New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-24
TWENTY THREE LIVES LOST
A MISSISSIPPI RIVER STEAMER BURNED.
FIRE STARTING IN A CARGO OF oorToN-THE
SURVIVORS OWE THEIR LIVES TO THE oARE
AND SKILL, OF THE OFFICERS


fBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
St Louis Dec 23.-At twenty minutes to
o'clock this morning the passenger steamer Kate
Adams was destroyed by fire near Commerce Miss,
and twenty five lives lost The boat was engaged
in the local trade between ArkanAs City and
Memphis and was north-bound with 200 people
and 200 bales of cotton. The fire started in the
cotton in the how, and the alarm created such a
panic among the passengers that the crew were
obstructed in their efforts to fight the flames.
The boat near the middle of the river when the
fire was discovered, and Pilot Barton at once
turned the burning bow toward the Mississippi
shore The fire spread with great rapidity and
the smoke was so thick that when the cabin passen-
gers rushed forward to land they driven
back nearly suffocated. On the lower deck were
about fifty passengers, the majority of whom
were colored, and they seemed to lose all control
of themselves the moment the flames burst through
the cotton. They ran backward and forward
along the guards seeking some way of escape, but
only to be confronted by the swift current and the
approaching fire. Many of the men plunged head
long into the river when the boat came within 200
yards of the shore, and while some succeeded in
battling the stream and reaching land, others were
drowned
On the cabin deck the panic even greater
Captain Mark Cheek took his post and issued his
orders while the boat was burning away below.
The pilot-house enveloped in smoke and sparks,
but the pilot, Ike the hero of the Prairie Belle,
kept her nose to the bank. Unfortunately
shallow spot in the river was struck a short
distance from the shore, and the boat went
ayronnd but swung off moment later. The
yawl and two smaller boats were lowered and the
passengers were landed as rapidly possible
The usual rush was made for the boats, and many
of the passen gers fell into the river in their
struggle to reach the yawL George Corbitt and
several members of the crew tried to lower
second boat but the boat was capsized In the
panic and Corbitt and five, others were drowned
Meanwhile great many who were hemmed in
by the fire jumped overheard and were drowned
When the burning bow struck the shore gang
planls were run out and about 90 persons were
landed in safety. About seventy-fve others jumped
into the water and sixty OF them reached the
shore. The officers made several efforts to rescue
FIVE colored women among the deck passengers
but the fire had COM plete possession OF the lower
part of the boat. and the women were lost
The passengers were taken overland to Robinson
vile rs soon as landed. The officers were the
last to leave the boat and Captain Cheek
was forced to Jump into the river The
steamer was swung out in the river
bv the current and hoated to the head OF Peters
Island where she sank Nothing was saved, and
the loss includes a large sum of money belonging
to passengers that was given to the clerk Tor
safe keeping The boat was owned by the NlckS-
burg and Memphis Packet Company and was valued
at 81 20, 600, insured tor $4,000. The number OF
lives lost is thought to be twenty-three.
The burning steamer drifted away after laying
al the bank for twenty minutes and Heated down
the river her hull sinking at the head of Peters
Island four miles below Commerce.
The Kate Adams was built by james Rees do
Sons of Pttsburg in 1882 and cost $lO2,OOO.
She was the finest and fastest steamer OF her type,
and her owners this summer spent $4,000 IN
rerairing her at Paducah. This would have been
her 6O2d trip in the Memphis and Arkansas Clty
trade