Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-24
Death ON the River.
A Mississippi Steamer Full of
Passengers Burned.
THIRTY SOULS SENT TO ETERNITY
Terribly Rapid Work of the Flames ani
Frenzy of Those in
Peril.

Destroyer-A More Awful Disaster
sherih-Twenty-O One Persons Injured in
Train Wreck, One Fatally - Two
Frightful Explosions of Nitro Glycerine
Many Bouses Crushed and Several Lives
Lost-Other Disasters.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec 24-The magnifi-
cent lower Mississippi steamer Kate Adams
was burned about 9 o'clock Yesterday
morning near Commerce, Miss, and thirty
of the 200 people on board lost their lives.
The boat left Helena at o'clock in the
morning, loaded to the guards Besides
100 bales of cotton the lower deck had
forty passengers while over 100 passengers
found quarters in the cabin. Many we're at
breakfast when Peters island, forty miles
below this city, was reached Ten minutes
later column of smoke was discovered as
eending 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 conflagration in the cotton be
low. The alarm was given and First Pilot
Barton, who was on du y at She wheel,
turned the bow of the steamer toward the
Mississippi shore.
The vessel burned like powder, and in
fash the flames had taken posse ssion of the
forward part Of the cabin and spread along
the rails toward the stern The passengers
rushed around in state of panic impossible
for the captain to check, or the officers to
subdue. Many of them leaped overheard
and were drowned, while some few of the
men succeeded in swimming from the mid
die of the river to the shore
Among the deck passengers the panic was
II anything, greater. Most OF them were
colored men, and upon the approach of the
fire they jumped into the river Only a
few succeeded in reaching land Among the
deck passengers were SIX colored women, and
in attempting to rescue them Second Clerk
George Corbett lost his life. An attempt
was made 10 lower the yawl, but in the
struggle to take possession of it the yawl
YVES capszed and several people drowned
The pilot remained at his post though sur
rounded by flame and smoke, AMI soon had
the burning steamer against the bank. 1t
was none to loon, for already a score of peo-
pie were cut of and compelled to jump into
the river from the opposite side, and Just
how many We're lost in this plunge is not
known. About i5l half drowned and parti-
ally burned people were landed from the
cabin deck. Those below had been cut off
and the loss of life was heavy. The majority
of them were forced into the water on the
side of the hOar wharf,. ba far
and the current strong. Fortunately there
were only few women and children on
board
Capt Iarl R Chez, who was on the
hurricane deck, remained there giving 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 ard descended to the cabin. As he was
cropping his way aft, he stumbled and fell
over some chairs and lost all the valuables
he had secured, and it was with great diff
Guilty that be succeeded in reaching TIE rear
through the binding smoke and flames
which filed the cabin. Capt Cheek selzei
life preserveT and placing it on Clerk
Banker helped him overheard into the
water. He fioated down about three miles
before be WIS rescued by parties who had
walked ashore and followed him down the
river
The lost, so far as can be learned, are
George Corbett third clerk, aeed 80 years
/ who had launched the yawl and was irving
! to save the colored women on the lower
| deck-he leaves wife VINO resides in st.
Louis: Joe Porter, Andrew Rees, Monroe
! HilIyerd Horton, ali OF tue colored cabir
crew; Lee Finlay and Frank Wells, coloreC
roustabouts In addition about fifteen decl
passengers, four of whom were white men
were also drowned. In this list of unknown
were three colored women and two chill
dren They were coming to Memphis t,
spend the holidays The whites had beer
working on the levses, and their names and
destination are unknown
The burning steamer drifted away, afte
laying at the bank for twenty minutes, an,
fioated down the river, her hull sinking a
the head Of Peters island, four miles beloy
Commerce. Mrs Fields is positive that W
A. Covington, planter and merchant O
losedae, Miss, persisted in the flames
1t is reported that negro murderer, VIII
vas being brought back here for trial, per
ished on board the steamer. He was hand
cuffsd, and the officer in charge made b
escape and left the negro in his helpless con
ditiou aud he was burned to death
All the passengers and crew arrived q
Memphis yesterday afternoon at o'clocl
There were l67 from the Inflated steane
that came to Memphis, Capt. Cheek defray
, ing the expenses of all those who did nj
have fuDds
Three Of the colored cabin crew who wer
: rescued from the water died afterwar