St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-26

Special to the Globe.
PLAQUEMINE, La, Dec. 25.-The
steamer John II. Hanna, loaded with
cotton from Ouachita, burned here
early this morning. The boat and
cargo of cotton are total loss. The
burning of the steamboat was one of the
most terrible disasters that has ever
happened in Southern waters. The loss
Of life was heavy, nearly thirty per-
sons perisnng in the flames and in the
river. At the time the fire was dis
covered, the crew were at their posts.
Capt. JOlles was at the wheel, and in
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 En-
gineer Merriam was in the room. on
duty, and Capt J. S. Holmes, one of the
finest steamboatmen on the river, was
in command of the steamer. The boat
had left Monroe Sunday morning well
laden with cotton. She picked up
freight all along, and when she got out
of Ouachita and in the Mississippi, she
had over $500 bales of cotton on board.
1t was lust before Christmas day was
being ushered in when the fine steamer
was coming down the river. Several OF
the passengers on the boat were seated
in the cabin making merry, and with no
thought of
TIE IMPENDING CATASTROPHE.
Many of the crew and passengers were
asleep. There were deck hands on the
boat, busy with freight, and the fire
men and others were near the boilers.
The boat was booked to land
near Plaouemine. The Hanna had
reached point just a short distance
above the town, when a negro rousta-
bout. near the boilers, ran out to the
after end and cried out that the boat
was all on fire. John Cullen, Stoker,
was near the place at the time and see
ing the flames bursting forth from the
big tiers of cotton near the boiler, ran
hastily TO the engine room and gave
the alarm at once. Engineer Merrlman
took in the situation at glance and at
once sounded the alarm by blowing the
steam whistle and ringing the bells. 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, wrapping
THE ENTIRE BOAT IN FLAMES.
First Clerk Powell was up stairs at
the time, and when he saw the flames
he heroically ran through the smoke
filed cabin and tried to arouse the
sleeping people. He kicked at the
doors. and in q short while almost
everybody was awake. Then there was
confusion worse confounded, and the
frantic people on the boat ran to the
different exits to make their escape, but
the boat was piled high with cotton and
The passage ways 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 boat went down. AS soon as the
FIRE was discovered, Engineer Merriman
set the steam pumps working and tried
10 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 CONSERVATION,
THE STEAM PIPES BURST
and filled the place with scalding water.
Merriman was forced to abandon his
place. and he and the stokers and others
ran to the sides and climbed through
the pitman IN order TO save their lives.
AS soon as the smoke and flames began
TO shoot along the sides of the boat Capt.
Jolles 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, however, she was
doomed. and there was scarcely bit OF
timber that was not furiously burning.
When the Hanna struck the bank, she
bounded away again and swung around
drifting down as she burned. Then
Capt. Jolles jumped out over the cotton
and, spriuging in the river, swan ashore.
The
SIGHT WAS WEIRD ONE,
viewed from the bank. and the tnWn