireman, are the ones
to whom the credit Of saving the survivors
is due.
The j. NJ. White was making the most
successful trip this season. She was owned
by the New Orleans and GreenYille Trans
pOrtation Company OF this city. The insur-
ance on the vessel Is said to be lower than
ever before in her history, being only S27,-
800. or this amount $500 is in the hand Of
home companies and $4,000 in western com
panies. 1t is estimated by her owners that
the White has paid upward OF 100000 In
premium TO Insurance companies during her
career Of eight years; She has never drawn
q cent ON policies, this being the first serious
accident she has ever met with. Capt
Henry c. Brown, State enginesr, who was a
passenger, estimates that there were abO ut
thirty cabin passengers, and a number of
negro cabin passengers in the bureaus"
The number OF deck passengers is unknown.
Mr.. Brown says: Wash Floyd, formerly
clerk on the viii 5. Hays, ran through the
cabin, calling up passengers, and nObly lost
his life trying to save others. Captain Muse,
commander of the White, had been i'll ali
day, and was in his bed when the fire broke
out The chief mate was in charge Of the
steamer. L had about ten feet start of the
fire. and although / ran rapidly forward.
Mnsn s sesshSd s the bank thetiire was within
Undertaking and hat when / reached the
bank. l don't know where got the hat /
did not stop 10 look around on my way out.
did not see soul in the cabin. As ran
thought there was full blaze at the time
and the flames were rapidly eating their way
to the hurricane deck"
Another report Of the disaster says:
when the alarm was first sounded, Alex.
McVey, the head clerk, was sitting at the
stove in his cabin. The first peal Of the bell
caused him to rush outside, and seeing the
flames he ran back to the cabin and endeav-
ored to get the books and money. The fire
gained rapidly on him, and he was compelled
to leave the Office, but not before he had Sc
cured the sum Of money. McVey then
turned his attention to saving the cabin
passengers, of whom there were about 10 or
Is, including s ladies. He first awOke the
second clerk, John Callahan, who ran out of
his room in his undershirt and trousers. Cal
lahan and McVey went to each room and
awoke the inmates. The terrified passen-
gers quickly got out, nearly all Of them in
their night garments. Among them was Su-
perintendent Videlia, of the Southern rail-
road. He had his wife and two children
with him. By this time the flames had
reached the cabin, through which thick
smoke was rolling. The panic-stricken pas
sengers quickly made for the en-
trance, some to the stern and others
to the front. The gentleman referred to
was among those that went to the stern.
On reaching the dock he grasped his two
children, one at time. and threw them into
the river. Before he and his wife could fol-
low the flames had reached them and they
were burned TO death. The two pilots on
watch were in the pilot house and were com
PEELED to jump into the river, where they
were picked up. They had a narrow escape
from death. The fire burned so quickly it
was impossible to see who was saved and
who lost The deck was crowded with rous-
tabouts and deck passengers, thirty Of the
latter having got on the vessel at New Texas
landing, Just above where the boat was
burned. Nearly all these W ere lost
While the passengers and crew were es-
Gaping from the boat the steamship blew up,
and was hurled 300 yards in the air rhe
force Of the explosion carried over twenty
bales Of burning cotton high into the afr
where they revolyed several times and then
fell into the river.
Pilots Slant aud Smith, Of the White, say
that from the number Of persons they saw in
the water 40 must have perished.
Following Is the list, so far as ascertained,
OF the white persons missing:
l.. ii. Sp0ford, wife and daughter, of Vidalia
Capt. G. w. Floyd, well known steamboat
man.
Mrs. Murray, of Natchez.
Miss Agnes McCobb, of West Felicion.
Two other lady passengers, names unknown.
Three men and one woman were walking
on the hurricane deck when il fell in, and all
disappeared in the flames and were doubt
less burned to death.