Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-23

and was insured for $4,000. The cargo
Is undoubtedly fully covered by in
surance. 1t is understood that the super
intendent of the Videlia railroad, at
Natchez. together with his wife and chill
dren are among those who who persisted.
The names and the exact number of
the lost cannot now be given as the
books of the boat were destroyed. The
steamer piled between Vicksburg and
New Orleans.
Accounts Gathered From the Officers and
Grew.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 1.-THE States has
the following account of the loss of the
J. w. White, gathered from the officers
and crew: The boat had landed to take
on a pile of cotton seed, and there were
between thirty-fiYe and forty roustabouts
engaged in this work, when precisely at
1915 o'clock everybody was startled by
the loud ringing of the bell by Watch
man Tom Miller. Immediately after a
cry of "fre" was taken up by twenty
voices. In an instant the direst confus-
ion reigned, men darted to and fro, and
the work of arousing the sleeping pas
sengers was begun. The fire was discoy-
cred by Thomas Barry, second engineer,
who, with his partner, Steven
Janney, was on watch at the
time. Barry gave the alarm and his
voice rang through the deck-room and
vessel. Waterman Miller took in the sit
uation at once and rang the huge bell
located on the second deck. Miller stood
at his post ringing the bell until he was
forced to retreat by the encroaching
flames. The noise of the changing bell
aroused William McGreevy, chief en-
gineer, who was asleep in the texas. He
sprang out of bed and CROPPED his way
through the smoke to wake up his part
ner, John Pallasier, second assistant en-
gineer, VINO was asleep in the forward
part of the texas. About midway he met
Panisier, who had also been aroused by
the bell and was on his way to hunt for
McGreevy. The two men then looked as
best they could through the sitting smoke
for the others who slept in the Texas but
not seeing any one and believing that all
but themselves had left they crawled out
on the hurricane deck and were compel
led to Gimp down on one of the stanch-
cons to the right side of the boat from
whence they got on shore. In the mean
time
TWO STREAMS OF WATER
were brought to play on the fire, but the
heavy, black volumes of smoke drove the
engineers back. They fought the flames
step by step, but were at last forced to
drop the hose and save themselves. The
fire burned with frightfuI rapidity, and
In less time than it takes to tell it, the
entire left side of the boat was mass of
flames. The fire soon caught the railing
of the cabin deck, and before assistance
- 10 Z
she were encircled by a stream of fire.
The cracking of the flames and the
shrieks of the passengers and crew caus-
ed the most intense excitement. When
the alarm was first sounded Alex. McYay,
the head clerk, was sitting at the stove in
his cabin. The first peal of the bell caus-
ed him to rush outside, and seeing the
flames leap high In the air he ran back to
the cabin and endeavored to get the
books and money. The fire gained rap
idly on him and he was compelled to leave
the Office, but not before he had secured
sum of money from the safe. McVay
then turned his attention to
SAVING CABIN PASSENGERS
of whom there were about Is or IS, in
Guiding eight ladies. He first awoke
Second Clerk John Callahan, who ran out
Callahan and McVay went to each room
and awoke the inmates. The terrified
passengers quickly got out, nearly all of
them IN their night garments. Among
them was a gentleman, name unknown
but recognized as the superintendent
of the Nidalia Southern railroad. He
had his wife and two children, girls of Q
and II years of age, with him. He called
them around him and babe them follow
him. By this time the flames had reach
ed the cabin, through which thick smoke
was rolling. The panic stricken passen-
gers quickly made for the entrances,
some to the stern and others to the front
The gentleman referred to was among
those who went to the stern. Upon
reaching the deck he grasped his two
children, one at q time, and threw them
into the river. Before he and his wife
could follow, the flames had reached them
ana they were
BURNED TO DEATH.
The two pilots on watch, John Stout and
BOB Smith, were in the pilot house and
were compelled to jump into the river,
where they were picked up. They had a
narrow escape from death. The fire
burned so quickly that it was impossible
to see who was saved and who was lost.
The deck was crowded with roustabouts
and deck passengers, thirty of the latter
having got on the vessel at New Texas
landing just about when the boat was
burned and nearly all of them were lost
While the passengers and crew were es-
Gaping from the boat a steam pipe blew
up and was hurled three hundred feet in
the air. The force of the explosion caus-
ed over twenty bales of burning cotton to
be hurled high in the air when they re-
volved several times and then fell into the
river. Immediately after the explosion
SHRIEKS WERE HEARD
oming from the stern of the vessel. Fore