The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-30
TOO COLD TO WITHSTAND.
THRILLING AND PATHETIC STORY OF
THE KATE ADAMS HORROR.
An Intelligent Colored Barber Narrates
How Earnestly He strove to Save
Himself and Little Son, but Lost His
Charge Because OF tho Chilling Water.

| NOW hhrneslly ne StroVe 10 save
Himself and Little Son, but Lost His
Charge Because OF tho Chilling Water
Among those who passed through the
fiery ordeal at the burning of the steam
packet Kate Adams was u colored man.
Anderson Carr barber doing business a
Roscdale, Miss, and who, with his sor
Willie, aged seven years, was passenger
on the i'll fated boat. An ArPEAL re.
porter found Carr at the residence OF hi,
mother-in-law, on Exchange street, where
he was recovering from the bruises and
burns received while making his escape
from the wreck. Carr is an intelligent
colored man, and states that no and Ed
Bell, the porter of the boat, were standing
| on the larboard side OF the cabin. engaged
in conversation, when suddenly they saw
thin sheet Of smoke and flame shoot out
from the cotton bales just beneath their
feet. 1t looked as II II was blown out by
the wind, and came from Just in
front of the iirc-doors. Ed Bell jumped
over the ruling and gave an alarm, aud
the pilot turned the boat TO the bank
The alarm became general at once, and
great confusion followed, people run
ming in every direction, shouting and
screaming. Carr ut once ran back; the
flames seemed to fly all over the boat in
an instant, and the smoke was very thick
and suiIocating. lie ran toward the texas,
where his little boy Willie was in bed
asleep. When he got near he could see,
through the smoke, men, women AMI
children rushing from the texas, and dis
covered his boy with the crowd, also run.
ming. lie dashed through the thick
smoke, caught the boy, who cried out,
Papa, the boats atirc.' Throwing him
up on his back, he told him 10 "hold on
good, rs he WIS going TO jump in the
river and swim ashore. The boy answered,
81 will, papa" and with that he passed
rapidly through smoke and some flame to
the edge oi the hurricane deck, aud plunged
down into the water. lie thinks he went
down ten or fifteen feet, and when he
arose 10 the surface
A TmGHTFuL SCENE
presented itself. There was quite = swift
current, the water was ioaming, aud blg
waves rose and fell violently, made hy the
wheels Of the boat, which kept on turning
long after the bank was struck. In the
midst OF the seething waters, cotton bales,
some ON fire. wrcckage, etc, rose aud fell,
and In the midst Of all were some thirty
or forty mon, women aud children, scream.
ing, struggling, wedged IN between burn
ING cotton bales. catching each other aud
going down beneath the Wild waves. Carr
saw none of them attempt 10 get on the
cotton bales, although il could easily have
been done. They seemed terror-strickcn,
and those who did not sink were soon
swept away with the current, the women
keeping on the surface aud floating much
longer than the men, owing Ia their cloth
ing. Carr did not want Ia hang on a cot.
ton bale, 40 he made n rn'h through them
and the drowning pope, with his hoy on
his back, for the shorc. lie fought his
way desperately, being an excellent swim
mer, but the water was 10 cold that IL
seemed TO cut through him like knife.
He was caught and grappled with, but he
managed 10 shake them oil off, he WIS
CAUGHT BETWEEN nuRNiNu BALFs
that were whiring aud pitching up and
down, while pieces OF burning timbru
wcro falling all around him. lie at last
succeeded In getting on the inside Of the
terrible drift and was within ten feet Of tho
bank when no felt biz boys hands aud
arms relax and he felt himself bObbing up
on the surface. lie then knew his boy
was gone, aud looking around he was not
In sight. A few desperate strokes brought
him 10 the bank, which he ulambcrcd up,
and jumping 10 his feet IAN down the bank
some distance looking out for and calling
for Willie, but lac had disappeared beneath
the muddy aud tumbIng waters. "The
men. women and children were In the
river ~ thick ~ this said Carr, holding
mp all his fingers clos together. pulling
and hauling each otf,E They tried 20
stay ON the boat ~ long ~ possible. aud
crowds Of them would pitch into the river
Mt one time TO keep from being burned 10
death" To the last nmny Of them stayed
there. and when the chimncys and the
pilot.houso Tell lac could soc them no
more.
ruE LAST iEorLE
h. saw on the boat were I apt Cheek ani the
chnmbcr.mnid The captain was hurting
cotton bales and pieces II wood into tile
river TO the drowning people. aud was
urging those around him 90 Jump over
board. When the chinncys aud the pilot
house fell the whistle blew long, faint
blast, aud tlio bell rang, aud then a shower
OF sparks aud fire flew up into the air. II
was not long before thu wreck broke loose
ana iloaied away down the riyer ailor tho
cotton and the people.
Carr Is suffering from burns on the face.
forehead and head. le does no, know
where he received his injuries. but sup
poses Il was In the river while struggling
among the burning cotton bales
The boy, Willie, sold newspapers on sun.
day morning, and was IN the habit II de-
liyering them nj the ArrEAL reporters
ON Exchange street, but last
Sunday he came not. und the reason why
was explained 10 him on Monday by a
colord boy, who caught up
with him ON the street, md said. "Mster,
your little paper boy, Willie, Is drowned.
he wa washed of his llher's back when