Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-31
CRAZED IN A FIRE TRAP
THE STORY OF ONE OF THE
BRADISH JOHNSON'S CREW.

the Men Were Too Panic-Stricken to
Extingufsh - Heroes and COwards
Mfxed in Wild Scramble for Life.
MOBILE, ALA, Dec. 30.-News was re-
ceived here late last night of the burning
ofthe steamer Bradish Johnson, used as
boarding house at Jackson, ,on the Tom mbig-
bee river. eleven miles above Mobile, on
Wednesday night. There is no telegraph
line to that point. The johnson was lying
with her nose in the bank and her gang
plank out. A. Z. Yeall, one OF the bosses,
gives the following description of the fire:
~ had just gone to bed when l heard
cry OF fire. got into my pants somehow
and seized my other effects and rushed
out into the cabin. There had been party
Of men out there playing cards and they
saw smoke issuing.
WHERE THE FIRE STARTED.
when / came into the cabin the fire
seemed to be in a sta teroom aft OF the pam
try on the port side, and the men who had
been playing cards were standing there at
the door looking in at the fire. They
seemed dazed and did not know what to
do. They had shouted fire, but there they
stood staring at it. | shouted: For
Gods sake, what are you standing there
for? Wake the men up and let us get out
of here.' There was an old Alabamian in
the room next TO mine. | don't know his
name. He was asleep when i went to
bed, for / heard snOrino- / hammered
and pounded away witt all my might, but
don't know whether goJ him awake or
not.
sTIFLING SMOKE.
IL, Il, +hoa III
and the men were running around like
mad. | hardly know what happened. |
ran forward through the cabin and my
ewes and mouth got so full of smoke that
did not know where l was going or how.
The negroes were mostly lodged on the
lower deck. They all came running for
ward about the same time we got there.
The vessel burned very fast, and was
solid mass of flames in a moment.
NEGROES FALL INTO THE FLAMES.
when reached the bank 1 turned
and saw tue pilot house and texas fall in
with some of the negroes. The others fed
up the bank in mob and rushed TO the
woods. where they huddled like sheep and
could not be persuaded to come down to
the boat. They knew that some of their
number were lost in the burning vessel,
and they were seemingly superstitious
about it. They did not want TO go near
the place. The boat became a mass of
flames and burned for about an hour,
when she sank, nothing but her jackstaf
remaining out of water.
SEARCHING FOR SWIMMERS.
AS soon as got ashore there was re-
port that there were men in the water on
the other side of the steamer. SkIffs were
manned and sent to the rescue. They
picked up Mr.. DAILY, one of the caisson
men. Neal. an EnglIshman in one of the
skitfs, had two negroes near MIN, but they
sank out of sight. Bowling, the cook,
who received slight burns on the face
and hands, found white man lying in a
stateroOm door.
HERoE EVERY INCH,
"Dan Hillhouse came up and the two
dragged the man, supposed to be Nc
Er0y, out to the boiler deck. The man
was unconscious from the effects OF the
smoke. Just then flames burst out ON
the side, and Bowling jumped over the
railing to save his life. HillhOuse, how.
ever, said he heard a man groaning just
inside, and ne went back into the cabin to
rescue this man. He never came out
again and was never seen alive after that,
and 1t is believed he was sacrificed in the
noble attempt to save another mans life.
Hillhouse was from New York and was
considered the Oldest pressure man in the
caisson business. and was employed in
building the TombigDee bridge.
THE NUMBER THAT PERISHED.
"Tbere is no telling just how many lost
their lives in the fire and in the river.
Some say that ten others are missing. l
think two other white men were burned
with the boat, and there may have been
|others, for don't think they had a chance
|lo be awakened and then escape, for it
was ali could do with the smartest kind
|of running to get out aliye. Had the fire
broken out one hour later, when all the
| men would have been in bed, none of us
would have escaped, for there would have
been nobody in the cabin to discover the
smoke, and the whole crowd would have
been suffocated.
THE ORIGIN UNKNOWN.
CAS- to the origin of the fire | know
&hothIug. The cook was sick and knows
nothing about it. He says the boys told
him before he went to sleep that the fires
10 the galley were all out and every thing
6afe. The watchman on the deck below
<id not see the fire until the alarm was
kiven."
The Bradish johnson was built in the
West for what is called the Louisiana
lower coast trade, that is from New Or
Peans down TO the passes OF the Miesis-
flppi. she was named after Bradish
johnson, reputed to be one of the richest
fugar planters In Louisiana.
BROUGHT TO ALABAMA.
| In 1874 Capt. ;. Stone brought her here
rom New Orleans ana ran her on the
alabama and its tributaries for several
Years, until she got in litigation and was
pnally sold at marshaPs sale. The pur-
thaser was Capt. IL. G. Baldwin, VINO
kept her in the same trade. After his
Neath she passed 10 Rittenhouse Moore,
Who has owned her ever since. Two years
4go abe was condemned and went out OF
commission. She was not insured and
Aer value was nominal.
DOZEN BUILDINGS BURNED.
4 BALTIMORE, Dec. 30.-A dispatch re-
4fived this morning from Upper Marlboro,
pc county seat Of Prince George county,
|mys That at O'clock this morning the
|Brge store occupied by James Flint was
pund to be on fire. The flames spread
3pidly. The house OF John Farr. the
tore OF George II. Bunnell, and the Offices
|of Joseph X. Roberts and others were
'turned. The wster of the town was ex-
peusted, and there was nothing tc stop
lhe march Of the flames. Tue Town Com
missioners telegraphed 10 Washington for
nlp. About u dozen buildings were to-
Mly destroyed, aud IL ia estimated that
ne loss Will be nearly $4,000.
100000 SWEPT AWAY.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 30.-The opera
*.<4 a H..N. -.