New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-26

number OF passengers and cargo of $500 bales
of cotton on board was burned last night at
Plaquemine 1t was stated at first that OF the
hundred people on board not more than fourteen
escaped, but it is believed now that the loss
of life will not exceed thirty. Those known to
be lost are as follows:
CRANE, JOSEPH. cabin watchman.
GRAFTON. JOHN carpenter.
DECK. MONROE first cook.
DUFF. JACK second cook.
HARVEY, JOSEPH cabin boy
HOLMES J. s.. master of The seanofs
o'NEII. MICHAEL. night watchman.
POWELL, SAMUEL. chief clerk
SMITH ROBERT. pilot, from smithland, L.
WATSON JAMES, second baker.
A dispatch from Plaquemine to The States"
says:
II was Just before Christmas day was being
ushered in that the fine steamer was coming down
the river. Several of the passengers were seated
in the cabin having a merry time and with no
thought of the impending catastrophe. Many
of the crew and passengers were asleep when the
fire broke out and spread with indescrtbable
rapidity The details Of the sufferings and death
of some of the passengers are narrowing in the
extreme. The boat had reached point Which
was but short distance above the town when
a negro roustabout near the boiler-room out
TO the deck and shouted that the boat was on
fire. John Cullen, stoSer, near the place
at the time, and seeing the flames bursting forth
from the big tiers of cotton near the boiler ran
hastily TO the enqne-room and gave the alarm
Engineer Merriman took in the situation at a
glance and at once sounded the alarm by blowing
the steam whistle and ringing the bell. In an
instant. certainly in much shorter time than it
takes to explain it, the flames shot through the
cabin and over the sides of the cotton, envelop-
inc in
upstairs at the time and when he saw the flames
he heroieally ran through the smoke which filled
the cabin and tried to arouse the sleeping people.
He kicked at the doors and in a short time
almost everybody was awake. Then confusion
worse confounded appeared, and frantic people
ON the boat ran TO different exits TO make their
escape, but the boat was piled high with cotton,
and the passa geways were filled with smoke
Many dropped before they were able to get to
the forward part of the boat, and were dead
when the steamer went down.
FLAMES SWEEP THROUGH THE BOAT
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 prairie
and the engine room was soon in flames. Then
to add further to the consternatiOn steam pipe
burst and illcG the place with scadng steam.
Engineer Mcrrman was forced to abandon bis
post, and he and the stolleIs and others ran to
the sides of the boat and climbed through pell-
mell in order to save their lives. AS soon as the
smoke and flames began TO shoot the sides
of the boat, Captain Jolles, the pilot,
swung the wheel around and headed the boat for
the shore A full head of steam was on at the
time and the boat was soon run into the bank.
Before she did so, however, she was doomed. All
of her timber was then furiously burning. When
the Hanna struck the bank she bounded away
again and swung around, drifting down she
burned Then Captain Joes jumped out over
the cotton bales and springing out into the
river, swan ashore.
AN AWFUL SCENE FROM THE BANK
The sight was weird one, viewed from the
bank. and the town was aroused. Floating cot
ton, charred timber aod other debris filled the
river. and many people were struggling desper
atcy in the water for their lives. Some of
them were able to swim ashore, but most Of
them were so badly burned or so thoroughly ex-
hausted that they struggled but few moments
and sank to rise no
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 Captain Holmes
and Bob Smith, the unfortunate pilot of the
i'll fated White, who was a passenger. Both men
were burned nigh unto death, and the story OF
the manner in which they suffered is most heart
rending When the captain jumped ashore he was
horribly burned and in his frantic desire 10 De
relieved from 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 behind and was laid out by the side
of the diving captain Nothing could be done
for the suffering men and the two died together
on the river bank
Plaquemine was not slumbering when the fire
broke out and when the discovery was made
that the Hanna was burning almost the entire
town nocled to the river bank and watched the
vessel burn. The struggling unfortunates who
reached the shore were taken care of and doctors
and others came TO their assistance and tried TO
alleviate their sufferings The City and Central
Hotels and private houses threw open their
doors TO the Inflated people, and fed and clothed
them until this morning. The survivors tele-
graphed accounts of the disaster to their homes
No one saw Clerk Powell, who displayed much
heroism in waking up the passengers, after he
had rapped at the doors, and it is quite possible
that he was burned to death. and went down
with the steamer No attempt was made to save
any of the steamers books or papers, and every
thing together with the clothes OF the crew and
passengers, was lost The boat burned rapidly
after she reached the bank. and in a very short
time after the alarm was given she was burned
10 the waters edge The hull sank and nothing
was left of the Hanna but floating timber and
burning cotton
The crew of the boat were J. S. Homs, captain ;
Samuel Powell and James Jordan, clerks; Lewis
Rawlings and Henry Jolles, pilots j. H. Handley
I and j. G. Merriman, engineers; Daniel Carroll,
steward Samuel Bryant, first mate; Mike
Cussick, second mae; John Gibbon, sailorman /;
Benjamin Duclos and William Higgins, barkeepers
John Grafton carpenter; two chambernaids, Mrs.
Demery and Mrs Hunt; Charles Thompson, fire
man John Rucicr and Tom" Cullen, stOlIerS.
Coming down ON the boat as paSscngers were q