The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-24
FEARFUL DISASTER.

Tbs steamer j. NJ. White burned and sixty
Persons Reported Lost-A Partial LIE Of
the Victims.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Dec 14.-It is currently
rumored here that the elegant steamer J.
n. White, running between Ficksburg and
New Orleans, burned at an early Eour this
morning near Bayou Sara, La, and thai
fifty lives were lost.
SIXTY LIVES LOST.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. IA, 10:55 a. m
The loss of the steamer j. NJ. White has,
been confirmed. She burned to the,
waters edge at eleven O'Clock last
night while lying at the bank near Bayou.
Sara, l., About sixty lives are lost,
largely women and children. Nearly all the
crew were saved. Among the passengers
reported lost Is the superintendent of the
Vidalia railroad at Naichez, who, together
| with his wife and children, persisted in the
disaster. The books o: the boat are lost.
HOW 1T OCCURIsD.
NEW ORLEANS, Dee. 15.-Respecting the
terrible loss of life By tie burning of the
j. NJ. White steamboat, near Bayou Sara,
William Mc(ireevy. chief engineer Of the
boat, says That al about 1910 O'Clock Mon
day night, while at the landing ut DIR. Fer.
retO'S place, above the post office landing at
| Point COupee, at which place the boat was
| loading cotton seed, n fire broke out amid
ships, just att, between tie engines on top
of the cotton below the boiler deck. En-
| gineers Barry and Jenny. who were ON
watch, gave the alarm and the pumps were
put to work, but without avail, The
Waterman then gave the alarm by ringing
the bell, and Clerks Callahan and Bell at
once aroused the people in the cabin.
The fire spread RAPIDLY. and in less than
| fifteen minutes the boat had burned to the
waters edge. There were four kegs of
powder in the magazine and the moment
| the fire reached them the flames shot UP
| about one hundred feet high. The Shrek
| ing of women and children for help was
| awful. The superintendent OF the Eilalia
| railroad was seen standing aft, outside tho
ladies' cabin, throwing his two little daugli-
tiers into the water. He stood there and
was burned to death with his wife. There
were in the cabin nine lady passengers and
about eight men. At New Texas twenty
deck hands were taken on board and all are
| supposed to be lost.
1t is learned that Andrew Pierce, & sailor,
and Antonio Rebatta, a fireman. are the
| ones to whom all the credit of saving the
survivors is due.
The fire Illuminated the river and the
country for miles, and the burning floating
cotton made CHASTITY procession down the
river.
THE DEAD.
The following is list as far as ascer-
tanned OF the white persons missing:
5. Ii. POffOrd, wife and daughter, OF vi
dalia; Captain &. W. Floyd, a wsil-knOwn
steambOatmaD: Mrs. Murray, of NaiciIez;
Miss Agnes McCabe. of West Feicana;
two other lady passengers, names un-
known. Three men and one woman were
walking on the hurricane deck when IT fell
in and disappeared i'm the flames. Two
white men. names unknown, who were in
charge of the premium OK, jumped over
board and We're drowned.
The following Is a list Of the cOored per-
sons lost: Levi Robinson, captain of the
watch; two unknown negro women; Dick
Randolph, fireman; Oscar Landry. pastry
cook; Lewis Martin. second cook; Albert
Brown, cabin boy; John Parker, cabin boy;
Perry Williams, cabin boy; Amos Morse,
porter; Edward jackson, cabin boy; Penny
Walker, chambermaid: Martha Washing
ton, chambermaid; Duncan Fourth, cook;
two negro preachers, names unknown; a
negro woman from Port Kicker and her
son, aged sixteen: VOlsn Bell, laDOrer;
two negro women, each with an infant
Two white men. William Daily. 1T No
brsska, and Mr.. Oberchain, of Kentucky,
are supposed tO be lost Mrs. Wade, of
West Feliciana, had All almost miraculous
escape. She speaks in glowing terms of the
heroic and gallant conduct Of Captain Floyd,
who sacrificed his life in trying to save the
lady passengers. All of the officers Of the
White were saved. Among those who es-
capped were J. E. Carew and wife, OF Otta-
Wa Iii.
The J. NJ. White was built in 1878 at
cost of S225, ZOO, and was the finest and
fastest boat ever run on the Mississippi.
She was owned by Captain john W. TObin,
and was valued at $3OO 600, while her cargo
was worth S15O,000 The insurance on the
boat is $50, 900. and the cargo is doubtless
fully covered By insurance.