The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-01-03
HORROR ON THE RIVER.
MANY LIVES LOST BY THE BURNING
OF A PASSENGER BOAT.


Plunge Into the Dark Water and Are
Not Again Seen-Thrilling Account Of
the Burning of the John III. Hanna.
[Placquemine Na.) spsciall
The river boat John Ell. Hanna was
burned to the waters edge near this city,
causing the death of at least twenty
five persons. Some persisted on the boat.
others were drowned, and many in at
tempting to reach the shore stuck
in the mud and were literally
roasted alive. Scores sustained in
juries by being burned Or sealded by
escaping steam. Among the dead are:
Captain J. S. Holmes, Samuel Powell.
Bob Smith, Mike O'Neill, Joe Crane.
Monroe Diggs, Jack Duff, Joe Harvey.
Jim Watson, John Grafton, John Barlow,
Jim Blank (colored), Dick Blank (colored)
child of Priscilla White (colored). Among,
those who were badly burned are: Dan
Carroll Jim O'Neill, John Gibbons, Louis
Welch, John Jackson, and Thomas Gar
row. The details of the suffering and
death OF the passengers are narrowing in.
the extreme.
Many of the crew and passengers were
asleep when the fire broke out. and it,
spread with indescribable rapidity The
details of the sufferings and death of some
of the passengers are narrowing in the ex-
IRENE. The boat had reached a point a.
short distance above the town when a
roustabout near the boiler room ran out to,
the deck and shouted that the boat was on
fire. John Cullen, stoker, ran hastily to,
the engine room and gave the alarm. En-
glneer Merriman at once sounded the,
alarm by blowing the steam whistle and
ringing the bells. Almost in an instant
the flames shot thu Ough the cabin and over
the sides OF the cotton, enveloping the en-
tire boat Clerk Powell was upstairs, and
when he saw the flames he heroically
ran through the smoke which filled the,
cabin and tried to arouse the sleeping peO--
pile. He kicked at the doors and in a short
time almost everybody was awake Fran
tic people ran to different exits to make,
their escape, but the boat was piled high
with cotton, and the passage-ways were.
filled with smoke. Many dropped before,
they were able to get to the forward part
of the boat and were dead when the boat
went down. AS soon as the fire was dis
covered Engineer Merriman sent the steam
pumps working and tried to battle with
the flames, but the fire went through the
boat like blaze on prairie, and the en-
glne-roOm was soon in flames. Then to add
further to the CONSERVATION, a steam-pipe
burst and filled the place with scalding
steam. Engineer Merriman was forced to,
abandon his post and he and the stokers
and others ran to the sides of the boat in
order to save their lives.
AS soon as the smoke and flares began to-
start up the sides Of the boat Capt. Jolles,
the pilot, swung the wheel around and
headed the boat for the Shore A full head
of steam was on at the time and the Loaf
was soon run into the bank. Before She
was, however, she was doomed. All of her
timber was then furiously burning When
she struck the bank she bounded away
again and swung around, drifting down as
she burned. Then Capt. Jolles Jumped
out over the cotton bales into the river and
swan ashore.
The sight was weird one, viewed from.
the bank, and the town was aroused.
Floating cotton, charred timber, and Other.
debris filled the river, and many people.
were struggling desperately in the water
for their lives. Some of them were so.
badly burned or so thoroughly exhausted
that they struggled but few moments,
and sunk to rise no more. AS the burning
boat struck the bank Of the river the crew
and passengers who had been able to reach.
the forward end of the boat sprung ashore.
some of them with scorched faces and
bruised limbs and many of them with
scarcely any covering.
NO one saw Clerk Powell, who displayed
much heroism in waking up the passengers,
after he had raped at the doors, and it is.
quite positive that he was burned to death
and went down with the steamer. Nc at
tempt was made to save any of the steamers
books or papers, and everything. including
the clothes of the crew and passengers, was.
lost. The boat burned rapidly, and in a
short time after the alarm was given she
had burned to the waters edge. The hull
sunk and nothing was left of the Hanna but.
floating timber and burning cotton.
Coming. down on the boat as passengers
were a number of the crew of tue steamer
Josie w, all of whom were saved. None
of the men could say what the origin
of the fire. The general impression, how
ever, is that some careless smoker threw e
cigarette among the cotton bales and there
by caused the disaster.
The death of John Grafton. carpenter.
was sad one. He was in the upper por-
ton of the boat, trying to get near the
bow. The flames were twisting and sweep
ing all about him. He tried nobly, but he
dropped and burned to death before the
eyes of the people, who were not able to
render him any help. The second bar
keeper of the boat said Mr.. Powell was
standing near him when they both jumped
into the water. Powell, who could not
swim, climbed on floating cotton bale,
but two deck hands jumped on the bale,
turning it over and throwing Powell into
the water, and he disappeared. The boat
was about fifteen yards from the shore
when a number of people plunged into the
river and several who reached the bank in
safety became stuck in the soft mud, and
so intense was the heat of the burning craft,
that they were burned to death before they
could climb up the steep bank to the levees.
The fire was SO rapid that before the
pilot had finished sounding three alarm
whistles the entire boat from stem to stern
was roaring mass of flames, and the
scene that ensued was terrible in the ex-
IRENE. Men yelled and ran about the
decks of the burning steamer like maniacs,
and others, screaming at the top Of their
voices, threw themselves into the dark
waters and were lost to sight The second
barkeeper said that several persons near
him struggled in the water and begged
pitifully for help. but he could not render
them any assistance, because the water
chilled him to the marrow and his clothing
clogged his every movement. A cabin boy
said that the crew who were in the texas
were aroused from their slumbers by the
flames and thew yvora +o dive.