The Opelousas courier., 1888-12-29
Another Steamboat Fire.
N. O. Pieayune

J.
The public was still eagerly waiting
for the details of the terrible calamity
that fell upon the passengers and crew
of the steamboat Kate Adams, which
was burned in the river near Memphis
on Sunday morning, when the news OF
the burning of the steamboat Hanna on
Monday night. added to the general
anxiety and horror.
1t was another of thof terrible eA-
ueriences which. this ournal has so
often been called on to record. A
steamboat loaded with cotton, at mid
night in midriver, takes fire and in
sltace of time almost too brief for -om-
putation, far too short to permit any
thing decisive to be done for the saliva
tiou of the people on board, burns to
the waters edge. The officers OF the
boat with heroic constancy stand Mt
their posts in ..6 effort to save the pre-
cious lives committed to their care.
The boat is raging volcano spouting
fame with every throb of her engines ;
but the captain is on deck, the pilots
hold the wheel, the engineers are at
their levers far down in the heart OF the
fire. They were diving the boat
ashore The furious speed made the
conflagration roar and below, but the
brave officers succefded in burying the
prow of the canning vessel in the muddy
hapk. while the mate and his crew ac-
tuplly launched forth IA stageplank to
bridge the chasm between the deck and
the high aud overhanging bluffs under
which the landing was made
Vain but glorious gallantry the cap.
tain with nearly all his officers perishet
in the flames or succumbed to theii
terrible injuries after being dragged
ashore Some of the people escaped
but more found death in the was
funeral pyre or sought graves in th'
black aud chilling waters. :.
There is nothing more to be SAID
| Nobody is to be blamed for the catas
trophe. It grew out of the dangerou
system of building and loading cottoI
boats, system which has never beer
improved upon despite the numerou
fiery protests made against it. 1t
! modelled on natures method OF con
structing volcano. The furnaces
sometimes seven times heated
are situated far down in the heart
the boat. Around aud over them ar
piled. like a small mountain, the mos
combust;ble cargo and lot OF loinefs
4 work that is no better than touchwood
Ia few sparks would be sufficient
] start confiagration. There is re-
hot furnace. Over this volcano th
passengers are quartered. ln nv
minutes one of those great white swan
/ like ships, that beat with swift wheel
| the waters of our mighty river, is caps
BILE of being converted into hell OF mr.
1 We believe that tfie day is not II
distant when The natural waterways
the country will be more used than eve
they were. The inevitable al lnsat
ate demand for the cheapenlng OF u
cost of transportation will drive tran
j, to the rivers to degree that not eve
t the old times of the ante railroad perie
} can furnish a parallel. The river W
be covered with boats, but they VII,
E of a different sort from the tlnder %
. palaces heretofore in vogue. we m.l
5 reform the entire system OF Dntidli
steamboats,. A great problem IS 10
solved. but it is entirely in the reach
: American ingenuity and inyentl
! capacity. Who will design and fashl'
fine steamboat of the futureg 1t Is
e ready needed.
Alexandria Democrat: Julia Russe
a colored woman, fell dead from hei