Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-17
ESCAPE OF THE CAREWS.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE DURING THE
BURNING OF THE j. M. WHITE.
Saved from Being Roasted to Death by
Jumping into the Mississippi - Mrs.
Carew and Her Husband Floating Down
the River at Night-Seized by a Strug-
Cling Woman--The Rescue.

NEW ORLEANS, La, Dec i7.-Mr. and
Mrs, Carew, of Ottawa Ills, who were
cabin passengers on the steamer ]. NJ,
White, arrived in this city Wednesday night
Mr.. Carew says that at the time the fire was
discovered on the ill-fated steamer he and
his wife were asleep in their stateroom.
They We're aroused by Capt. Wash Floyd,
who lost his life through his heroic efforts in
behalf of his fellow passengers. Mr.. Carew
hastily drew on pair of trousers, and, with
his wife sprung in the cabin Capt Floyd
led them to the forward part of the boat and
disappeared in cloud of smoke, through
which the Carews could not follow him.
This was the last they saw of the gallant
steamboat man
Finding that they could not cross the line
of smoke the CarewS made their way to the
stern of the boat Here they found that all
means of escape We're cut off except by the
river, and the fire was rapidly advancing.
Mr.. Carew remembered that he had seen
life-preserver in his state-room and hastily
ran there, kicking in the side door and pro-
curing it. He then rejoined his wife and
placed the life-preserver around her. Being
a good swimmer he had no fear for himself.
The Carews then plunged into the river.
Mrs. Carew hesitated at first, but she was
pulled forward by her husband and fell flat
Ill the water, striking some hard substance
and badly bruising her face and body. Mr..
Carew was thrown forward and came in
contact with a floating timber hurting his
shoulder
At first Mrs Carew clung to her b usband,
but upon being informed by him that the
life-preserver would support her she released
her hold and permitted him to use his arms.
They foated some distance, when Mr. Carew
was seized by a woman struggling in the
water supported by the arrangement of her
skirt and small piece of wood, to which
she clung with one hand Mr. Carew begged
the woman to release him, as otherwise he
would drown and she did SO, floating away
still upheld by her skirt and the billet of
wood until she was picked up by a boat
from the shore The Carews remained in
the water some time. Finally they were ap-
| preached by skiff manned by negroes, and,
| clinging to its sides-the craft being too
frail to permit of taking them aboard-they
were carried to shore. Here they were taken
TO the Combe plantation, where they re
| ceived every attention
Mrs Carew lost about 81 800 i'll jewelry
and all her clothing Mr. Carew says the
report that man and his wife from Chi
cago were drowned is untrue He is positive
that no people from Chicago were aboard
| the steamer
Fully forty-hve of the passengers and
crew of the Inflated steamer John NJ. White
are still missing. OF these thirty are negro
laborers, who took passage on the boat at the
| landing just above the point where the acci
| dent occurred. They had slowed themselves
away for the night around the boiler and
among the cotton, and when the fire broke
out they were hemmed in by the flames. 1t
| is believed that at least twenty of them per-
ished. None of the bodies have yet been re-
covered, and it will probably be several days
before they rise to the surface