Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-15


engineer, who was asleep in the forward
part Of the deck About midway he met
Pallasier who had been also aroused BY
the bell aud was on his way 20 hunt ior
McGreevy. The two men looked through
the stifling smoke for others VINO slept ON
that deck, but not seeing any one, andb
lleving that all but themselves had left
they crawled ON the hu ricane deck aud
were compelled 20 climb on one Of the
stanchions to the right side OF the boat,
whence they got on shore. In the
meantime two streams OF water
were brought 20 play on tho tro
but the heavy black volumes OF smoke
drove the engineers back. They fought
the flames step by step, but were NJ last
forced TO drop the hose and save thom-
selves. The Are burned with frlghtiul
rapldi,y and tn less time than II takes to
toll II the entire left side Of the beat was
q mass Of flames. The fre soon caught
the railing OF the cabin deck aud before
any assistance was TO be had the boat
looked as II she were eucircled by
stream OF Ere. The cracking Of the
flames and the shTleks Of the passengers
and crew caused
THE MOST INgKNsN EXCITEMENT
When the alarm was tirst sounded Alex
.McVay, head clerk, wSs sitting az the
stove IN his cahin The FIRST peal OF the
bell caused him 10 rush outside, and SEQ.
Ing tho flames he ran back TO tho cabin
and endcavored TO get the books and
money. The ilro gained RAPIDLY on him
and he was compelled TO leave the oiiloe,
but not before he secured the money
from the safe Nc, McVay then turned
his attention 10 saving the cabin passen.
Al "a or old
eight OF them ladies. He first awoke
the second clerk, John Callahan,
who ran out OF his room In
his undershirt and trousers. Callahan
and McVay went 90 eann room aud awoko
the Inmates. The terrified passengers
quickly got out, nearly all OF them In
their night garments. Among them was a
gentleman whose name was un.
known, but who was recognized
a. the superintendent OF the Van
dalla Southern railroad. lilo had
hts wife and two children, girls OF nine
aud twelve years, with him. lie called
them around him and babe them follow
him BY this time the flames
had reached the cabin, through
which thick smoke was rolling.
The psnic.st,icken passengers quickly
made for an entrance, some 60 the for.
ward aud some 10 tina rear deck. The
gentleman referred to WAS among those
who went TO the stern, Upon roachiag
the deck he grasped his two children one
az time, and threw them into the river,
bur before he and His wife could follow,
the flames reached them and tn
wERE BURNED 70 pEAru.
The pilots on watch, John Stout aud
James Smith, were IN the pilot house aud
were compelled 10 jump Into the river
whe.e they were picked mp. They had q
narrow escape. The fire barned so
quickly II was impossible to see who
were saved and who were lost. Tho
deck was crowded with roustabouts aud
deck passengers, thirty Of the latter
having got on the vessel AZ
New Texas, a landing Just above whare
the boat WAS burned. Nearly all OF these
were Lost. While the passengers and
crew were escaping from the boat the
steam pipe blew up aud was hurled 500
yards in the air. The force Of The explosion
caused over twenty bales OF burning cot.
ton 10 be hurled high In the mir where
they reyolved several t!mos and fen into
the river. Immediately after the
explosion shrieks were heard com.
ing from tho stern Of the yeR-
sci. For an instant two oolorod
women were seen standing on the gallery
just back Of the wheel house aud the
next instant they were hidden from View
ny THE SMOKE AND FLAMEs.
The FIRST part of the boat 20 give way
was the wheel house. II fell Into the
water, and a draft being created, the
flames swept through The center
Of the boat, Those who escaped were
taken away from the NC ne BY the steam
boat Stella Wilde, which plies between
Bayou StrS aId NatchCz. As the wilde
was backing out four Kegs ~
gunpowder that were IN the hold
exploded, aud the cotton and burn
Ing tlmbers were hurled IN oil
directions. This virtually put the fire
out, aud, what was once palatlal
steamer, was now blackened wreck.
When the Wilde reached the river
loud cry for help came from
the middle Of the aireGm. boat
was lowered and WAS quickly pulled In
the direction OF the cry. Through the
darkness the crew saw the figure ~ d
man graphing bale OF cotton, but before
they could reach him the bale turned over,
and when II was rigated
THE NAN WAS GONE.
several survivors OF the disaster reached
the city by the Mississippi Valley road
from Baton Rouge, They had been taken
to that point by the steamer Stella Wilde
which came along soon after the destruc.
ton OF the White. Col. l.. + James was
taken 10 his home on bis arrival, where
he Is ia a critical condition. He stated
that the sight WAS horfiiying and could
not be told. lie declared that there must
have been sixty persons lost, because DOT
OF sixty-hye In the cabin he could
only see himself and four
others, among whom was II. q.
Brown, state engineers J. Dauey, bar
Der; Fred Gray. a porter, and J Coilins,
deck watcbman. DAuey said he would
never forget the sight be beheld
at the ST. Mary plantation when
the White was developed In flames
He was sure one child had been rescued
and brought into ST. Mary's plantation.
To bis knowledge Of the boats employees,
there were two cabin boys, Two chAmber-
malds, one fireman aud one stevedore
lost, besides I'D Jackson. Amos Moss,
Louis Walker, Plny Walker and another