Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1888-12-26
A SUNDAY HOLOCAUST.
ALOwer Mississippi River Steam
boat Burned 10 the Waters
Edge.
OF the Two Hundred People on Board
Over Thirty Are Thought to
Have Perished.
BIZ the Heroism and Presence OF Mind oil
the Officers and Crew Many Lives
Are Saved.

MEEPH1s, Dec. 24.-The magnificent
Lower Mis- sissippi steamer Kate Adams,
was burned few minutes before eight
o'clock Sunday morning near Commerce,
Miss, and thirty of the two hundred peo-
pie on board lost their lives. The boat
left Helena at o'clock in the morning
loaded to the guards. Besides 1 200 bales
of cotton, the lower deck had forty pas
sengers, while over 100 passeners found
quarters in the cabin. Many were at
breakfast when Peters Island, forty
miles below this city, was reached. Ten
minutes later, a 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 wide
seread conhagration in the cotton below.
The alarm was given and First Pilot
Barton, who was on duty at the wheel,
turned the bow Of the steamer toward
the Mississippi shore. The vessel
burned like powder and in a
flash the flames had taken posses
sion 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, and the officers to subdue. Many
of them leaped overheard and were
drowned, while some few of the men
succeeded in swimming from the middle
of the river to the shore.
was, if anything, greater. Most of them
were colored men. and upon the ap-
proach of the fire they jumped into the
river. Only few succeeded in reach
ing land. Among the deck passengers
were six colored women, and in attempt
ing to rescue them, Second Clerk George
Corbett lost his life. An attempt was
made to lower the yawl, but in the
struggle to take possession of it, the
yawl was capsized and several people
drowned. The pilot remained at his post
though surrounded by flames and smoke
and soon had the burning steamer
against the bank. 1t was none
too soon, for already score of
people were cut off and compelled to
Jump into the river from the opposite
side, and Just how many were lost in
this plunge is not known. About 150
half drowned and partially burned peo-
pie 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 boat where the water was
deep and the current strong. Fortu-
nately there were only few women and
children on board. Capt. Mark R. Cheek,
who was on the hurricane deck remained
there, giving his commands until the
stage plank was safely lowered. The fire
had by this time spread all through the
cabin and he was compelled to retreat to
the rear, and climbed over the rails and
descended to the cabin. AS he Eas
cropping his way aft, he stumbled and
fell over some chairs and lost all valua-
bles he secured, and it was with great
difficulty. that he succeeded reaching the
rear through the binding smoke and
flames which filled the cabin. Capt.
Cheek seized life preserver and placing
it on Clerk Blanker helped him over.
board into the water. He foated down
about three miles before he was rescued
by parties who had walked ashore and
followed him down the river.
The burning steamer drifted away
after laying at the bank for twenty min
utes and f1oated down the river, her hull
sinking at the head of Peters island, four
miles below Commerce.
All the passengers and crew arrived at
Memphis at o'clock p. m. There were
167 from the il-fated steamer that came
to Memphis, Capt. Cheek defraying the
expenses of all those who did not have
funds. Three of the colored cabin crew
whotwere rescned from the water died
afterwards.