The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-03
Horrible Steamboat Disaster.

The elegant passenger steamer Kate
Adams, running as semi-weekly packet be-
tween Memphis and Arkansas City, was burn
ed near Commerce, Miss, forty miles below
Memphis. She was en- route to Memphis,
and had about two hundred people aboard,
including her deck and cabin crew of so, and
20 cabin and 80 deck passengers, and 25 col
ored cabin passengers. The fire, which caught
in some cotton near the forward end of the
boilers, was discovered about O'Clock. The
passengers 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 for the shore.
Pilot Joe Barton was on watch, and he re-
mained 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, had brought all the ladies and
children forward and assisted them ashore.
Capt Mark r. Cheek, who IVES on the hurri-
cane deck, remained there, giving his COM
mands until the stage plank was safely low
cred The fire by this time had spread all
through the cabin, and he was compelled to
retreat to the rear, and climbed over the rails
and descended to the cabin Here he found
Chief Clerk W. {. Blanker, who had make an
effort to save the money and papers of the
steamer. which were in the safe. He man.
aged to grab the money, but was cut off from
the bow and forced back into the cabin. As
he was cropping his way aft he stumbled
and fell over some chairs and lost all the
Valuables he had secured, and it was with
great difficulty that he succeeded in reaching
the rear through the binding smoke and
flames which filled the cabin. Capt. Cheek
seized life preserver. and placing it on
Chief Clerk Banker, helped him overheard
into the water. He foated down about three
miles before he was rescued by parties who
had followed him down the river Capt.
Cheek assisted several others in securing life
preservers, and when it was no longer posi-
BILE for him to remain without being burned
he, too, jumped into the river and swan
ashOrs. There were about twenty-five
coiored cabin passengers, who were
saved along with the white pas
sengers. On the lower desk, however, u
fearful panic seized the crew and deck pas
sengers Those who were cut off from os-
cape from the bow were compelled to jump
overheard to save their lives. The stern Of
the burning steamer had swung out into the
river, and an effort was made to launch the
yaWl, but it was capsized by the crowd which
filed it and many of its occupants drowned.
They were mostly cOlOred men, but there
were three or four women in the crowd.
In addition about fifteen deck passengers,
four of whom were white men, were also
drowned. III GIe IlSU OF unknown were Ulfee
colOred women and two children. They were
coming to Memphis to spend the holidays
The whites had been working on the levees
and their names and destination are un-
know Three of the cOlOred cabin crew who
were rescued from the water died after
wards.
Mrs Harry Field, one of the lady passen,
gers, was seated at the breakfast table when
the cry Of fire was heard. She paid little at
tention to it at first, but when she saw
smoke filing the cabin she ran to the
bow of the steamer which by this time had
touched the bank. and tried TO jump ashore
She failed and tell to the lower deck. ne.
gro man. who was close behind her, followed
her example, and like her failed to reach the
| ing hot where they were, but the negro gath,
cred her in his arms and carried her to the
| bank, and thus saved her from being burned
| to death, as she was unable to move after
| having fallen from the boiler deck. Mrs
| Fields is positive that W. A. Covington, q
| planter and merchant of Rosedale, Miss
perished in the flames. She thinks he must
have been suffcated in his stateroom
as he was aboard and nothing has
been seen or heard of him since the disaster
Billy Hodges, one of the pilots. was in the
barber shop getting shaved when the alarm
was sounded. He rushed to the stern OF
| the boat and providing himself with a life
preserver, jumped overheard. While swim
ming to the shore he found Sam Robinson, a
passenger, struggling in the water, and as,
sisted him to the shore. 1t is reported that
negro murderer who was being brought
back for trial, perished on board the steamer.
He was handcuffed. and the officer in charge
made his escape and let the negro in his
| helpless condition, and he was burned tn
death. 1t is impossible to definitely ascer-
tain how many lives were really lost, but a
| conservative estimate places the number at
not less then thirt yeight. 1t may probably
reach fifty