The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-24
STATEMENT or carr. KLOsTER.
The Most Thrilling story OF all That
Mere IOid

/ Is that by Capt Jules NJ. klostcr, Assist
ant United States Engineer, engaged in SUI
! pcryising leyeo work under Capt. 5. $.
Leach, lie said: 81 got on board at Push
matahah Landing, about eighty miles from
T Memphis, | had just steatcd myself at
! the breakfast table when the alarm OF
fire Was sounded. | looked up and saw
| Mr., Mcl.emorc rushing by me in the Ill
rcclion OF the ladies cabin. lie shouted.
'The boat is atrc, looked at him in
credulously aud continued my meal. HAY
| ing alarmed the ladies' and assumed the
guidance OF his wife and children, he again
camo up 10 me and shouted; Get up,
man; the boats Nilrc.' With this he
| passed by me, one of his children
ON his arm, the other ON his wiics Just
then q thick cloud OF black smoke swept
| through the cabin from tae larboard side
and ! rushed forward. On my way |
picked up life pcseryor which some
body had dropped in his mad break to cs-
cape, When got outside Of the cabin
door caught hold of the three year old
daughter OF Mrs. Kuhn, wife OF Capt. j.
4. Kuhn, and started down stairs with
her. Half way down there was gang
plank connecting the stairs with the top
tier OF cotton. did not cross there but
found enough space jutting out from n
lower tier OF cotton to enable me TO reach
the shore by that method. We helped
the ladies aud children lown from tier TO
tier the same way. One Of the ladies,
Mrs DR.. Brown, Of Iaconia, lost her foot
ing aud spraincd her ankle 10y slipping be-
tween two bales OF cotton. She
was extricatod without much difficulty,
and assisted ashore. The boat had been
made fast flush with the bank and il was
easy TO step from the deck rail TO the
shore. assisted Dr. Brown in carrying
his wife to the top OF the blulI aud placing
her on log. | then turned To the shore
to see what could do TO assist others.
rnE IGur wnIou CONFRONTED ME WAS
APPALLING.
have been on fields Of battle aud heard
the shhcks of the wounded and groans of
the dying. but never have seen such
sight ms that Of the burning boat
and the doomed passengers hud-
died together behind the wheel.
house and in the stem ait o.
the ladies' cabin. We worc powcrlc,s to
assist them, aud all We could do was To
shout to them TO jump overheard. The
ladies on shore gnzcd al the scene as II
pamly1el. The boat was one solid sheet
OF smoke aud flame from bow IN a point
beyond the whcclhousc. In the river
wcro smoking bales OF cotton with human
| freight clingng 20 thom with the g,ip oi
! dcAr,ir, barrels. noXcs. doors, aud every
conceivable means of nllting support.
| Hundreds Of heads hoatoi above the
water struggling for shore In the stern
aft oi the Whcclholsc. on both
decks, there were crowded dc.
spairing bandoi trembling gn,yrons, speech
lees with terror aud tran-liNod With horror
at their own impending fate. So intense
was their fear that their tongues seemed tu
clcayc to the rooisof their mouihg, making
them dumb. Not a sound escaped lhcm.
They were all nogfocs, somc women aud
children, clinging 10 each other In the last
embrace oi despair. Capt Check. cool.
firm and decisive, stood there adjusting
life prcscrycn on all around him, aud
dropping them into the water below. Then
be tors lattice doors aud other listening
from their hinges and east them down, In
the hope that some poor wretch below
might find Il a means oi safety. Ills nerve
was iron. I never saw man NJ free
from excitement and with such splendid
presence oi mind. when all that could
be- saved had been saved the gallant cap.
tain, with the flames singing his checks.
lcapcd into the stream nnd lloitcl down b.
the point below, about two miles below.
Then came an awful sound. faught with
terrible import Those who heard shud-
dcrcd ~ ib metallic i0Fcholing. rang
cchoing through the air. The landing aud
departure bell, swaycd by the toltoring Of
the smoke stack, rang out mourniul
requiem and every note came like q stab
not only 10 tho surgng multitude In the
waters, but 10 the agonizcd crowd
on the shore. Soon after the smoke
stacks icl and with q hiasing sound
were buried In the stream just ait the
whcel.housc crowd Of negroes were
gathered When the heat became un-
hcariblc they dumped cotton bales into
the water and loapcd on 10 them. Their
chances oi escape were good, when crash.
down came tho whccl.hous', % mass Of
cmbcrs and smoking, burning umbcrs.
aud cngulicd all beneath its own ruin.
ruAr WAS ~ Nucu ~ ! cortp STAND,
and turned aside 10 avoid the horrors ui
the scene. Tho women on shore were
hauiic, Winglng their hands and weeping
In helpless agony Just then the lines
caught fire. the boat rcclcd into the cham
mel with q mighty effort and then iloaiod
down stream. a burning, fiery wreck, all
gone but thc hull aud the smoking, fam.
Ing mass oi cotton above IT,
Auoya uE nERon or ruE nay
wcro the pilots, Joe Barton and BILLY
Hadgc. Joe was In the pilot house when
Bob Richmond shouted 10 him Go head ior
shore. lie ncycr niuchcd g"iil safe
landing had been made aud vns %. cool us
au iceberg The last thing hc dil WJs Goo
ring his bcl iJr thc engineer to leave h.s
post Blll Hodge, another pilot, worked
hcro.cally aud saved many % llir.
Mounting cotton bale ho Gooui .
into the stream with pole aud pulled out .
the drowning Among others su rcHcucd F..