The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-07
LA MASCOTTE.
The Calamity of the Bursting
of Her Boiler.
CAPTAINS INHUMANITY.
Death Knen OF Comstock Deep Min
ing-SuROcated - The Epis-
copal COnVentiOn-Etc.
The Boiler Burst.

ST. LOUIS, October 6.-No cause is as
signed as yet for the explosion last
evening of the boiler of the river steamer
La MascOtte which caused such great
loss of life. The boat is said to have
been steaming along under $50 pounds
of steam, her usual amount to carry,
when the explosion suddenly occurred
blowing fire in every direction.
The utmost confusion prevailed.
The pilot, taking advantage of
her heading, turned her to-
wards the shore, and the flames
caused him to abandon his post before
the stage planks could be lowered.
After leaving his post the current turned
the boats head out into the river
again, and her stern swung close to the
bank, which afforded means of escape
for several who we're at that end of the
boat, the pilot and one cabin boy getting
ashore without aQy injuries or even a
wet foot A stage plank was lowered
and MANY placed upon it, mostly women
and children, who would have been
saved had not the smOke-stack fallen
squarely across it. and all who were not
killed by it were drowned. Captain
Thompson, after doing all in his power
to save the passengers and crew, jumped
overheard and swan ashore, the boat
having by this time drifted fully 200
yards out into the river. La MGSc0tte
drifted over TO the Illinois shore, OPP
posite Wizards Landing, and sank, the
ONLY thing visible at present being
her wheel. Lew Brahan, second clerk,
tells the following story of the disaster:
ave had landed at Neely's and were
pulling out, and | walked up stairs, and
into my room when heard small ex-
pIosion like that of a sky rocket,
and opened the door to the cabin
and saw steam coming into it from
the barber shop. l saw the ladies
in their cabin, and called to them
to come forward. l saw fire coming
the ladies forward, and started down
stairs, where Pilot Geareau gave life
preServers to them, telling them all to
put them on Immediately. 1 ordered
Stage plank to be thrown overheard,
which was promptly done, and we put
all the ladies on the plank. The rig
ging broke, and the plank. swung out.
Mrs. y. Seimers jumped into my arms,
and 1 landed her on the stage,
while I was thrown into the river
myself. swan alongside of
the stage and made the men get OFF, so
it would bear up the ladies. I then
swan to the ledge of rocks and crswled
ashore. 4 man from Illinois with a
skif took the people off the stage, and
also saved q number that were swim
ming. l don't recollect the skiffman's
name, but he cid noble work"
J. J. Hanlon, second pilot, says:
1.-The Eagle was near us when the disaS
ter occurred, and could easily have
pushed US ashore without much trouble
or danger, but l understood the cap
tain did not care to render any assist
ance. AdoIphus Evelyn, pilot of the
Engle, told me that the captain ordered
him not to go near the Mascotte as he
id not wish to endanger his boat. If he
would only have pushed US ashore not
2 single person would have been in
jured except from scalds and burns"
The wreck of La MdSCOtte resulted
from the collapse of one of the boiler
fues. The explosion spent its force di-
rectly backwards into the engine room,
and only the crew and rOustabOuts sui
fered by scalding from escaping steam.
Eleven of the latter were so terribly
burned that huge pieces peeled from
their bodies. Six have died and the
lives of the other five are despaired of.
There are sixteen persons known to be
drowned. D. L. Davidson is so badly
burned about the face and throat that
he will probably die. The register OF
passengers was lost, and it is thought
that some were drowned or killed whose
bodies have not been recovered,