The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02
TIE DETAILED ACCOUNT.
Terrible Sufferings of Those Unable to
Escape From the Flames.

from Plaquemine says The burning OF the
steamer John II. Hanna last night near this
place was one of the most terrible river disas-
tiers that has ever happened in southern
waters. The loss of life was very heavy. About
thirty persons persisted in the flames and a
large number jumped overheard and were
drowned. One of the deck hands who escaped
says there were about one hundred 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.
at 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 with no thought of the impending
catastrophe Many OF the crew and passengers
were asleep when the fire broke out and spread
with indescribable rapidity. The details of
the sufferings and death of some of the passen-
gers are narrowing in the extreme. The boat
had reached a point which was but short dis
lance above the town, when a negro roust-
about near the boiler-room ran out to the deck
and shouted that the boat was on fire. John
Cullen. a 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 Merriman took in the situation at a
glance and at once sounded the alarm by blow
ing the steam whistle and ringing the bells. In
an misunderstanding in a much shorter time
than il takes to explain 1.-THE flames shot
through the cabin and over the sides of the
cotton, enveloping the entire boat 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 con-
founded appeared and the frantic people on
the boat ran to different exits to make their es-
cape but the boat was piled high with cotton
and the pasSage-ways were filed with smoke.
Many dropped before they were able to get to
the forward parts of the boat and were dead
when the steamer went down.
GAS soon as the FIRE was discovered Engineer
Merriman set the steam pumps working. and
tried to battle with the flames, but the fire
swept through the boat like blaze on a praI-
rie, and the engine-room soon in flames
Then to add further to the CONSERVATION, a
steam pipe burst and filed 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 and
rushed through pell-mell, in order to save their
lives.
Gas soon as the smoke and flames began to
start up the sides of the boat Capt Joltes, the
pilot, swung the wheel around and headed the
boat for the shore. A full head of steam was
IL a.. I.
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
Joltes jumped out over the cotton bales, and,
springIng into the river, swan ashore.
"The sight was a wierd 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 able to swim ashore, but most of
them were so badly burned, or so thoroughly
exhausted, that they struggled but a few mo-
mentS 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 scorched faces and
bruised limbs and many OF them with scarcely
any covering Among those who managed to
get off were Capt. Holmes and Bob Smith, the
unfortunate pilot of the Inflated White, who
was q passenger Both men were burned nigh
unto death, and the story OF the manner In
which they suffered is most heartrending.
When the captain jumped ashore he was
burned horribly, and in his frantic desire to be
relieved from the pain he was suffering, he
buried his face and hands in the sof. mud and
begged most piteously Tor some one to help
him. Smith was just behind 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 discovery was
made that the Hanna was burning almost the
entire town fiOcked to the river bank and
watched the vessel burn. The struggling UNI
fortunates who reached the shore were taken
care Of and doctors and others came to their as
sistance and tried TO alleviate their sufierngs.
The City and Central hotels and private houses
threw open their doors to the Inflated people,
and fed and clothed them until this morning.
The survivors teegraphed accounts of the dis
aSter TO their homes.
"No one saw Clerk Powell, who displayed so
much heroism in waking up the passengers,
after he had raped at the DOORS and il is
quite positive that he was burned TO death and
went down with the steamer.
mo attempt made to save any of the
steamers books or papers, and everything to-
gether with the clothes of the crew and pas
sengers was lost. The boat burned rapidly
after she reached the bank, and in a very short
time after ealarm was given she had burned to
the waters edge. The bulls sank and nothing
was left of the Hanna but floating timber and
burning cotton.
''The crew of the boat were: J. S. Holmes
captain; Samuel Powell and James Jordan
clerks; Lew Rawlins and Henry Jolles, pilots
j. II. Handley and j. c. Merriman, engineers
Dan Carroll, steward; Samuel Bryan, first
mate; Mike Cusick, second mate; John Glib
bons, sailor; Ben Duclos and Willie Higgins
bar-keepers; two chambermaids, Mrs. Demery
and Mrs. Hunt; Jim Handley and Charley
Thompson, firemen; John Rucker and Tom
Cullen, stOkers.
among those who were lost are:
"CAPT. j. S. HOLMES, master of the boat.
SAMUEL POWELL, chief clerk.
"BOB SMITH, pilot from Smithland, La.
"MIKE O'NEIL, night Waterman.
Joe CRANE cabin Waterman.
MONROE DECK, first cook.
JACK DUFF, second cook.
Joe HARVEY, cabin boy.
"JlM WATSON, second baker.