Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-26
TO THE WATERS EDGE.
A Mississippi River Steamer
Burned.
1T CAUGHT IN THE COTTON
Terrible Scenes of Suffering in the
Flames and Water, With Great
Loss of Life.

New ORLEANS, December 25.-The
steamboat John ii. Hanna, from the
Ouachita river with large number of
passengers, was burned last night at
Plaquemine, Louisiana. 1t is stated
that of the 100 passengers aboard only
fourteen are known to be saved.
The John H. Hanna was built in Mad
ison, Indiana, in 1876, and hailed from
Louisville, Ky. She was of 377 tonnage
and was owned by the Ouachita River
Consolidated Line. She was valued
at $4,000 and was insured for $12, 900
in local and foreign companies. Capt.
J. w. Blanks, President of the COM
pany, says that the latest advices he has
are to the effect that the steamboat left
Monroe, La, on Sunday morning at 6
O'Clock with 1900 bales of cotton. The
Captain estimated that additional cotton
had been picked up on the way down to
make the number of bales $500. Upon
being questioned as to the number of
passengers on the Hanna, Capt. Blanks
| thought it was small, as there was little
PARTICULARS IN DETAIL.
A special from Plaquemine to the
States says: The burning of the steamer
John II. Hanna last night near this place
is one of the most terrible river disasters
that ever happened in Southern waters.
The loss is very heavy. About thirty
persons perished in the flames and a
large number jumped overheard and
we're drowned. Among the lost are Cap.
tain James S. Holmes, and first
clerk, Jamuel R. Powell. Their bodies
have been recovered. Capt Holmes body
was terribly burned. One Of the deck
hands who escaped says there were
about 100 persons on board, and that
only about dozen could be found alive
The engineer and pilot were saved. All
who escaped were burned more or less
severely. She had reached point a
short distance above town, when Negro
roustabout near the boiler-room ran out
on deck and
| SHOUTED THAT THE BOAT WAS A FIRE.
John Cullen, stoker, was at his place
at the time and seeing the flames burst
ing forth from the big tiers of cotton
near the boiler ran to the engine room
and gave the alarm. Engineer Merri-
man took in the situation at a glance
and at once sounded alarm by blowing
the steam whistle and ringing the bells.
In an instant the flames shot through
the cabin and over the sides of the cotton
ienveloping the entire boat in fire. Clerk
Powell was upstairs at the time and when
he saw the flames he hero;cally ran
through the smoke which filled the cabin
and tried to arouse the sleeping people.
He kicked at the doors and in short
time almost everybody was awake.
THEN CONFUSION WORSE COMPOUNDED
Appeared and the frantic people ran to
the different exits to make their escape.
But the boat was piled high with cotton
and the passage ways were filled with
smoke. Many dropped before they were
able to get to the forward part Of the
boat and were dead when the steamer
went down. AS soon as the fire was dis
covered Engineer Merriman set the
steamer pumps working and tried
to battle with the flames, but the
fire swept through the boat like the
blaze on Q prairie and the engine room
was soon in flames. Then to add to the
CONSERVATION steam pipe burst and
filled the place with scalding steam.
The engineer was forced to abandon his
post and he and the stokers and others
ran to the sides of the boat and rushed
through pell-mell to save their lives. As
soon as the smoke and flames began to
start up the sides of the boat, Captain
Jolles, the pilot, swung the wheel around
and
| HEADED THE BOAT FOR SHORE.
A full head of steam was on and the
boat soon ran into the bank. Before she
did 80, however, she was doomed, all
her timber was furiously burning. When
the steamer struck the bank she bounded
away again and swung around drifting
down stream as she burned. Then
Captain Jolles jumped over the cotton
bales and springing into the river swan
ashore. The sight was a weird one
| viewed from the bank, and the town was
aroused. Floating cotton, charred tim
bers and other debris filed the river,
and
MANY PEOPLE WERE STR JUGGLING DEsPER-
ATELY
In the water for their lives. Some of
them were able to swim ashore, but most
OF them were so badly burned or thor
oughly exhausted that they struggled but
few moments and then sank to rise no
| more. AS the burning boat struck the
bank OF the river the crew and passen-
gers who had been able to reach the for
ward end of the boat sprang ashore, some
of them with scorched faces and bruised
limbs and many with scarcely any cov-
ering. Among those who managed to
get off were Captain Holmes and
Bob Smith, the unfortunate pilot, and an
ill.fated white, who was a passenger,
Both men were burned nigh unto death,
and their story of the manner in which
they suffered is truly heartrending.
When the Captain jumped ashore he was
horribly burned, and in his frantic de-
sire to be relieved from the pain he was
suffering, he buried his SAGE and hands
in soft mud and begged most piteously
for some one to help him. Smith was
just behind, and was laid out by the side
OF the dying Captain. Nothing could be
done for the suffering men. and the two
died together on the river bank. !.
PLAoUEMINE WAS NOT sLuMBERING
when the fire broke out, and when the
discovery was made that the Hanna was
burning almost the entire town focked
to the river bank and watched the vessel
burn. The struggling unfortunates who
reached the shore were taken care
of, and doctors came to their as
sistance and tried to alleviate their
suferings. The City and Central hotels,
and priyata horsea wara thrOwp opov, to