Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-12-15

20 be aad the boat looked as II she
we're eneirclsd By q stream of Sire. The
cracking of the flames and tbe shKieks
Of passengers and crew, caused intense
exoitsment. When the alarm vas dFst
sounded, Alex. MeVeiRh, head cock. uas
sitting at = stove IN his oabin. Tbs ElFst
psAl Of the bell exnssd him 30 rush Oai-
side, and seeing the flames leap high In
the air. be ran back 30 the cabin and
sndeav0red 90 Ret the books and money.
The nne gained rapidly on hins, and be
vas compelled % leave The effce, buk not
before be had ssoared q san Of moaey
ffom the safe. McVeiRh then tuFned
his attantion 70 sayi1R the cabin passen-
gers. Of whom thaFe wisre about fifteen
or eighteen, including eight ladies. he
arst awoke the second clerk, John Gal
lahans who ran cut Of his room In his
undershiRt and trousers. Callahan and
AeVeigh went 20 each room and aSoke
The inmates. The passengers qaiokly
got cut, all Of them IN their night gar
menta. Among them was q gentleman.
name unkn0Wn, bat recognized as the
Superintendent Of the Vidalia Southern
Railway. He had his wife and two chill
aFen, girls Of aud u with him. He
called than around him and bada them
f0llOa him. By this time the hsmes
bad reached the cabin, through which
thick smoke was rolling. The panio
stricken passengers quickly made for
an entrance. some TO the stern,
others 10 the front. The gentleman
referred 10 was am ing those who went
10 the stern. On reaching the deck ha
grasped bis tWo children, one at e time.
and threw them into the river. Before
be and his wife could follow. the flames
had reached them, and they we're
b0Fne1 10 death. The two pilots on
satch, John Stsut and Bob Smith, were
IN the pilot HOUSE. and we're compelled
90 iamp into the river, where theV were
picked mp. They had q narroW escape
from death. The hre buFned 90 Qaiokly
that Il was impossible TO see Wno vas
saved and who was lost. The deck was
crowded wit roustabouts and deck
passengers, thirty Of the latter
having got on tue vessel az
New Texas Landing, Just above where
the boat vas burned. Nearly an Of
these we're lost. While the passengers
and crew we're escaping from the boat
tke steam pipe blew up, and was hurled
800 yards IN the AiF. Tbs force OF she
NAE4aW
buEning cotton 10 be hurled high IN the
air, where they Fevolved several times
and then fell into the river. Imme-
di gtely after the explosion shrieks we're
heard coming from the stern Of the Ves-
ssl. For an instant tWo col0red Women
we're seen standing on the galley, and
the next instant they we're hidden from
view BY the smoke and flames. The
~ ~ hak
wheel house. Is fell into the water, and
a draft being created the flames swept
through the center Of the boat. Thoss
9ho escaped we're taken away from the
scene BY the steamer Stella Wilde,
which plies betwsen b Byou Sara and
Matches. As the Wilde was backing Gus,
three kegs Of gunpovdeF shat were 10
the hold, exploded, and cotton and burn
ing timbsrs we're harled in all directions.
This virtually put the FIRE out, and what
was once palatial steamer was nov q |
blackened wreck.
Captain Henry O. Brown, the State |
Who was q passenger on the |
White. estimates she less Of life as 36 |
He gives the names Of the following |
pas enRers who we're saved, bat we're |
al sligntly injured, and left al Mr.. Bar. |
Ress's: John Stahl, pilot; Hortsnss |
Smith, Mrs. Smith OF Racine, Wisoon-
sin; and q gentleman and wife from /
Chicago, names unknown. There we're |
about 30 cabin passengers, and a mum
beE OF negro cabin passengers In the /
. bureau" The number Of deck pas
sengers is unknown. Mr.. Brown says:
Wash. Lloyd, formerly clerk on the W.
!. Hayes, ran through the cabin calling /
1p the passengers, and nobiy lost his
life trying 20 save others. Captain /
Nose, OF the White, had been III all day,
and was In bed when the FIRE broke out.
The chief mate was In charge of the
steamer. / bad about ten feet start Of |
The FIRE, and, although ran rapidly
when I reached the bank the
ire vas within 25 feet OF me. had /
snly my underclotbinR on. did net
see soul 10 the cabin as ran thFoaQh.
The cabin was In full blaze at the time.
aud the flames were rapidly eating theiF
say TO the hurricane deck. Pilots
Stahl and Smith say that from the num-
oeF Of persons they saw around them 10
he river fully forty must have poTisned.
when the Wilde reached the river, q
oud cry for help came from the middle
" the streaEl. A boat was lowered, and
vas quickly pulled in the direction Of
he cry. Through the darkness the
rev saw q man clinging 20 q bale Of
,otton. bat before they could reach him
ihe bale turned over, and when is vas
-iRhted the man uas gone.
Col. &. l.. James vas taken 10 his
home. 277 PEylhiana street, on his AZ.
'fval, where he 10 in q critical condition.
de states that the sight was hoFrilyinR.
md could not be told. de positively
declared there must have bees 60 per.
IONS lost, because cut Of 65 IL the cabin
le could emily see himself and four
StheEs, among whom vas H. @. Brown
md State Engineer Denery.
TRIAL Of the Aldermen.
NKv YoRK, Dec. I4.-Hundreds Of
leople hocked 20 the General Sessions
Jourt today, but we're forced 10 remain
Iutside. as no caEiosity seekers were
allowed 10 enter. Il vas rumoFed that
District Attorney Martine had secured
that Juror jacob Rosenberg
vas q hFm friend of keenan,, Shields
md others. and that be had sworn
Alsely tn bis examination as talssman.
Z vas sxpeeted MARITIME would draw 9
uroF, thus causing mistFial, OF thai
Rosenberg v0ald be arrested for psF-
7ry. when the eouFt 0pened counsel
or dafenss and the people alternately
held long consultations with the Rs
'ordsF, taking half an h0ur. MaFtine
sas excited and Recorder NeWsomb
ooked very seFi0aa. Bat McQnaae vas
y impassive as usual. Finally the Re
,ordsF nodded % The defense and said:
60 on, Mr.. Grady" The ease pro
'eeded.
A. J. Oawlsy, Who had q room at No
Ianzhlin'a. testified be never aaw any
Aldermen ever visit the house exeept
Ralierah. Defense here rested.