The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-23
A HORROR OF THE NIGHT.
The Burning of Mississippi Steamer.

A HORROR OF THE NIGHT.
The Burning of Mississippi Steamer.
NEW ORLEANS, December 14.-The
steamer j. III. White, loaded with 2,1O0
bales of cotton and having q number of
passengers on board was burned TO the
waters edge last night. Several surva.
vors of the disaster reached this city to-.
day by the Mississippi Valley Railroad
from Baton Rouge. They had been
taken to that point by the steamer Stella
Wilde, which came along soon after thu
destruction of the White. Col: S. L..
James, a passenger who was in his state.
room, was carried to his home, No. 277
Prytania street, on his arrival, where he
lies in critical condition. He stated
that the sight was torrifyipg, and COULD
not be described. Col. James positively
declared that there must have been sixty
persons lost.
VIM. McGreyy, chief engineer of tho
boat. says: "About 1910 o'clock last
night, while lying at Du Frette's place,
above the postofice landing, at Point
Coupe, at which place the boat was load
ing cotton seed, fire broke out amidshipy
between the engines, on the top of the
cotton and below the boiler deck. EDgi'
neers Barry and Jenny, who were on
watch, gave the alarm and the pumps
we're put to work, but without avail.
The watchman pave the alarm bY ringing
the bell. Clerks Callahan and Bell
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 mo.
ment the fire reached them the flames
shot up about 100 feet The sight was
the most heartrendipg ever witnessed.
The shrieking of women and children for
help was awful. He saw the superinten-
dent of the Vidalia Railroad, standing
aft of the ladies' cabin, throw his little
daughters into the water. He stood there
and burned to death with his wife.
There were in the cabin nine lady pas.
sengers and about eight men. At New
Texas twenty deck passengers were taken
on board and all are supposed to be lost.
1t is learned that Andrew Pierce, sailor,
ard Antonio Rebutta, fireman, are the
ones to whom all the credit of saving the
survivors is due. All of the officers and
nearly all of the crew escaped. Foar or
five of the cabin crew only are known to
be lost. No authentic list of those whose
lives were lost can be made. The names
given are of those personally known to
some of the survivors.
The States has the following account,
gathered from the officers and crew:
"Thc boat had landed to take on pile
of cotton seed, and there were between
35. and 40 rcustabouts engaged in this
work when precisely at 10.15 o'clock
everybody was startled by the loud ring.
ing Of the bell by watchman Tom Miller.
Immediately after the cry of fire was
taken up by twenty voices. In an In
slant the direst confusion reigned. Men
darted to and fro, aad the work Of arous.
ing the sleeping passengers was begun.
The fire was discovered by Thomas Barry,
second engineer, who with his partner,
Stephen Janney, was on watch at the
time. The first iutimation he had of the
FIRE was small light on top Of row Of
cotton bales amidships, which greatly re-
selnbled the fame Of lantern. Barry
left his post to Investigate and was
astonished to discover that the light was
caused by bale Of cotton briskly burn.
ing. Barry gave tho alarm, and bis voice
rang through the deck. room of the
vessel. Watchman Miller took in the
situation at once, and rang the huge bell
located on the second deck. Miller stood
at his post ringing the bell until be WAS
forced to retreat by the fast encroachipg
flames. The noise Of the changing bell
aroused VIM. McGrevy, chief engineer,
who was asleep in the Texas He
sprang out of bed and groped his way
through the smoke to wake up his part
ner, John Pallasier, second assistant
engineer, who was asleep in the toward
part of the Texas About midway be
met Pallasier, who had also been aroused
by the bell and was on his way to hunt
for McGrevy. The two men then looked
as best they could through the sitting
smoke for 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 compelled to climb down 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 to play on the fire, but the heavy
black volumes of smoke drove the engi.
neers back. They fought the flames step
by atep, but were at last forced to drop
the hose and save themselves. The fire
burned with frightful rapidity, and in
less time than it takes to tel. it the entire
left side of the boat was mass of flames.
The fire soon caught the railing of the
cabin deck, and before any assistance was
to be had the boat looked as if she was
encircled by stream of fire. The
cracking of the flames, and shrieks of
passengers and crew, caused the most
intense excitement.
when the alarm was first sounded
Alex. McVeay, head clerk, was sitting
at the stove in his cabin. The first peal
of the bell caused him to rush outside,
and seeing the flames leap high in the
air, he ran back to the cabin and endeav-
ored to get the books and money. The
fire gained rapidly on him and he vas
com PEELED to leave the Office, but not
before he had secured sum of money.
McVeay then turned his attention to
saving the cabin passengers, of whom
there were about fifteen or eighteen, in
Guiding eight ladies. He first awoke the
second clerk, John Callahan, who ran
out of his room in his undersbirt and
trousers. Callahan and McVeay went
to each room aud awoke the inmates.
The terrified passengers quickly got out,
nearly all of them in their night gar
ments. Among them was gentleman,
name unknown, but recognized as the
superintendent of the Vidalia Southern
Railroad. He had his wife and two
children, girls of 9 aud IL years, with
him. He called them around him and
babe them follow him. By this time the
flames had reached the cabin, through
which the thick smoke was rolling. The
panic.stricken passengers quickly made
IL