The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-12-28
BURNING STEAMER.
Thirty-five Lives Lost BY the
Burning Of the Katie
Adams
On the Lower Mississippi-Captain and
Pilot Run the Blazing Boat
Ashore.
The Chief Clerk Attempts to Save Valu-
ables-His Narrow Escape-Panic on
the Lower Deck.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. 24.-The elegant
passenger steamer, Kate Adams, running
as semi-weekly packet between Memphis
and Arkansas City, burned yesterday
morning near Commerce. Miss, forty miles
south of here and at least thirty five per-
sons lost their lives. while many more had
narrow escapes. The vessel was en- route
to Memphis and had about 200 people
aboard, including her deck aud cabin crew
of eighty, and twenty-five cabin and sixty
deck passengers and 200 colored cabin pas
sengers.
The fire, which caught in some cotton
near the forward end Of the boilers. was
discovered about eight O'Clock. The pas
sengers were at breakfast aud when the
alarm was given they all made rush for
the forward deck. Atthe time the steamer
was about 800 yards from the Mississippi
side of the river and her bow was at once
headed for the shore.
Pilot Joe Barton was on watch and he
remained heroically at his post until she
safely landed. Harry Best, the second
clerk, who was seated at the table when
the alarm was given, brought all the ladies
and children forward and assisted them
ashore. Captain Mark r. Cheek, who was
on the hurricane deck remained there Civ.
ing his commands until the stage plank
was safely lowered. The fire by this time
had spread all through the cabin and he
was compelled to retreat to the rear and
climbed over the rails and descended to
the cabin.
Chief Clerk W. c. Banker made an effort
to save the money and papers of the
steamer, which were in the safe. He
managed to seize the money. but was cut
off from the bow and forced back into the
cabin. As he was cropping his way aft, he
stumbled and fell over some chairs and
lost all the valuab,es he had secured and it
was with great difficulty that he sue
ceeded in reaching the rear through the
binding smoke and flames which filled tho
cabin. Captain Cheek, who was with the
clerk, seized life preserver and. putting
it on the clerk. helped him overheard into
the water. He foated down about three
miles before he was rescued by parties
who had walked ashore and followed him
down the river.
Captain Cheek assisted several others in
securing life preservers and when it was
no longer possible for him to remain with.
out being burned, he too jumped into the
river and swan ashore.
There were about twenty five colored
cabin passengers who were saved along
with the whit, passengers. On the lower
deck, however, fearful panic seized the
crew and deck passengers. Those who
were cut off from escape from the bow
were compelled to jump overheard to 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 capsizod 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 lost, so far as can be learned,
are as follows: George Corbett,
third clerk. aged twenty -eght years,
who had launched the yawl, and was
trying to save the colored women
on the lower deck. He leaves wife who
resides in st. Louis; Joe Porter, Andrew
Rees, Monroe jackson, Jim Nelson, Sena-
tor Coleman, Hiiard Horton, Lee Finley,
Frank Wells. or these the first six named
were members of the colored cabin crew
and the other two colored roustabouts.
In addition about fifteen deck passen-
gers, four of whom were white men. were
also drowned. In this list of unknown
We're three colored women and two chill
dren. They were coming to Memphis to
working on the levees and their names and
destination are unknown.
The burning steamer drifted away after
laying at the bank for twenty minutes and
floated down the river, her hull sinking at
the head Of Peters island, five miles below
Commerce.
The Kate Adams was owned by the
Memphis and Vicksburg Pocket Company,
~ b oh MAs1 Lob, n
Rock, is president; Captain Mark X.
Cheek, superintendent, and John NJ.
Peters, secretary and treasurer. She was
in 1882, and cost 100000 She was the
finest and fastest steamer of her type, and
her owners this summer spent $50 900 in
repairing her at Paducah. She was valued
at SIS, 00u, and was insured for $333, 100 in
ST. Louis. Cincinnati and other foreign
Offices. This would have been the compile
ton Of her 602d trip in the Memphis and
Arkansas City trade.
All the passengers and crew arrived at
Memphis yesterday afternoon at six
O'Clock, having taken the Louisville. New
Orleans & Texas railroad train at Robin
sonville, which station is eight miles dis
tant in the interior from where the disaster
occurred. The citizens Of Commerce rem.
dered the passengers and crew every as
sistance in reaching Robinsonville, con.
veying them there in wagons and every
conceivable vehicle that could be secured.
There were 167 from the Inflated steamer
that came to Memphis, Captain Cheek de.
fraying the expense Of all those who did
not have funds.
The passengers and crew lost all their
clothing and effects and some made their
escape to the shore from the burning
steamer, en- deshabille, and were provided
with clothes by the kind citizens of Com
merce. Some Of the colored cabin crew
were rescued from the water afterward.
The water was very cold and benumbed
the limbs Of those who jumped overheard |
and to this is attributed the greatest loss
Of life.
"A small number of men carry the up.