River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-12-27

DEATH WAS The PILOT.
Between Thirty and Fifty Lives Lost by
the burning of a Mississippi River
Steamboat Near Memphis. Tenn.-De-
tails of the Disaster.

|
Between Thirty and fifty Lives Lost by
the Burning of a Mississippi River
Steamboat Near Memphis, Tenn.-De-
tails of the Disaster.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec 24-The elegant
I passenger steamer Kate Adams, running
as a semi-weeklv packet between Memphis
and Arkansas City, was burned Sunday
morning near Commerce, Miss. forty
miles south OF this city. She had on
board about 200 or more people, in
Guiding twenty-five cabin and sixty
deck passengers, twenty five colored
cabin passengers and a cabin crew of
eighty. II is Impossible to learn how
many lives were lost, but a conservative
estimate places the number at not less
than thirty-tiye and it may reach fifty
Some Of the lost are:
4 George Corbett, the third clerk, aged 30;
l Joe Porter, Andrew Reese, Monroe jackson.
Jim Nelson, Senator Coleman, OF the eolored
cabin crew; Hillyard Horton, OF the coloTed
cabin crew; Lee Finley, a eolored roustabout;
3 Frank Wells. colored roustabout.
! Fifteen deck passengers, four of whom
were white, are among the lost In the
humber of the unknown lost were three
colored women and two children. They
were coming to Memphis TO spend the
1 holidays The whites had been working
on TIE levees and their names and destina
tion are unknown.
Clerk Corbett leaves a widow who lives
in st. Louis. He had launched yawl and
was trying TO save the coIored women on
the lower deck at the time he was
drowned. The stern of the burning
steamer had swung out into tae river,
and panic had seized the crew and
passengers IN the lower deck Cut off
from escape from the bow they were
TN.4
lives. The y@wl was overloaded and cap
sized. Many of its occupants were
drowned. They were mostly colored men.
but there were three or four women in the
crowd.
The steamer was en- route to Memphis
The fire, which caught in some cotton near
the forward end of the boilers, was dis
covered about o'clock. The passengers
were at breakfast and when the alarm was
given they all made a rush for the for
ward deck. At the time the steam
er was about 800 yards from
the Mississippi side of the river and her
DOW was at once headed for the shore.
Pilot Joe Barton was on watch and he re-
manned herolcally at his post until she was
safely landed. Harry Best, the second
clerk who was seated at the table when
the alarm was given, had brought
al the women and children forward
and assisted them ashore. Captain Mark
r Cheek, who was IN the hurr cane deck,
remained there. giving his commands un-
til the stage plank was safely lowered.
The fire by this time had spread all
through the cabin and he was compelled
+ 10 retreat to the rear and climbed over the
rails and descended to the cabin.
Here he found Chief Clerk W. c. Blank
or, VINO had made an effort to save the
money and papers of the steamer, which
were in the safe. He managed to grab the
money, but was cut off from the bow, and
was forced back into the cabin As he
was gropIng his way aft he
stumbled and fell over some chairs
and lost all the valuables he had
secured, and it was with great
fficulty that he succeeded in reaching
the rear through the binding smoke and
/ flames which filled the cabin Captain
\ Cheek seized life-preserver, and placing
/ It on Chief Clerk Banker helped him
overheard into the water. He 1oated
/ down about three miles before he
was rescued by parties who had
reached shore and had followed him
| down the river. Captain Cheek as
sisted several others in securing life
/ preservers, and, when il was no longer
| possible for him TO remain without being
/
/ swan ashore. The burning steamer drift
| I'd away, after lying at the bank for TWEEN
| ~ minutes and floated down the river, her
| hull sinking at the head of Peters Island,
/ four miles below Commerce. The pas
| sengers and crew lost all their clothing
and effects and some made their escape to
Z the shore from the burning steamer en-
+ deshabille, but were provide with clothes
/ bY the kind citizens of Commerce. Three
( Ofthe colored cabin crew who were rescued
from the water died afterward. Their
/ names appear in the list already given.
| The water was very cold, which be-
uumbed the limbs of those who jumped
! overheard, and to this is attributed the
/ greatest loss of life. All speak in the
/ highest terms of the GOODNESS and bravery
/ displayed by the officers. CAPITA n, clerks,
/ pilots and engineers all renamed at their
posts until the last, and it was through
their efforts and courage that all the
women passengers were safely landed.
Colonel J. NJ. Hunter. solicitor for the
New York Mutual Life Insurance Com
pauy, swan ashore. He says that before
| leav ing the boat he saw cOlored woman
throw her three children into the river,
! then Jump in herself, and all four were
drowned.
When Mrs Harry Fields, of Friars'
Point, Miss, saw smoke filling the cabin
she ran to the bow of the steamer, which
by this time had touched the bank, and
tried to Jump ashore. She failed and
fell to the lower deck. A negro man who
was close behind her followed her exam
Pile, and, like her, failed to reach the
shore, but fell near her. The fire was
scorch ng hot where they fell, but the ne
gro gathered her in his arms and carried
her 20 the bank and thus saved her from
being burned to death, as she was
unable to move after having fallen
from the boiler deck. Mrs. Field is
positive that W. A. COvington,
planter and merchant of ROsedale, Miss,
persisted in the flames.
1.-THE Kate Adams was owned by the Memphis
e. Vicksburg Packet Company. OF which Major
John d. Adams, of Little Rock, IS president.
Captain Mark r. Cheek. superintendent, and
John NJ. Peters, secretary and treasurer. She
was built by James Reese & Sons of Pittsburgh,
in 1852. and cost s1O2, coo. She was the finest
and fastest steamer OF her type. Her
owners this summer spent $4,000 in repairing
her at Paducah. She was insured for s33,750
in ST. Louis. Cincinnati and other offices. This
would have been the completion Of her Gf2d
trip in the Memphis and Arkansas City
trade. Her cargo consisted of 1,l6i
bales of cotton. 1900 s2eSs Of cottonseed, 81
bags OF seed and a good list Of surdries.
The cotton was consigned TO Memphis
merchants and fully insured in their open poll
cies. Fader Frank & Co; HILL Fontaine s.
Co.. and Thomas II. Allen & Co. were the
largest consignees. The steamers safe con
tanned about 5000, about 5000 Of which be
lpnged te passengers who had given 1t to the
clerk for safekeeping.l
"