The Dickinson press., 1888-12-29
TERRIBLE ~HOL0CAUSIS,
Tive RA;itc Adams, River Steam
apG;st Burned To the Waters
Edge.
Of the Two Hundred People on Board
Over Thirty Are Thought to
Have Perished.
BY the llcroiSm and Presence Of Mind Of
the Officers and Crew Many Lives
Are Saved.
'E'hc Mississippi River Steamer
SOiiM III. hanna Burns to
the Waters Edge.
Nealy Thirty People Known to Have Met Ter
tIealy Thirty People Known to Have Met Ter
r,ble Deaths-Brayc Work of the Crew.
Some of the Details.

MEMPHIS, Dec. 24.-The magnificent
Lower Mississippi steamer Kate Adams,
was burned Il few minutes before eight
o'clock Sunday morning near Commerce,
Miss. and thirty of the two hundred pco-
pie on board lost their lives. The boat
left Helena ut | o'clock in the morning
loaded to the guards. Besides /. 200 bales
OF cotton. the lower deck had forty pas
sengcrs. while over 100 passengers found
quarters in the cabin. Many were at
breakfast when Peters Island. forty
miles below this city, was reached. Ten
minutes later, a column of smoke was
discovered ascending out of the cotton
piled on the boat and the crew rushed to
the spot with buckets and hose. The
first bale tossed aside disclosed a wide
spread contiagration IN the cotton below.
The alarm was given and First Pilot
Barton, who was on duty at the wheel.
turned the bow Of the steamer toward
the Mississippi shore. The vessel
burned like powder and in Il
flash the flames had taken posses
sion of the forward part of the cabin and
spread along the rails toward the stern.
The passengers rushed around in IL state
of panic impossible for the captain to
check, and the officers to subdue. Many
of them leaped overheard and were
drowned, while some few of the men
succeeded i'll swimming from the middle
of the river to the shore.
Among the deck passengers, the panic
was, il anything, greater. Most of them
were colored men, and upon the APP
proach of the fire they jumped into the
river. Only a few succeeded i'll reach
ing land. Among the deck passengers
We're six colored women, and in attempt
ing to rescue them, Second Clerk George
Conrbett lost his life. An attempt was
made to lower the yawl, but in tho
struggle to take possession of it. tle
yawl was capsized and several people
drowned. The pilot remained at his post
though surrounded by flames and smok.
and soon had the burning steamer
against the bank. 1t was none
too soon, for already IL score o
people were cut off and compelled tc
jump into the river from the opposite
side, and just how many We're lost il
this plunge is not known. About 15(
half drowned and partially burned peo
pie We're landed from the cabin deck
Those below had been cut Off and The
loss of life was heavy. The majority q
them were forced into the water Oh Tho
side of the boat where the water wa.
deep and the current strong. Fortu
nately there We're only a few women an(
children on board. Capt. Mark r. Cheek
who was ON the hurricane deck, remained
there, giving his commands until the
stage plank was safely lowered. The fir,
had by this time spread all through The
cabin and he was compelled to retreat Il
the rear. and climbed over the rails an(
descended to the cabin. AS he wa.
CROPPING his way aft, he stumbled ant
fell owe some chairs and lost all valua
bles he secured, and it was with grea
difficulty that he succeeded reaching til,
rear through the binding smoke an,
flames which filled the cabin. Capt
Check seized a life preserver and placing
it on Clerk Banker helped him over
about three miles before he was rescued
by parties who had walked ashore an,
followed him down the river.
The burning steamer drifted ava,
after laying at the bank for twenty min
utes and floated down the river. her hui
sinking at the headof Peters island, fou
miles below Commerce.
All the passengers and crew arrived a
Memphis at 6 O'Clock 2. III. There wer
1867 from the Inflated steamer that cam'
to Memphis. Capt. Cheek %defraying tn
expenses of all those who did not hav'
funds. Three of the colored cabin crew
who were rescued from the water die,
afterwards.