New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-01-02
Another Steamboat Disaster.

The stea nboat John H. Hanna, from the
Ouachita river, with large number of pas
sengers and q cargo of 3 900 bales of cotton,
was burned on Christmas Eve at Plaquemine,
La. 1t is stated that one hundred passengers
on board at the time of the disaster only
fourteen are known to have been saved. The
j ohn III. Hanna was built in Madison Ind, in
1876 and hailed from Louisville, KY. Shewas
of377tonnage and was owned by the Ouachita
River Consolidated line She was valued at
SIS, 900 and was insured for $12 900 in local
and foreign companies.
The steamboat left Monroe, La. on Mon
day morning at o'clock with 1 900 bales of
cotton. The captain estimated that ad-
ditional cotton had been picked up on the
way down to maket the total number of bales
$500
1t 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 merry time,
and Withno thought of the impending catas-
trophe. Many OF the crew and passengers
were asleep when the fire broke out and
spread with indescribable rapidity. The de-
tails of the sufferings and death of some of
the passengers are narrowing in theextreme.
The boat had reached point which was but
a short distance above the town when q negro
roust;:-----ts near the boiler room ran out to
the deck and shouted the boat was on fire.
John Cullen, stoker, was near the place at
the time, and seeing the flames bursting
forth from the big tiers of cotton near the
boiler ran hastily to the engine room and
gave the alarm. Engineer Merriam took in
the situation at q glance and at once sound
ed the alarm by blowing the steam whistle
and ringing the bells. In an instant. certainly
in much shorter time than it takes to explain
it, the flames shot through the cabin and
over the sides of the cotton enveloping the
entire boat in fire. Clerk Powell was up
ttyf., 4. i !.
flames he heroicaly ran through the smoke,
which filled the cabin, and tried to arouse
the sleeping people. He kicked at the doors
and in q short time almost everybody was
awake. Then confusion worse than con-
founded appeared and frantic people on the
boat ran to different exits to make their es-
cape, but the boat was piled with
cotton and passag ways were
| filled with smoke. MANY dropped before they
We're able to get to the forward part of the
boat. and were dead when the steamer we MT
down. As soon as the fire was discovered
Engineer Merriam set the steam pump work
| ing and tried to battle with the flames, but
| the fire swept through the boat like blaze
on the prairie, and the engine room was soon
| in flames. Then to add further to the con-
sternatlon. steam pipe burst and filled the
| room with scalding steam. Engineer
Merriam was forced to abandon
| his post and he and the
boat and rushed through pell-mell in order
to save their lives. Assoon as the smoke and
flames began to start up the sides of the
boat, Capt. .1olles, the pilot, swung the wheel
around and headed the boat for the shore
A fun head of steam was on at the time anG.
| the boat was soon run into the bank Be
fore she did SO however, she was doomed AL
of her timber was then furiously burning
When the Hanna struck the bank sh,.
bounded away again and swung around
drifting down as she burned. The loss
lives is estimated ut not less than twenty
| f1ye