Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-26

L
decidedly colder winds, becoming north
westerly.
For Kansas and Colorado: Light snow,
followed in Colorado by fair, colder north
erly winds
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. ga special dis
patch from Plaquemine to the Statss says;
The burning of the steamer John Il. Hanna
last night, near this place, was one OF the
most terrible river disasters that has ever
happened in southern waters. The loss OF
life was very heavy. About thirty persons
persisted in the flames and large number
Jumped overheard and were drowned.
Among the lost are Captain j. l.. Holmes
and the first clerk. Samuel K. Powell.
Captain Holmes body was terribly burned
Webb Smith, the old pilot of the j. N,
White at the time she was burned,
was a passenger on the John II.
Hanna and was burned to death. His
body has also been recovered. One of the
deck hands who escaped says there were
about 100 persons on board and that only
about dozen can now be found alive.
The engineer and pilot were saved. All
were burned more or less, some of them
severely.
1t was Just before Christmas day was be-
ing ushered in that the fine steamer was
roming down the river. Several of the
passengers were seated in the cabin hav-
ing a merry time and with no thought of
the impending catastrophe. Many of the
crew and passengers were asleep
when the terrible fire broke
out and spread with indescribable rapidi-
ty The details of the sufferingS and
death Of some of the passengers are har-
rowing in the extreme. The boat had
reached a point which WAS but short dis
lance above the town when negro roust-
about near the boiler room ran out to the
deck and shouted that the boat was on fire.
John Cullen, q stoker, was near the place
at the time, and seeing the flames bursting
forth from the big tiers of cotton near the
boiler ran hastily to the engine room and
gave the alarm. Engineer Merriman took
the situation at glance and at once
sounded the alarm on the steam whistle
and ringing the bells. In an instant, Ger
tainly in a much shorter time than
it takes to explain it, the flames shot
through the cabin and over the sides of The
cotton, enveloping the entire boat in fire.
Clerk Powell was upstairs at the time,
and when he saw the flames he heroically
ran through the. smoke which was filing
the cabin to wake the sleeping people. He
kicked the doors, and in short time
almost everybody was awake. Then con-
fusion, worse confounded, appeared, and
frantic people on the boat ran TO different
exits to make their escape, but the pilot
was piled high with cotton and the pas
sageways were filled with smoke. Many
dropped before they were able to reach the
forward part of the boat and were dead
when the steamer went down.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
Engineer Merriman set the steam pumps
working and tried to battle with the
flames, but the fire swept through the boat
like blaze on q prairie, and the engine
room was soon in flames. Then, to add
further to the CONSERVATION, steam pipe
burst and filled the place with scalding
steam. Engineer Merriman was forced to
abandon his post, and he and the
stokers and others ran to the sides of the
boat and rushed through, pell nell, in
order to save their lives.
As soon as the smoke and flames began
10 start up the sides of the boat Captain
Jolles, the pilot, swung the wheel around
and headed the boat for the shore. a full
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 fnriously 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.
7 he sight was a wierd one, viewed from
the bank, and the town was aroused
Floating cotton, charred timber and other
debris filled the river, and many people
were struggling desperately 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 a few moments
and sank to rise no more.
As the burning boat struck the bank
IF the river the crew and the pas
sengers who had been able to reach
the forward end of the boat sprang
ashore. some of them with scorched faces
End bruised limbs, and many of them
with scarcely any covering. Among those
who managed TO get off were Captain
Holmes and Bob Smith, tie unfortunate
pilot of the Inflated j. NJ. White, who was
a passenger. Both men Were burned
nearly TO death and the story Of the man
ner in which they suffered is most heart
rendiDg. When the captain jumped ashore
he was burned horribly and in his frantic
desire TO be relieved from the pain he was
suffering he buried his face and hands in
soft mud and begged most piteously for
some one to help him. Smith was Just
behind and was laid ont 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 slumhering when the fire broke
quo, and when the discovery was made
that the Hanna was burning almost the
Entire town 1ocAed 70 the river bank and
watched the vessel burn. The struggling
nufortunates who reached the shore were
taken care of and doctors and others came
TO their assistance and tried to alleviate
their sufferings. The City and Central
hotels and private houses threw open their
doors 10 the Inflated people and fed and
Clothed them until this morning.
No one saw Clerk Powell, who displayed
much heroism in waking ND the
passengers, after he had trapped
BIT the doors, and it is quite
positive that be was burned to death and
went down with the steamer No attempt
was made to save any OF the steamers
books or papers, and everything, together
with the clothes Of the crew and passen-
gers, was lost.
The boat burned rapidly after reaching
the bank and in q very short time after she
alarm was given she had burned TO the
waters edge. The hull sank and nothing
WAS left of the Hanna but floating timber
and burning cotton. The crew of the boat
were; J. 5. Holmes, captain; Samuel
Powell and James Jordon, clerks; Lew
Rawlings and Henry Joiles, pilots; j. II.
Eandlev and J. c. Merriman, engineers;
Daniel Carroll, steward; Samuel Bryant,
brst mate; Mike Cusick, second mate: Jno.
Gibbons, sailor; Ben Duclos and Willis
Higgins, bar keepers; TWO chambermaids,
Mrs. Demery and Mrs Hunt: Jim Handy
and Charley Thompson, firenen; JOHN
Rucker and Tom Cullen, stokers.
Among those that were lost are: Capt.