Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-01-02

The steamboat John IL. Hanna, from
the Ouachita River, with many passen-
gers and heavy load of cotton on
board, burned near Plaquemine, La,
on the night of the 25th. The loss of
life was very heavy. About thirty per-
sons persisted in the flames and large
number jumped overheard and were
drowned. Among the lost are Capt. J.
S. Holmes and the first clerk, Samuel
r. Powell. Their bodies have
been recovered. Capt. Holmes body
was terribly burned. Bob. Smith, the old
pilot of the J. M. White at the time she
was burned, was passenger on the
John III. Hanna, and was burned to
death. His body has also been recov-
cred One of the deck hands who es-
capped says there were about 100 persons
on board, and that only about dozen
can now be found alive. The engineer
and pilot were saved All were burned
more or less; some Of them severely.
Later reports place the total number of
lost at from twenty-five to thirty, which
is probably more nearly correct.
it was just before Christmas Day was
being ushered IN that the fine steamer
was coming down the river. Several
of the passengers were seated in the
cabin. having a merry time, and with
pie. Many the crew and passengers
were asleep when the fire broke out
and spread with indescribable rapidity.
The details the sufferings and death
of some Of the passengers are narrowing
in the extreme. The boat had reached
a point which was but a short distance
above the town, when ne
gro roustabout near the boiler room
ran out to the deck and shouted that the
boat was on fire. John Cullen, striker,
was near the place at the time and see
ing the flames bursting from the big
tiers of cotton near the boiler, ran hast
lily to the engine room and gave the
alarm. Engineer Merriman took in the
situation at glance and at once sound
ed the alarm by blowing the steam
whistle and ringing the bells. In an in
slant, certainly In much shorter time
than it takes to explain it, the flames
shot through the cabin and over the sides
in fire. Clerk Powell was up stairs at the
time, and when he saw the flames he
heroically ran through the smoke which
filled the cabin and tried to arouse the
sleeping people. He kicked at the
doors and in short time almost every
body was awake. Then confusion
worse confounded appeared and the
frantic people on the boat ran to differ
ent exits to make their escape, but the
boat was piled high with cotton and the
passageways were filed with smoke.
Many dropped before they were able
get to the forward part of the boat, and
were dead when the steamer went
down.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
Engineer Merriman set the steam
pumps to working and tried to battle
with the flames, but the fire spread
through the boat like blaze on a prai-
RE and the engine room was soon in
flames. Then, to add further to the
CONSERVATION, steam pipe burst and
filed the place with scalding steam.
Engineer Merriman was forced to aban-
don his post. and he and the strikers
and others ran to the sides of the boat
and rushed through pell-mell in order
to save their lives. AS soon as
the smoke and flames 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 lull head of steam was on at
the time and the boat was soon run into
the bank. Before she did so, however,
she was doomed. All of her timber
was then furiously burning. When the
Hanna struck the bank she bounded
away again and swung around, drifting
down as she burned. Then Capt. Jolles
jumped out over the cotton bales and
springing into the river, swan ashore.
The sight was weird one viewed
from the docks and the town was
aroused. Floating cotton, charred tim
Der and other debris filled the river,
and many people were struggling des-
perately in the water for their lives.
Some Of them were able to swim ashore,
but most of them were SO badly burned
or SO thoroughly exhausted that they
struggled but few moments and sank,
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,
sprang ashore. some of them with
scorrhed faces and bruised limbs, and
many of them with scarcely any cover
ing.
Among those who managed to get off,
were Capt. Holmes and Bob Smith, the
unfortunate pilot Of the Inflated White,
who was passenger. Both men were
burned nearly to death and the story of
the manner in which they suffered is
heart-rending. When the captain
jumped ash ore he WAS horribly burned,
AdO ALI hAS 1IouCAC oOS1iO W OO 1C1IOtOO
from the pain he was suffering, he
buried his face and hands in the soft
mud and begged most piteously for
some one to help him. Smith was just
behind him and was laid out by the side
of the dying captain. Nothing could be
done for the suffering men and the two
died together on the river bank.
Plaquemine was not slumbering when
the fire broke out, and when the dis
covery was made that the Hanna was
burning almost the entire town hocked
to the river bank and watched the YES
sci burn. The struggling unfortunates
who reached the shore were taken care
of and doctors and others came to their
assistance and tried to relieve their suf-
ferings. The City and Central hotels
threw open their doors to the Inflated
people and fed and clothed them until
next morning. The survivors tele-
graphed accounts of the disaster to their
homes.
No one saw Clerk Powell, who dis
played much heroism in waking up the
after he had raped at the
doors and it ia unite certain ha Was