The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-27
Two Steamers Burned and
One Wrecked.
LOSS OF LIFE AND SUFFERING
The "Jahn H. Hanna" and "Leif Erlck-
sen" Burned to the Waters Ed.e
A Heroic Captain.

Hanna, last night, near this place, was
one of the most terrible river disasters
which ever happened in southern
waters. The loss is very heavy; about
thirty persons persisted in the flames,
and large number jumped overheard
were Captain J. S. Holmes and First
Clerk Samuel Powell. Their bodies
have been recovered. Captain Holmes
body was terribly burned. One of the
deck hands who escaped says there
were about 100 persons on board and
only about q dozen could be found
alive. The engineer and pilot, who es-
capped, were burned more er less
severely. The steamer was at a point
but a snolt distance above town, when
a negro roustabout, who was near the
boiler room, ran on deck and stated that
THE BOAT WAS ON FIRE.
The John c. Allen stoker was at his
place at the time, and seeing the flames
bursting forth from the big tiers of cot
ton near the boiler, ran to the engine
room and gave the alarm, Engineer
Merriman took in the situation at a
glance, and at once sounded the alarm
by blowing the steam whistle and ring
ing the bells. In an instant the flames
shot through the cabin and alongside
the cotton, enYeloping the entire boat
in fire. Clerk Powell was upstairs at
the time, and when he saw We flames
he heroically ran thIOus. Il the smoke
which filed the cabin and tried to
arouse the sleeping people. He kicked
at the doors, and IN short time almost
everybody was awake. Then the con-
fusion became worse, as the passengers
appeared ard frantically rushed to the
different exits to MAKE their escape, but
they were piled high with cotton and
the passageway was filed with smoke
Many dropped before they were able to
get 10 the forward part OF the boat, and
were
DEAD BEFORE THE STEAMER WENT DOWN.
AS soon as the fire was discovered the
engineer set the pumps to working and
tried to battle with the flames, but the
fire swept through the boat like the
blaze of prairie fire, and the engine
room was soon IN flames. Then, to add
to the CONSERVATION, steam pipe burst
and filled the place wi b scalding steam.
The engineer was forced to abandon
his post, and the stokers and others
ran to the sides OF the boat and rushed
through pe1 nell to save their lives.
AS soon as the smoke and flames began
to start up the sides of the boat, Cap
tain Jolles, the pilot, swung the wheel
around and headed the boat from the
shore. A full head of steam was on,
and the boat soon ran into the bank.
Before she did SO, however, she was
doomed. All her timber was furiously
burning.
WHEN THE STEAMER STRUCK THE BANK
she bounded away again, and swinging
around drifted down the stream. Then
Captain Jolles jumped out over the
cotton bales, and springing into the
river, swan ashore. The sight was a
Wierd one, viewed from the bank, and
the town was aroused. Floating cotton,
chhrred timber and other debris filed
the river, and many people were strug-
Cling desperately for their lives. Some
were able to swim ashore, but most
were so badly burned or exhausted that
they struggled bat few moments and
struck the shore, the crew and passen-
gers who had been able to reach the
forward part of the boat sprang ashore,
some of them with scorched faces and
bruised limbs; some with scarcely any
covering.
HORRIBLE SUFFERING.
Among those who managed 20 get
off were Captain Holmes and Bob
Smith, the unfortunate pilot of the i'll
fated steamer White, who was a pas
sanger. Both men were burned nigh
1nto death, and the story of the
manner III which they suffered is most
heart-rendlng, When the captain
jumped ashore he was horribly burned
and in his frantic desire to be relieved
from the pain he was suffering he buried
his face and hands in the mud and
begged most piteousiy 10 be helped
Smith was Just behind, and was laid
out beside the captain. Nothing cou q
be done for the suffering men, anu
they died together on the bark.
pLAQUEMINE WAS NOT sLUMBERING
when the fire broke out, and when the
discovery was made that the Hanna
was burning, almost the entire town
hocked to the river bank and watched
the vessel burn. The struggling 1for-
Inmates who reached the shore were
taken care OF, and doctors and others
came to their assistance and tried to
alleviate their sufferinss. The City and
Central Hotels and private houses were
fhrown open to all the Inflated people,
and the people fed and clothed them
until morning.
The survivors telegraphed accounts of
the disaster to their homes. Powell,
fhe clerk, who displayed much herolsm
in waking up the passengers, disap-
neared after ne had raped at the doors
ana it is quite positive he was burned
tn death and went down with thu
steamer. No attempt was made to save
anv of the steamers books or papers
! and everything, together with th'
CIothes of the passeng 9rs, was lost ant
burned rapidly, and in very shor