Evening journal., 1888-12-24

sengers We're at breakfast, and a Fear
full Rush for Life Ensned-nIany Lost
Their Lives by Jumping Overheard.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. 24.-The steamer
Kate Adams, an elegant passenger packet
running seni-weekly between Memphis and
Arkansas City, was burned near Commerce,
Miss, about forty miles south of this city.
She was bound to Memphis, and had about
200 people aboard, including her deck and
cabin crew Of eighty, twenty-five cabin and
sixty deck passengea', and twenty-five col
ored cabin passengers
The lsst of tho dead, so far as can DO
lesrned, is as follows Senator Coleman, OF
the colored cabin crow; George Corbet, third
clerk, aged 80. who lost his life in trying TO
save the colered woman ON the lower deck
he leaves a wife In St Louis; Lee Finley.
colorel roustabout; Hillard Horton, Monroe
jackson, James Nelson, Joseph Porter, An
drew Rees, all Of the colored cabin crew
Frank Wells, colored roustabout
In addition, about fifteen deck passengers,
four OF whom were white men, were also
drowned In the list of unknown were three
eologed women AMI two children. They were
coming TO Aemphis TO spend the holidays
The whites had been working on the leveos
md Their names and destination are un.
Inown. Lator accounts, while not stating
WITH any degree of certainty, seem to indi-
lte that the loss Of life may reach thirty
i've or fifty lives. 80 additional names are
given.
The fire caught In some cotton near the
forward end Of the boilers The passengers
were at breakfast, and when the alarm was
given they all made a rush for the forward
deck. At tho time the steamer was about
three hundred yards from tho Mississippi
side Of the river, and her bow was at once
headed for the shore. Pilot J. A. Barton was
on watch, and he remained heroically at his
post unrl she was safely landed.
Harry Best, the second clerk, who was
seated at the table when tho alarm was
given, had brought all the ladies and chill
dren forward and assisted them ashore
Capt. Mark Cheek, who was on tho hurri-
cane deck, remained there giving his com
nands until the stage plank was safely
lowered. The fire by this time had spread
through the cabin and he was compelled IL
retreat to the rear and climb over the iails
and descend to the cabin. Here he
found Chief Clerk W G. Banker, who had
made an effort to save the money and papers
Of the steamer, which were in the safe He
managed o grab the money, but was cut of
from the bow and forced back into the
cabin. As he was groping his way aft he
stumbled and foil over some chairs and lost
an the valuables he had secured, and it was
with great difficulty that he succeeded in
reaching the rear through the binding
smoke and flame which filed the cabin.
Capt. Cheek seized a life preserver and, plac-
ing It on Chief Clerk Banker, helped him
overheard into the water He aoatei down
about three miles before he was rescued by
parties who had swan ashore and followed
him down the river
Capt Check assisted several others in So
curing life preservers, and when it was no
longer possible for him to remain without
being burned he, too, jumped into the river
and swan ashore.
There was about twenty-five colored cabin
passengers who were saved along with the
white passengers On the lower deck. how
ever, fearful panic seized the crow and deck
passsngers Those who were cut or from
escape from the bow were compelled 70 jump
overheard 80 save their lives The stern OF
the burning steamer had swung out into the
river and IN the effort made to launch the
yawl it was capsized by the crowd which
filed it, and many Of its occupants drowned.
They were mostly colored men, but there
were three or four women in the crowd
The buring steamer drifted away after Law
ing at the bank for twenty minutes, and
floated down the river, her bull sinking at
the head OF Peters Island, four miles below
Commerce.
There we're 167 from the i'll fated steamer
that came TO Memphis Capt. Cheek defray-
ing the expenses OF all those who did not
have funds. The pass ngers and crew lost all
their clothing and effects. and some made
tft,.fr -,
ing on, but were provided with clothes "
the kind citizens OF Commerce.
Three Of the colored cabin crew who wero
rescued from the water died afterwards.
Their names appear in the list already given.
The water was very cold and benumbed the
limbs Of those who jumped overheard, ana
TO this is attributed the greatest loss Of life.
All speak in the highest terms Of the coolness
and bravery displayed by the officers
Mr.. John Woods Harris, a passenger
jumped from the stage plank before it had
been lowered, and was internally injured
Mrs. DIR. Harris, Of Laconia, also sustained a
sprained ankle BY falling from cotton bale
in descending from the cabin to the lower
deck. Capt Elisha Evans, who is an old
steamboat pilot, was a passenger on the
steamer. He came down AMI assisted Clerk
Harry Best in getting the women and
children ashore.
The Kate Adams was owned by the Mem
phis and Vicksbnrg packet company, Of
which Major John ID. Adams Of Little Rock
is president; Capt. Mark r. Cheek, superin-
tendent, and John NJ. Peters, secretary and
treasurer. She was built by James Rees g.
Sons, of Pittsburg, in 1882, and cost s102, 900
She was the finest and fastest steamer Of her
type, and her owners this summer spent
| $4,000 in repairing her at Paducah. She
was insured for $50, $50.
Her cargo consisted Of 1, 161 bales Of cotton,
| 1900 sacks Of cottonseed, 81 bags Of seed and
good list Of sundries. The cotton was con-
signed TO Memphis merchants and is fully in
sured in their open policies
A GhAstly Find
MADISON, Wis, Dec. 22.-Two men fish
ing in the Sugar river, near Mount Vernon