The sun., 1888-12-26
TWENTY LIVES LOST.
Another Terrible Disaster on the
= Mississippi River.
the STEAMBOAT JOHN ". HANNA BURNED
Caught Fire From q Lighted Cigarette
Thrown Among her Cargo.

Caught Fire From q Lighted Cigarette
Thrown Among her Cargo.
Ablsse From steu, 60 Stern Three Minutes
After tho First Alnrn-Put In to shore
Fronptly, but Too Late 20 Save Many
Idves-Capt. Holnes and Pilot snith
Caughtin the Mud and Roasted 60 Death
Hundreds who Witnessed tho Disaster
Powcrioss to Help tho victims-seven
Lives Lost In Disaster on Puget Sound.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 25-The Ouachita
River steamer. tho John M. Hanna, was burned
near Plaquemine. 100 miles from New Orleans,
about midnight last night, and twenty lives
were lost
The Hanna was booked to land at Plaque
mine and was only n short distance above that
town when negro roustabout, who was stand
ing near tho boilers, cried out that tho boat
was on fire. The next moment the flames
burst from q big tier Of cotton bales. John
Cullan. one Of the stokers, ran to the engine
room and gave the alarm. Quick as he was.
and quick as were the steps taken TO get tho
boat in to shore. they were not quick enough.
The Hanna was laden with cotton in q very
dry condition. The flames sprang from bale to
bale like flashes Of lightning. and shot up
through tho cabin and over tho sides OF the
cotton. wrapping the entire boat in fire. Tho
alarm had been sounded at tho first sight Of
the fire. Tho whistle blew and the bells rang.
but within three minutes from the discovery
Of the fire the vessel was in flames from stem
to stern. The scene that ensued was terrible
in tho extreme. Men yelled and ran about
the docks Of the burning steamer like
msniacs. and others, screaming at the top Of
their voices. threw themselves into the river.
Tho chief clerk, 8. r. Powell, went to every
door. made certain that the passengers and
hands were awake. and urged them to hurry at
once to the front Of the boat. before they were
cut of They did 30, but there they we're
thrown into confusion by the darkness OF the
night. tho binding smoke, and their own
fright. The smoke was 80 thick and suhocat-
ing from the high piles Of burning cotton that
o number Of persons. trying to force their way
to the 'front.' were overcome by 1t and fell in
sufYocated condition on tho floor. where they
probably died before the flames reached them
or the boat sank.
In tho mean time the crew were fighting tho
flames as best they could. but without success.
The steam pumps were worked. but had little
effect on the fire. The flames soon reached the
engine room. bursting the steam pipes, and re-
leasing great volumes Of steam that severely
scalded several Of the mon. Driven from the
engine room. Engineer Merrinan and his as
sistants clupR to the eides OF tho boat.
Capt. Jolles the pilot had swung the wheel
around. and headed the Hanna for tho shore.
As she had q full head Of steam on at the time.
she was run into the bank In two or three min
utes. Then Capt JoIles jumped out over the
cotton bales, and. springing into tho river.
SWAN ashore. Capt. Holmes and the crow and
passengers had fought their way to the front
OF the boat with scorehed faces and bruised
limbs A majority sprang from her whom she
was about ten yards from the shore. and the
moment tho boat touched the rest leaped into
the mud or water. The Hanna rested a mo-
ment aground. then bounded away and swung
around. drifting down stream. and burning
until she finally sank.
ROASTED TO DEATH IN THE MUD.
Although the crew had escaped from the
burning boat they were not wholly saved. and
both the Captain and Bob Smith. the famous
pilot Of tho Ill -fated Ed White. met their death
after getting ashore. They sprang into the
mud on the bank. and becoming fast there.
were slowly roasted to death by the intense
heat from the burning boat. They buried
their faces and hands In the soft mud to pro-
tect themselves. and appealed to the people on
the shore to come to their assistance. This was
impossible. Tho Captain was finally pro-
tected from the fire by means Of q box,
and was dragged ashore with ropes. It was too
late, however. he had suffered too serious In
juries. and. although he received medical at
tendance at once. he died before he reached
Plaquemine. Pilot Bob Smith had figured In
several steamboats, accidents. and to his
courage in sticking to his post on the Ed White
to the last moment was duo the saving OF so
many lives on that vessel.
After Chief Clerk Samuel R. Powell had
aroused every person on the boat he returned
to tho front OF the vessel. Escape there was
cut of. As Q last resort he sprang into the
water. Although he could not swim he man
aged In some way to get into floating cotton
bale. But two deck hands jumped on the bale
also and turned 1t over. Powell fell into the
water and was drowned. His body was found
in the river twenty milos below Plaauemine
this morning.
John Crofton. the carpenter. was In the upper
portion Of the boat. struggling to get near the
front end. The flames were twisting and
sweeping all about him and soon enveloped
him. He fell and was burned to death. before
tho eyes OF people who were not able to render
him any help.
Tho others met their death while forcing
their way to tho front Of the boat, being over
come By tho smoke. or were burned to death
while fast In tho mud. or were drowned or
burned to death In the water. The boat was
about fifteen yards from the shore whom the
intense heat compelled almost all OF the crew
to spring from her. Some reached the shore
and tried to climb tho steep. muddy. and
slippery levee. bysre caught BY the flames
before they COW /gso. Others olung to cot
ton bales In f<fiver, but in many instances
tha balaa doatAd aRainat thA burning yaasal
and their occupants were roasted to death or
were compelled to lot 90 to drop into the water
and drown.
THE DEAD.
These are among the dead:
Capt. ]. 3. Holmes. master OF the boat:
Samuel R. Powell. chief clerk: John Crofton.
carpenter; Bob Smith. pilot; Mike O'Neil.
night watchman; Joe Crane. cabin watchman:
Munroe Daigro, first cook; Jack Dun. second
cook; Joe Harvey cabin boy: Jim Watson.
second baker. and eight or ton deck hands. all
aolofad whoAA namAa ara unknoWn