Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-01-03
HORROR ON THE RIVER.
MANY LIVES LOST by THE BURNING
OF A PASSENGER BOAT.

Plunge Into the Dark Wufer and Arc
Not Again Seen Thrilling Account OF
the Burn ng OF the John II. Hanna.
~ tPlacqnemins tI.al sre;iaLl
- The river boat John ii. Hanna was
burned to the waters edge near this city,
causing the death OF at least twenty
Ave persons. Some persisted ON the boat,
others were drowned. and many in at
tempting to reach the shore stuck.
in the mud aud were literally
ioa ted alive. Scores sustained in
juries by being burned or scalded by
escaping steam. Among the dead are:
Captain J S. Holmes, Samuel Powell,
Bob Smith, Mike O'Neill, Joe Crane,
,Monroo Diggs,. Jack Duff, Joe Harvey,
Jim Watson, John Grafton, John Barlow,
Jim Blank tcoloied). Dick Blank tcolored),
child of Priscilla White (colorcd). Among
those who were badly burned are: Dan
CniTol1. inn O'Neill, John Gibbons. Louis
Welch, John Jackson, and Thomas Gur-
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 rsbroke out, and it
spread with indescribablo rapidity. The
details of the sufferings and death OF some
of the passengers are narrowing in tine ex-
treme. 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-
gineer Merriman at once sounded the
alarm by blowing the steam whistle and
ringing the bells. Almost in an instant
the flames shot thI ough the cabin and over
csI 81 ha fha
4-s boat. Clerk Powell was upstairs, ank
when he saw the flames he heroically
ran through the smoke which filed the
cabin and tried to arouse the sleeping peo,
pie. He kicked at the doors and in 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 wero
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 tho 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-
gine-room was soon in flames Then to add
further to the CONSERVATION, a steam pipe
burst and filed the place with scalding
steam. Engineer Norman was forced To
abandon his post, and he and the stokers
and others ran to tho 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 fol' the shore. A full head
of steam was on at the time and the boat
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 bqrnsd Then oSS Capt into 5SlIes sI Jumped
swan ashore.
The sight was a weird one, viewed from
the bank, and the town was aroused.
lrloating cotton, charred timber, and other
nebris filed the river, and many people
we're struggling desperately in the water
for their lives Some of them were so
badly burned or so thoroughly exhausted
that they struggled but a few moments
and sunk to rise no more AS the burning
Loaf 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 steamer 8
books or papers, and everything, including
the clothes of the crew and passengers, was
lost The boat burned rapidly, and in d
| eIn off ha ala y1aC Ui II
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 passenger.
were number OF the crew of the steamer
Josie W., all of whom were saved. None
| of the men could say what was the origin
Of the fire. The general impression, how
ever is that some careless smoker threw {
cigarette among the cotton bales and there
by caused the disaster.
The death of John Grafton, carpenter
was a sad one. He was in the upper por
tion Of the boat, trying to get near th'
bow. The flames were twisting and sweep
ing all about him. He tried nobly, but HI
dropped and burned to death before TIN
eyes of the people, who were not able t
render him any help. The second ber
keeper of the boat said Mr.. Powell wa
standing near him when they both jumpe,
into the water Powell, who could no
swim, climbed ON a floating cotton bale
but two deck hands jumped on the bale
turning il over and throwing Powell int
the water, and he disappeared. Tho boa
was about fifteen yards from the shor
when a number OF people plunged into th
river and several who reached the bank il
safety became stuck i'm the soft mud, am
SO intense was the heat of the burning Graf
that they were burned to death beforo the
could climb up the steep bank to the levees
The fire was SO rapid that before tn
pilot had finished sounding three alarr
whistles the entire boat from stem TO ster
was roaring mass of flames, and th
scene that ensued was terrible in the ex
treme. Men yelled aud ran about tn
decks OF the burning steamer like maniacs
and others, screaming at the top OF the
voices, threw themselves into. the dar
waters and were lost to sight. The secon
barkeeper said that several persons nea
him Struggled in the water and begge
pitifully for help, but he could not rende
, them any assistance, lecause tho wat'
chilled him to the marrow and his clothin
clogged his every movement A cabin bo
said that the crew who were In thu texas
4 were aroused from their slumbers by tl
flames, and they were compelled 20 div
I headlong from the roof Of the boat ini
the river, and many Of them were burnt
to death while in the water.
c------------- l-----------=
, THE Norwegians break up worn-ol
wooden ships in singular way. The
take the vessel TO some dangerous poil
8 on the coast and anchor IL there, lea
: -. "a a. L. l,rolro,, into lite Nv kba q,