The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-10-10
FORTY LIVES LOST.
Total Destruction Of a Lower Misis-
sippi Steamer by the Explosion
Of Her Boilers.
Caught in the Great Cyclone, the
40re liz Abandoned by
Her Crew.

New ORLEANS, Special The steamer Coro-
net, Of the oaohita Consolidated line, left
here for the Ouchita river with o full cargo
OF freight and a good list of passengers She
exploded her boilers ut False river, nearly OPP
posttc Port Hudson. causing the loss OF
the steamer and about forty lives The An
Choir line steamer City Of St. Louis. Capt
James O'Neil, was near by, ana with his crew
and boats saved many lives. The surviving
passengers and crew were taken on board by
Capt O'Neil and very kindly cared for by
him and his crew. Following are lists OF
lost and saved as far AZ known:
Crew Lost. w. Blanks, captain; J. v. Jor-
dan, first clerk: Charles Cellos, second clerk;
Swimp HAMA, third clerk; Fred Dinkle. bar
keeper; Fred Verman, barkeeper; Pat Ryan,
steward: Dick Curtis, fireman; Tom Shook. en-
gineer; Henry Doyle, porter; James swipe.
porter: Mr.. Tate, barber: Henry Davis. deck
hand; Tom Cook, sailor man: Billy Young, sec
ond mate: Sam Steel, texas boy; both captains
OF deck watch: eight rousteraL --Es g.
Passengers Lost-Dr. Atwell. corn doctor. and
four negro musicians; Mr.. Scott, Smithland:
Mr.. Davis, stockman, Texas: Mr.. Koench, Mrs.
HUFF Of Opelousas: Mrs. Kaufman, nurse and
oldest child; Mrs. Thomas Hough Of Opelousas.
sister of Capt. Blanks, Mr.. Wilson Of Red River
Landing: fifteen ~rousters, names unknown.
Wounded-Capt. B. G. Cornwell. slightly; -
~Baughman. residing on Black river, hurt inter-
nally. not dangerous: Mr.. Comstock. Donald
~sonville. slightly; J. ]. Meredith, Columbia. La,
slightly: Wayne. q little SON Of Henry Blanks.
slightly hurt about face: CharlcsA. Pearce Of
New Orleans, scaldcd. None OF the injured are
expected to die. Pilot Rollings, badly scalded
on the hands; Capt. T. G. Sweeny, slightly hurt
by flying timbers: Mrs. E. w. Robertson, slightly
hurt.
Crew saved-H. H. Jolle, pilot; I. Rawllns,
pilot; Charles Pierce. steersman; J. W. Handy,
engineer: Jack Miller, mate: Billy Higgins. bill
clerk; Robert earns. carpenter; William Flem-
ing, second steward: Sam Gree. watchman: Tom
Burns. deck hand: Milt Glover, fireman: Dan
Slemock. pantryman; Frank Reeves cook: Jo-
seph Steel, baker; Charity Lambert, chamber
maid; Miss Reilly. second maid: Joe Rayman.
greaser: several cabin boys.
PASSENGERS saved-Mrs. Henry Blanks and
two children. Mrs. Mann. Mrs. Robert Robert
son, Mrs. Kaufman and children. Capt. B. G
Cornwell, Mrs. J. R Brown. Mrs. J. J. Meredith,
Mr.. L. E. Mason, Mr.. Baughman, Mr.. Comstock,
Donaldsonville; MI. John Carr, Harrisonburg.
Mrs. Kaufman and infant Of Smithland, Hon. L.
E. Mason Of Baton Rouge.
The Coronet was on her first trip Of the
season, and had but recently come out Of
the dry dock; where she received repairs
amounting to nearly $4,000.
EXPERIENCE OF Il SAVED.
Mrs Robertson says when the Corona ar
rived opposite False River Landing, about
sixteen miles below Bayou Sara, one of her
boilers exploded, tearing the boat to pieces,
when she sankin deep water in few seconds.
Mrs Robertson says she was wedged in the
ladies' cabin with some of the debris laying
across her lower limbs, but was suddenly re-
leased found herself floating in tho
river: She SAM twice, but luckily she was
picked up and escaped with only a few pain
full bruises on her limbs. J. G. Rollings, pilot
of the Corona says: Il was asleep in the
texas at the time of the explosion" He
does not know how the explosion occurred.
He was awakened by the noise it made. He
was painfully burned on both hands Hon.
l. 2. Mason, secretary of state, who was a
passenger on the Corona, states that he was
in the cabin talking 10 Mrs. Robertson at
about 10 O'Clock when the explosion oc-
Cured He escaped with life preservers and
assisted in saving Mrs. Robertson and another
" AA0&F vac way ASooAS OAAAS ~ ~
alton for escape. as the boat went down like
lead a few seconds after the explosion oc-
Cured. As the steamer City of st. Louis
came down. she was hailed and took o.
board passengers and crew who were
not -. IT the river. No one seems to be
able to give any explanation as to the cause
of the sudden disaster. .
CAPT. Z. c. swEENY, .
49, n L. - 49, IT, .,L~ ~,,~xn
command on the death Of Capt Blanks, says
the explosion was not due to u too high
pressure of steam. He had Just had occa-
sion to examine the gauge, md is positive
there was not a pressure OF more than 135
pounds Tn boat had q moderate cargo.
She was in midstream, just below the land
ing at Arbroth, and had just whistled to pass
the City Of St. Louis, fortunately coming
down at the time. The explosion had a
downward tendency, and blew out the bot
tom of the boat, causing her to sink imme-'
diately. The cabin was torn in two, the rear
portion floating dow N stream and beay-
ing a number of the saved. Capt.
Sweeny happened to be forward, and
started at once to put out the
flames, which began to burn at several
places He says the boat would undoubtedly
nave Uu1u0u ~ cAo NV SOh0 ooWA AAiu
diately. None Of the books, papers or other
valuahles were saved. The City Of st. Louis,
which was about 500 yards above, at noe
put out her boats, and she did noble work in
saving lives. Tit Anchor lines stayed there
several hours, rendering oil the assistance
possible and taking on board the rescued
passengers and crew. When nothing more
could be ions she came on down to Baton
Rouge, where physicians were summoned
and everything possible lone for the III
iured. The only dead body recovered was
that of Fred Overman. the second barkeeper.
The remains were put of at the wharf office,
where they were viewed BY Coroner Jones'
- BE.
ia, LOST AT SEA. y.
Steamer. Earnmore Abandoned and
Nineteen of the Crew Lost.
BALTIMORE, Specialize steamship Earn
---~ ~.-<+D r N,.op ,uhioh cojlod Frop,