The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-09
THE MASCOTTE DISASTER
The OFFICERS OF THE STEAMER
EXONRRATED,
Bat the COroner's Jury Recon-.
mend That the License of the
Eagles Captain BE Revoked.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, October 8.-The fol-
loving deaths occurred yesterday
among tbo.e Injured in the La Mas
cote disaster, m 4king the total mum.
or thirty: Ma shall Wade, colored,
tf Walnut Hill, Tenn; Albert Rec,
colorsd, OF Cape Michael; NJ. G.
Scherer, OF Cincinnati, o.; L-vi
Chatham, colored, of Paducah, KY.
George S. Davidson, the boats car
penter, is in very prec Iious condi'
ton and is not expected to live.
The Coroner resumed his investiga-
ton into the cause OF the deaths re-
sultng from the accident.
Adolphe Evelyn, pilot OF the Eagle,
testified that he noticed the explosion
on La Masco to, but, hearing no signal,
supposed that the b rat was not in dis
tees. When he saw that the was on
FIRE, however, he ordered the deck
bauds 10 lower the skif and the yawl.
They cid 80, and aided in the rescue of
TIE passengers and crew. The cap
tain of the Eagle appeared on deck
about this tune ald seemed provoked
tnat 1.-THE pilot bad ordered the boats
lowered. The Eagle then ran ashore
and took on board all those who had
escaped from The burning host.
capt. o, s. Enough, Of the Eagle,
testified that be was powefless TO reu-
der any as i'tance To the Is Mascotte,
for his own boat would C ainly have
caught fire il he bad attempted to
push the burning boat ashore. The
yawl and tkif bad already been low
eied when be came on deck and were
rafcuing tire downing passengers and
members Of the crew. He did all ia
his power TO allev ate the suferings of
the injured atier they had been
brought aboard the Eagle.
Several Of the La Ma cotts'a crew
ttstifi d that Capt. Toompgon, mater
of the boat, was the last one to leave,
aud that he did all in his pc Aer to
save the boat and her crew and pas.
seng9rs. They all agreed that the
Il lgle could have pushed the La Mas
cote ashore without endaDgeriDg her.
self.
Capt. Thompson testified that as
soon as be knew the bta was on fire
he searched the upper and lower
decks Tor his crew and deck hands,
but all but two of them had been too
feverely Injured to render any assist
ance in extin2uiehing t fire or had
made Their elcAGe. Mr.. G Korean and
he assisted the ladies to the sage and
supplied them with life preserves.
He then went back TO the d ok to take
last look and see il anyone was lie #
on the boat, and saw two colored men
horribly burned and scalded lying on
the iorecastle, the flames just about
to devour them. He then jumped
overt GARD, swan ashore, ran down to
where The Eagle had landed, boarded
her and repeatedly called upon her
captain to lower his lif9 boat. 81 told
him" continued Capt. Thompson,
chat If he did not do go | won d report
him. He reolitd that he bad no crew.
saw at that time eight or twelve
men on the lower deck. He fna ly
lowered tho boat. Some one was in it,
but had only one oar. 1t came ashore
and was afterward taken back to the
boat. When the Eagle landt d there
we're passengers from the La Mas
cote 10 the river on the stags or
to 1t, and one or two cungiug
tn line on the bow OF the boat. Tha
Eigle could have gone close enough
and sent the iifsboat, even with Que
car, 100 or 200 f. ct and taken some of
the pas engeis off, but Cipt. Eoough
refused to d. this. HIS conduct
throughout was heartlets to thu ex.
IRENE, and he seemed wholly indifer-
o to the condition of the dyi0g and
drowning victims. When called on to
go to the Cape, he repeatedly said he
wanted to go Graud Tower; slso
said tba he WIS running that boat,
and that too many wanted to have
say in iunni G her. told him that l
had something to fay, and that il it
wa money he wanted, he could have
that. l tried all but two or
three OF the doo's of the
ststerooms on his beat and they were
all locked. From what | saw the
captain OF the Eagla rendered no as
sistance whatever except 10 bring the
cead a d dying to Cape Girardeau"
Attsr the evidence was all taken the
jury almost imme lately returned a
verdict generating the officers OF La
Masc ltta from oil blame and severely
criticised Capt. Enough, of the Eagle,
for his treatment of the survivors AID
for not attempting to run the burning
boat ashore, and recommended that
his license be revoked.