The Springdale news., 1888-12-28
APPALLING CALAMITY.
Burning of the Lower Mississippi
 Steamer Kate Adams.
Of the Two Hundred Persons on Board Thirty are Known to Have Been Burned to Death pr Drowned
 Some of the Victims.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec 24.-rhe magnif- cent Lower Mississippi steamer Kate Adams was burned few minutes before l eight o'clock yesterday morning near Commerce, Miss, and thirty of the two hundred people on board lost their lives. The boat left Helena at one o'clock in the morning, loaded to the guards. Besides twelve hundred bales of cotton, the lower deck had forty passengers. while over a 1 hundred passengers found quarters in the cabin. Many were at breakfast when Peters Island, forty miles below this city, was reached. Ten minutes later 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 widespread confiagratiOn ill the cotton below. The alarm was given. and First Pilot Barton, who was on duty at the wheel. turned the bow of the steamer to- ward the Mississippi shore. The vessel burned like powder, and i'll a flash the flames had taken possession of the foc.- ward part of the cabin and spread along the rails toward the stern. The passen- gers rushed around in state of panic im- possible for the captain to cheek or the officers to subdue. Many Of them leaped overheard and were drowned, while some few Of the men succeeded III swimming from the middle of the river to the shore.
 Among the deck passengers the panic was. II any thing greater. Most of them were colored men, and dupon the approach Of the fire they jumped into the river. Only a few succeeded in reaching the shore.
 Among the deck passengers were six
 
 cue them. Second Clerk George Corbett lost lis life. An attempt was made to lower the yawl. but in the struggle - take possession of it, the boat was cap sized and several people drowned.
 The pilot remained at his post. though surrounded by flame and smoke, and soon had the burning steamer against tEe bank. It WAS none too soon, sor alreajYa t score of people were cut of and competed to jump into the river from the opposite side, aud just how many were lost in tals plunge is not known. About one hfIH- dred and fifty half-drowned and partially burned people Were landed from tHp cabin deck. Those below had been eHt off. and the loss of life VI, heavy. THe majority of them Were forced into the water on the side of tfIe boat where ihe water was deep and the current strong. Fortunately there Hefe only | tezs women and children ou board.
 Captain Mark R.Chsek. Wia was an the hurricane deck remained there giving his orders until the stage plank was safely lowered. The fire had by this time spread all through the cabin and he was corn- peled to retreat to ther rear and climb over the rails and de-eeded L. tEe cabin. As he was gropiug his way aft he stumbled and fell over some chairs and lost all the yaluables Ae had secured and it was with great difficulty that he succeeded in reach ing the rear through the binding smoke and flames which filled the cabin. Cap tain Cheek seized life p9eseryer and placing it on Clerk Banker helped him overheard into the water H. foatel down about three miles before he was rescued by parties who had walked ashore and followed him down the river.
 The lost, so far as can be learned, are:
 George Corbet, khird clerk. aged thirty mine years. who had launched a yawl and was trying to save the e5l,N q women on the lower deck. He leaves a wife who resides in St. Louis.
 Joe Porter
 Andrew Rees.
 Monroe Jackson.
 Jim Nelson.
 Senator Coleman.
 Hilliard Norton.
 This comprised all of the e5lored caAin crew.
 Lee Finlay and Frank Wells, colored roustabouts.
 Tn addition about fifteen dee& passea.- gers. four of whom were white men, We're also drowned.
 h the list Of unknown were three col- ored women and two children. Theywere coming to Memphis to spend tha holidays. The whites had been working OH the levees. and their names and destination are unknown. The burning steamer drifted away after laying at the bank for twenty minutes and foated down the river, her hull sinking at the heal of Peters Island, four miles below Com mefee.
 Mrs Fields is positive that ". A. Coy mgton a planter and merchautof Rose dale Miss. perished in the flames.
 It is reported that negro murderer who was being brought back here for trial, perished on board the steamer. He was hand -euffed, and the officer in charge made his escape and left the negro in his helpless condition and he was burned to death.
 The cabin passengers who were on board were: MT. and Mrs. Thomas Ne Lemere and two children, of Bolivar County, Mississippi; Mrs. Maggie Field, of Memphis; Mrs. John Quehn and Eve children, of Rosedale Mississippi; Mrs. Harrison and wife of LaConis, ,Mississippi; Mrs. Johnson and child, of LaConis; Captain T. C. Gloster, assistant engineer, of Mississippi Levee Board; John A. Woods: Captain Elisha Evans, of Mem phis and W. r. Jackman, agent of the American Cotton Seed Oil Trust com-