Connecticut western news., 1886-12-22
X FLOATING FURNACE,
Sixty Lives Lost by the Burning of
 the J, M, White.

NEW ORLEANS, La., Dec. 14, 1sS8.-Thc ele- sant steamer J. NJ. White, one of the finest on the Mississippi River, running between Nicks- b'.fg and this port, Was burned to the waters edge at Point Couree last night. She had a number of pas~e.,gers on board and cargo of S,OOO bales oT cotton, together with a quantity of bowler. both of which aided in atlgm,nting the fearfal loss of life wl,ich accompanied the distraction of tho steamer.
 line boat had landed to take on a pile of cot ton seed. and there were between thirty-tive and forty roustabouts engaged in this work when precisely at fifteen minutes past ten o'clock everybody was startled by the loud ringing of the bell by Watchman Tom Miller. Immediately after the cry of Fire y was taken up by twenty voices In an instant the dlrest confusl lop reigEed. Men darted to and fro and tho work of aIousing the sleeping passen- 5crs Was begun.
 The fire burned so quickly that 1t Was i'm possible to see who W, re saved and who were lost. The deck Was crowded with roustabou.s and deck passengers, thirty of the latter having got on the vessel at the New Texas landing. just aloyc where the boat was burned. Nearly aL of these were lost.
 While the passengers and crew were escaping from the boat the steampipe blew up and was hurled, with over twenty bales of cotton, hundred feet in the air. They revolved over and over until thc5-, Iell into the river.
 lmmedlatel, after the explosion shrieks were heard cor-IIng from the stern of the vessel. For r-n instant two colored women were seen
 .eanding on the gallery just bacf of the wheel 1 house, and the next instant they were hidden from view by the smoke and flames, The first | part of the boat to give way was the wheel house. It fell into the water, and, draft be- | ing created the flames swept through the cen | tre of the boat.
 POWDER BLOWS UP TIE BURNING WRECK. i Those who escaped were taken away from | the scene by the steamboat Steta Wild, which l plies between Bayou Sara and Natchez. AS | the Wild was backing out four kegs of gun | powder that were in the hold exploded, and cotton and burning timbers were hurled i'll all | directions This virtually put the fire out,
 and what was once pa atial steamer was now l blackencd wreck. When the Wild reached , the river a loud cry for help calne from tho ] middle of the stream. A boat Was lowered | and was quickly pulled in tho direction of the cry. Through the darkness the crew saw tho ngure of man grasping bale of cotton, but | before they could reach him the bale turned over and when it was righted the man was ! gone,
 NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 16.--Fully forty-ive of Inc passengers and crew of tic ill-fated steam
 CT John M. White are still missing. Of these
 thirty arc negro lahorers, who took passage on the koat at the landing just above the point ! where the accident occurred. It is believed that at least twenty of them perishcd Cap tain F. J. Musey. the commander of the steamer was ill i'll his room at the time the steamer was discovered to be on fire. He Was awakened by the alarm and ran from his room to the upper deck Co find that retreat to the ' ceck below was already cut of by flames. lie swung out from the upper deck on cham, and in this way reached the bank. Afterwaro he tried to return and assist those stlli on
 board, but discovered that he would lose his
 own life if he persisted. He then organlze,i relief force from the bank and superlnteldcG the sailor, Bierson, in the yawl i'll rescrllne
 those struggling ill the water.
 Pierson's conduct during the confusion Was most heroic. Pushing his way through tht
 crowd of slriekinS passengers at the steamers stem, he cut the yawl loose from its fastenings
 and after desperate struggle lowered it tt the water. Four negroes jumped into tht
 boat and cut the painter, but the sailor fortet
 them back, and taking twenty human being:
 into the yawl landed them safe on shore
 Then rowing quickly back, he saved twcnt,
 more. On the third trip hc rescued nine, aul
 on the fourth trip three. By the time h'
 reached the shore on the last trip all that re
 n,ained of the steamer was her hull.