The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-25
SIXTY LIVES LOST.
A Big Mississippi Passenger
Boat Ablaze.
MANY NEGROES DROWNED.
The Swim Steamer Kate Adams
Destroyed with an Unknown
Sumser Of Passengers.

Adams vas harmed Sand4y morning bear
Z ccnns Miss. - uailes south af this
city. sSe was en- rou;e 10 Nsnphis. xsd
had sbaat soo people asosra. Tae tre,
which caught in sosas cotton near The fer
ws'z1 end OF the b0{iers, was discovered
a5oct o'cloek- Tue pzsseBEe-s were zi
breakfast. aai when the alarm was given
they az made rash Ter TIE forward tsses.
AZ the tiGse fhs steamer &ES a5oai 80
yards from the Mississippi side Of The
river, ard her bnF Ess a. once beaded
for tue shore Pile. jos Bsr,sa was or
wsseh, sas Ii remained heroicsl3y a. his
poet until slse vas sal ly sa8s.ed. HARRY
Best, second clerE, wAo wss seated e. the
table wnen she aisrn SIS given. h-aaehf
the ladies aad ehildrsa forward and
assisted them Esaofe. Capt AarS 4
Cheek. Eho Wzs GA the hlrricaae fisek.
relnEiaed there glyiag his commands IA
Z sae Stage plaak was safely lowered,
Tue fire by this tine bad sgfreAd al
through sho csc a, aud he was ctsyH @efls1
- retreat 70 tas rsar, AMI climbed ever
the rails sad descended 10 the ezhiu
rhe7e were shogt - coiOred t1,hin pas
seagezs, wao were sAysi along with tle
white pAs>enEe
MI AAE sfAEE AEfAs ENArsET. n ttsHfsAE
p9nic sei8esl he creI sIia deck passengers.
Taose H1e were elt atf from uscaee from
the bow were complied 10 1u@pa pageg6aArls
70 save tbelr lives Tue sisra Il tae 1asn-
ing steamer hsd swung oai utD the YlFer
aud 81 efiJrt being msse 20 ianaea TIE
sawl. i vas esPsszcd BY tue crowd watch
uIleG II, sud TaSaF occupants were
drowned Taey we're most $ eosorssi men.
bot there were three or four women In tAe
erogd-
Tne lost. as far as can BE- learned. are as
follows; George Carloft, fairs eie-k. aged
=. who had launched tue yGwi aud was
trying 10 save the eolored women Oh tse
lover deck She leaves vile who -eSdes
Ia 81 Lon s-JJe Porter. Andrew Reese.
Moaroe Jackson. Jirl Nelson. SegAloT Coz
uiAn aad Hiilisri Horton o. The caioFeG
cabin crew; Lee Finley. Frank Wells. c0l-
0Ted rOusta65nts. In addition aSaGt y
deck passengers. four Of " bonn were white
men, wefe slso drowned. Ia this list of
unknown we're three e0i0red women sud
tw8 children. They were coming 10 Mem
phis ~ spend tue holidays. Toe whites
had been work. : Oh the lsyees. aaa fheir
names sud destinations are unknown.
The Burning steamer drified awSy after
lying at the hank for % minutes, aBa iioat-
ed down the river. her hun sinking at fae
head Of Peters lila d, four miles below
Commerce The Kate Adams was Owned
by Memphis aud EieksbufS packers She
type on tne river. aud her owners this sun
uier speat SO. .no0 ia repairing her This
woRld have been tae cainpisti0n OF her
6s2i trip IN the Memphis sad Arkansas
City trade.
An the passengers ard crew arrived at
Memphis sunday afternoon a. O'Clock,
hayi0g taken the Louisville, NeS Orleans
& Texas tfRia - R1o.asoayiiie, which STA
ton is eight miles distant. Ia the interior.
from where the disaster occurred. The
citizens of Commerce rendered the passen-
gers and creg every assistance IN reaching
Robinsonviiie, conveying them Their in
wagons aud every cGncel, ,a1ie vehicle that
could b.. secured. There were ia7 from The
ill-fa;ed steamer that came 90 Memphis
The passengers aud crew lost all their
clothing and effects and some made their
escape 10 shore from the buruiug steamer
ea dessz5iils. but were provided wire
clothes by the kiu. citizens Of Commerce.
Three Of tue c0.Ored cabin crew who
were rescued from the water died sfseF
wards. Their names appear Ia the list
already given. The wat being very cold
henambe the limbs of those wao jumped
overheard. sad to this j. aiir buled the
grpst-sf A,<s ~ lie. Mr.. Jaha N9,sds Hs--
ris, vi no vas a passenger, Iu EupeC from toe
stage plank before 10 had been lowered.
aud was internally injured. Mrs d. Harris
of Laro0ia also sustained sp aimed ankle
by falling from cotton hgle ia descend
ing from the cabin 10 the lower deck.
Col ;. ". Hunter, OF Louisville, who
was one % those who Ssam ashore, SAYS
thai while he was IN the rear cabin he "a =
a c9lured woman throw her three children
iuto the water, aud then iImp Ia herself
fhe four were drowued Mrs Fields, one
of the lady passengers, said % sn Ass0-
t.iatef Press reporter that sac tried "a Jump
az io.e. but fail and feii 20 the lower
drck. negro uaH who Nas close bshtud
her, Ike her fat ed 10 reach the shore The
necro gathered her In hts arms agc carried
her % tne bank Z thus saved her irpm
being bgrned 10 death, as she WIS uaAele
10 move. Mrs. F eiCs i positive that W.
A. Coy.Bgtau, plsnieroi L sedal Aiss.
persisted IN the flames Il i Tgporiesi' that
a urgrp murderer. who was being brought
back FOR trial, pefshed. He was Rand
cuifed. AMI The usicrr IN charge made as
escape; bus lef, the negro 10 = helpless con
ditl0n he was burned 10 death.
THg DEATH LIST vEEY LAEGE
MEMrHls, Dee. zA-rhe loss Of life b.
Yes eriay's ace deat sss yeT not definitely
known, aid prospee are that the exact
number 0f the drowned slll never ov aeea-
rately stated. Thiiy-hve i the most cob
serYaftye estimate. Out 81 u party OF -
white iaboTerS which boarded the steamer
only two are said TO have beeD saved II
tlis DC true, and lhere are no means Of
ascertaiaiag the facts. the les ui life E8ay
reach "a. a. many negroes ug The lower
dcrk lost their lives attempting tn swim
ashore from the siefa OF the burning
Steamer
Tue bnaf and cargo were valued a. si45,
coo. Toe Kate Adams had the reeard Of the
fastest time between Helena aa3 i-mpais-
she was the steamer that convcNcd Ffe<i-
dent Cleveland aud wife from West Mem
pals 10 this city on the occasion ~ his FislE