Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-12-24
Death by Fire or Death by
Water.
A TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT HORROR.
A Mississippi River Packet Burns to the
Waters Edge.
TWO HUNDRED SOULS on BOARD.
Twsnty-FOur Of Them Dead and More Nay
Die From Serious Injuries Brave and
Skillful Officers Saved a Greater
Loss Of Life.

MEMPHIS, tenn DeCembs. 23.-Tbe
elegant passenger steamer Kate Adams,
running ss 3 semi-Weekly packet between
Memphis and Arkansas City burnsd this
morning neat Commerce, Mis'., forty
miles south of this city. She was enro1te
to Memphis and had about 200 people
aboard, including her deck aud cabin
crew of % aud % cabin and so deck pas
sengers aud % colored cabin passengers,
The fire, which caught in some cotton
near the forward end of the boilers, was
discovered aboutS O'Clock. The passen-
gers were at breakfast, and when the
alarm was given they all made a rush for
the forward deck.
At the time the steamer was about
three hundred yards from the Mississippi
side Of the river, and her bow was at once
HEADED FOB THE SHORE
Pilot Jos Barton was on wat b, and he
remained heroically at his post until she
was safely landed.
Harry Best, the Second Clerk, who was
seated at the table when the alarm was
given, bad brought all the ladies ard
children fer ward, aud assisted them ashore.
Capt. Mark B. Cheek, who was on the hur-
Gican deck, remained there, giving his COM
mauds, until the stage plank WAS slowly
lowered. The fire by this time had spread
all through the cabin, and he was COM
pelled to retreat to the rear and climbed
over the rails and detcended t) the cabin.
Capt. Cheek, seiz ID life preseryer and
placing it on Chief Clerk Blanker helped
him overheard into the ws'e7. He hpated
down about three miles before he WIS
rescued. Capt Cheek assisted several
others in securing life pres 3rverS and when
it was no longer possible for him to re-
main without bsing burned. he, too,
Jumped into the river and swan ashore.
A TERRIBLE PANIC.
There were aboat twenty We colored
passengers who were saved along with tia
white passengers. Oa the lower deck,
howeyer, a terrible pauic seiz-d the crew
and deck passengers Those who were
cut of from e>CIpa from the boat were
compelled to Jump overheard to save their
lives. The stern Of the steamer h'd
swung out into the Tiver, aud the effort
made to launch tho yaTl was capsized by
the crowd which filled IL and many Of it's
occupants drowned. They were mostly
colored meu, bat tte;e were thres or four
women in the crowd.
The lost, 50 far rs can be learned, arS Es
follows: George COrbet', third clerk, aged
80 years, who had launched the yawl, and
was trying 10 save ths CulOrsd women Oh
the lower deck; Joe Porter. Andrew + es,
Monroe jackson, jim Nelson, Senator
Coleman, and Hilliard HOrtsn, of the
colored cabin crew; Lee Finley and Frank
Wells, cpiolei rousts5OCts. Ia addition
about fifteen deck passengers, four Of
WHOM we've white msD, were also drowned.
10 this list OF uuknowI were three
colorpd women and two children. They
were coming to Memphis TO spond the
holidays TIE whites had working Oa
the levees and their nam-s aud de5tins-
tion are unknown.
The burning st -smer driftGd away after
laying st the bank lO- twenty minutes
and floatsd down The river Her hull
sinking at the head OF Peters Island, four
miles below. Al the passengers and crew
arrived at Memphis this afternoon ~ &
o'clock, having taken the Louisville New
Orleans & Texas railrosd at Jacksonville,
which station il eight miles distant in the
interior from whsre the disaster occurred
LOST EVERYTHING.
The passengers and crew lost all their
clothing and effects, and sOms made their
escaue to the shore from the Burning
steamer in dishab lie, but were provided,
with clothes by the kind citizens Of Com
merce. Three of the tllored CABIN crew
who were rescued from the water died
afterwards. Their names apPcIr iu the
list already given.
The water was very cod, which bsS
numbed the limbs of those who jumped
overheard, and to this is attributed the
great oss of life. All speak in the highest
terms OF the GOODNESS and bravery display
ed by the officers. The captain, clerks,
pilots and engineers all remsiued at their
posts upul the last, and it was through
their slrjrts and courage that sll the lady
passengers WeIe safely taken ashore.
The Kate Adams WAS owusd by th9
Memphis and Vicksburg Packet Com.
pany. She was built bT James
Rse1 x Sons. of Pitt>buTg,
in lSS2, and cost $l02, 900. She was thu
fne3t and rastsst steamer of her typo, rnd
her owners this summer spent $50, 600 in
repliriug her at Paducah. She was iu-
sure for ST, $50 This would have bseu
her 6G?i trip in the Memphis aud Arkau-
sas City trade. Her cargo consisted Of
1.l6l baleS cpttO1, 900 SIcks c)tt)n seed,
- bags seed, and god list Of suudIies.
The cotton was consigned TO Memphis
merchsnts and fully insured in their open
policies.