Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-26
DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
An Awful Christmas Morning
 on the Mississippi.
VESSEL BURNED LIKE FINDER.

stroyed fin a Few Minutes-Thrillins Scenes and Acts of Bravery-Terrible Death of the Captain and a Pilot.
 NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 26-The steamer John H. Hanna, loaded with cotton, from Ona- chita, burned at Plaquemine, ntne-hve miles north of here, yesterday morning. The boat and cargo are a total loss The number of persons who perished is estimated at thirty, i and the loss of life may be much greater, as the boat had nearly 100 persons on board, | and only about a dozen 90 far have been ac- counted for.
 At the time the fire was discovered the crew were at their posts. Capt. Jolles was at the wheel, and ill the pilot house with him | was Bob Smith, famous Mississippi river | pilot, who was one of the men on the Robert E Lee when she burned to the waters edge some years ago. Second Engineer Merriman was in the room on duty, and Capt J. s. Holmes, one of the finest steamboat men on the river, was in command of the steamer. The boat left Monroe Sunday morning well laden with cotton. She picked up freight all along, and when she got out of the Ouachita and into the Mississippi she had over $500 bales of cotton. It was just before Christmas day was be ing ushered in when the fine steamer caught lre. She had reached a point short dis tance above the town when a negro roust- about near the boilers ran aft and cried out that the boat was all afire John Cullen, stoker, was near the place at the time, and seeing the flames bursting forth from big tiers of cotton near the boiler, ran hastily to the engine room and gave the alarm. Imme- diately Engineer Merriman took in the situa- tion and at once sounded the alarm by blow ing the steam whistle and ringing the bells In an instant the flames shot through the cabin and over the sides of the cotton, wrap ping the entire boat in fire.
 Top Clerk Powell was up stairs at the time, and when he saw the flames he heroically Tan through the smoke filled cabin and tried to arouse the sleeping passengers. He kicked at the doors of the staterooms, and in short while everybody was awake.
 Then there was confusion worse confounded, and the frantic persons on the boat ran to the different exits to make their escape, but the boat was piled high with cotton and the passageways were filled with binding smoke Many dropped before they were able to get to the forward part of the boat, and were dead when the steamer went down
 As soon as the fire was discovered Engineer Merriman set the steam pumps working and tried to battle with the flames, but the fire swept through the boat like blaze on the prairie, and the engine room was soon in flames Then, to add further to the con- sternation, the steam pipe burst and filled the place with scalding steam. Merrinan was forced to abandon his post, and he, the stokers and others ran to the sides and climbed through the pitman, in order to save their lives.
 When the smoke and flames began to shoot over the sides of the boat Capt. Jolles swung the wheel around and headed her for the shore. A full head of steam was on at the time and the boat was soon run into the pafnra ha did h0Uavar Sha w doomed, and there was scarcely a bit of timber that was not furiously burning. When the Hanna struck the bank she bounded away again and swung around, drifting down she burned. Then Capt Jolles jumped out over the cotton, and sprinRing into the river, swam ashore Floating cotton, charred timber and other debris filled the river, and many people were struggling desperately in the water for their lives. Some of them were able to swim ashore but nearly all were badly burned or so exhausted that they struggled but few moments and sank to rise no mors.
 As the burning boat struck the bank of the river the crew and passengers who had been able to reach the forward end of the boat sprang ashore, some of them with scorched faces and bruised limbs, and many of them with scarcely any covering. Among those who managed to get off were Capt. Holmes ana bOD SulCn, CuS pllOU OI Iue i'll fated Lee, who was passenger on his way down to this city, Both men were burned nigh unto death. When the captain jumped ashore he was horribly burned, and in his frantic desire to be relieved of the pain he was suffering he buried his face and hands in the soft mud, and begged most piteously for some one to help him. Smith was just be hind, and lay down beside the dying captain. Nothing could be done for the suffering men Jt,nI fko
 The death of John Crofton was sad one He was in the upper part of the boat strug gling to get near the front end. The flame. were twisting and sweeping all about him and soon enveloped him. He tried to reaol the bow, but he dropped and burned to deatl before the eyes of persons who were not abl, to render him any assistance
 When the discovery was made that th Hanna was burning the entire population O the town of Plaquemine fiocked to the rive bank and watched the vessel burn. Tn struggling unfortunates who reached tin shore were taken care of, and doctors ant others came to their assistance and tried t alleviate their sufferings
 The following are known to have perished
 Captain J. s. Holmes, in command, burne to death; First Clerk Samuel R. Powell drowned; Robert s. Smith, the old pilot o the J. M White; Mike O'Neil, Joe Crane Monroe Deck, Jack Duff, Jim Watson, Joh Grafton; twenty deck hands.
 The engineers and pilots were all saved
 No reliable estimate ss to how many peopl were lost can be obtained. One of the dec hands who escaped says that they had a cre' of nearly 100, and only about a dozen can b found.
 None of the men could say what was th origin of the fire. The general impression i however, that some careless smoker threw cigarette among the cotton and thereb caused the disaster.
 J. W. Hanley, chief engineer of the boa arrived in this city with the rest of the orev He said the fire started in the cotton just a of the boilers little before 12 o'clock. Hanle continued: "I think that of the crew of u Hanna and that of the Josie W, who wei passengers, the loss of life is from twenty twenty-five. The boat, when burning, W, lying at the bank of Plaquemine, and u people of that town treated us with gre, kindness, and furnished us literally with foe and clothing. Among the lost was negl child. Her mother and two colored woms were on the boat and were saved"