The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-12-29

| The steamboat John II. Hanna. from
the Ouachita River, with many passen-
gers and heavy load of cotton on
board, burned near Plaquemine, La.
on the night of the 25th. The loss of
| life was very heavy. About thirty per-
| sons perlshed in the flames and a large
| number jumped overheard and were
| drowned. Among the lost are Cant ]
| ;. Holmes and the first clerk, Samuel
| Il. Powell. Their bodies have
been recovered. Capt. Holmes body
was terribly burned. Bob Smith, the old
| pilot of theJ Nj. White at the time she
| was burned, was passenger on the
| john ii. Hanna, and was burned tO
| death. His body has also been recov-
cred. One of the deck hands who es-
capped says there were about 100 persons
on board, and that only about a dozen
can now be found alive. The engineer
| and pilot were saved. All were burned
| more or less; some of them severely.
| Later reports place the total number Of
| lost at from twenty-five TO thirty, which
| Is probably more nearly correct
| IT was just before Christmas Day was
| being ushered IN that the fine steamer
was coming down the river. Several
| of the passengers were seated in the
| cabin. having merry time, and with
| no thought OF the impending catastro-
| phe. Many ofthe crew and passengers
| were asleep when the fire broke out
| and spread with indescribable rapiditv.
| The details ofthe sutierings and death
| of some of the passengers are narrowing
in the extreme. The boat had reached
a point which was but short distance
| above the town, when ne
| gro roustabOut near the boiler room
| ran out to the deck and shouted that the
| boat was on fire. John Cullen, a striker.
| was near the place at the time and see
| ing the flames bursting from the bio
| tiers OF cotton near the boiler. ran hast
| lily TO the engine room and gave the
| alarm. Engineer Merriman took in the
| situation at glance and at once sound
! ed the alarm by blowing the steam
| whistle and ringing the bells. In an in
stant, certainly in much shorter time
/ than it takes to explain it, the flames
| shot through the cabin and over the sides
| otthe cotton, enveloping the entire boat
! in fire. Clerk Powell was up stairs at the
| time, and when he saw the flames he
| herolcally ran through the smoke which
| filled the cabin and tried to arouse the
| sleeping people. He kicked at the
| doors and in a short time almost everv-
| body was awake. Then confusion
| worse contOunded appeared and the
| frantic people on the boat ran To differ
| ent exits TO make their escape, but the
| boat was piled high with cotton and the
| passageWays were filled with smoke.
| Many dropped before they were able
| get TO the forward part of the boat, and
| We're dead when the steamer went
| down.
As soon as the fire was discovered
I'rttv Y L., Al
| pumps to working and tried to battle
with the flames, but the fire spread
through the boat like blaze on prai-
rle and the engine room was soon in
| flames. Then, to add further to the
CONSERVATION, steam-plpe burst and
filled the place with scaliing steam
| Engineer Merrlman was forced to aban-
| don his post, and lie and the strikers
and others ran TO the sides of the boat
and rushed through pell-mell in order
to save their lives. AS soon as
the smoke and flames began to
start up the sides of the boat, Capt.
Jolies, the pilot, swung the wheel
around and headed the boat for the
shore. A iull head of steam was on at
the time and the boat was soon run into
the bank. Before she did so, however,
| she was doomed. All of her timber
| was then furiously burning When the
Hanna struck the bank she bounded
away again and swung around, drifting
down as she burned. Then Capt Jolles
jumped out over the cotton bales and
springing into the river, swan ashore.
The sight was a weird one viewed
from the docks and the town was
aroused. Floating cotton, charred tim
Der and other debris filled the river,
and many people were struggling des-
perately in the water for their lives.
Some of them were able to swim ashore,
but most of them were so badly burned
or SO thoroughly exhausted that they
struggled but . few moments and sank,
to rise no more. As the burning boat
struck the bank of the river, the crew
and passengers who had been able to
reach the forward end of the boat,
sprang ashore, some of them with
sCOrched faces and bruised limbs, and
many of them with scarcely any cover
ing.
Among those who managed to get off,
were Capt. Holmes and Bob Smith. the
unfortunate pilot OF the ill-fated White,
who was passenger. Both men were
burned nearly to death and the story OF
the manner i'll which they suffered is
heart-rendIng. When the captain
jumped asl-O ore he was horribly burned
from the pain he was suffering. he
buried his face and hands in the soft
mud and begged most piteously for
some one TO help him. Smith was Just
behind lin 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.
Plaquemine was not slumberiDg when
the fire broke out, and when the dis
Covery was made that the Hanna was
burning almost the entire town flocked
to the river bank and watched the yes
sci burn. The struggling unfortunates
who reached the shore were taken care
of and doctors aud others came to their
assistance and tried TO relieve their suf-
ferings. The City and Central hotels
threw open their doors to the ill-fated
people and fed and clothed them until
next morning. The survivors tele-
graphed accounts of the disaster to their
| homes.
No one saw Clerk Powell, who dis
played much heroism in waking ~ the
passengers, after he had raped at the
doors, and 1t Is quite certain he was
burned 10 death and went down with
the steamer. No attempt was made To
save any Of the steamers books or pa
pers and everything, together with the
clothes of the crew and passengers,
were lost. The boat burned rapidly
after she reached the bank, and in a
very short time after tue alarm was
given she had burned to the waters
edge. The hull sank and nothing was
let of the Hanna but floating timber
and burning cotton.
Among those that were lost are:
CAPT J. ; HOMES master of the boat
SAMJ Ell POWELL, chief clerk
BOB SMITH pilot from Smithland, La
NIKE O'NEII- night watchTnau.
JOE CRANE, cabin wRtchmau.
MCNEoE DECK. first cook
JACK DUFF, second cook
JOE HARVEY, cabin boy
JIw WATSON second baker.
JOHN GRAFTON, carpenter
JOHN BARLOW.
JIM BLANK (coioTed}. meSs-room tender.
STEPTus JOIN. cook.