The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-05
SURVIVORS OF THE CORONA
Incidents of the Explosion on the III
Fated Steamer Told by Rescued People.
The Captain Hurled Through the Roof Of the
Cabin and Instantly Killed-A Brave Lit
tie Boys Successful Fight for Life.

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. A number of the
survivors of the Corona disaster cached
this city to-day. Seven of them came by
rail and others by the City of ST. Louis.
Those who came by train were Capt. 7. c.
Sweeney, who was q passenger; pilot l.. w.
Hawlins. bill clerk Billy Higgins; Jack
Green. captain of the deck watch; Robert
earns, carpenter; second steward Vim.
Fleming and engineer VIM Handy. As
they stepped from, the train they could
easily be identified by their cut and bruised
c~ountenances. They were quickly sur
rounded by a crowd of weeping men and
women, all anxious to learn the fate of
some loved one. The scene was, indeed.
heart-rending, and strong men were COM
PEELED to turn aside their heads when some
one, in answer to a question, would ascer-
tain that the one they inquired after was
among the lost.
Mrs. Henry Blanks was among those who
of st. Louis. She was ON the Corona with
her sister, Mrs. HUFF, and two children, en-
route to Columbia as o passenger. She
says: II was standing with my sister and
youngest child in my arms in the rear of
the boats cabin when the explosion took
PANSOs hO S1tuC ia W
us with life ~preservers, which We fastened
on. William Fleming, the pantryman,
then came running to us and told us to go
up on the hurrican roof until he could get
We then got into the yawl, and hardly had
we been seated when the boat was
swamped, throwing US all into the river. /,
with my three-year-old child in one arm.
held on to a piece of wreckage until one of
the st. Louis boats came and saved us. 1
told the child, Hold tight. daughter, God
will save u.s."
A little six-year-old boy of Mrs. Henry
Blanks, who was blown into the air by the
explosion, said: II was out looking. at
Captain Sweeney fixing the electric lights,
and then went into the cabin to see my
mother, and had hardly got as far as the
Office when / was blown away into the air,
and when | came down fell into the river
caught on to a sack, and an old man was
near by holding q piece of wood. bowling
for the yawls to come and ave him. 1t
was then that l was frightened and began
to yell also, when the skiff came and picked
boat. the City of ST. Louis" The brave
little fellow is badly hurt about the head.
He stated that this was caused by q man
throwing q plank on him.
Captain Sweeney stated that the whole
thing came on so suddenly that he hardly
had time to see any thing. Captain Blanks,
who was sitting in the barber-chair, was
hurled through the cabin roof and instant
ly killed. The others in the cabin were
struck by flying timbers. among whom was
Shrimp Hanna, who was setting near the
clerks Office. The explosion seemed to 90
downward, and the full force was in the
rear part of the boat. The cabin parted
and one half of il fell into the river and
the other half f1Oated with the wreck.
Those that were not killed outright by the
flying timbers were pinned down and
scalded to death: Captain Sweeney said
the scene was indescribable. When the ex-
plosion took place he was on the fore
castle, and thus escaped the heavy timbers
that were flying around. He remained on
the wreck as long as possible, and as there
was no chance to rescue anyone, he sprang
overheard, and was picked up by the
yawls of the City of st. Louis.
Mr.. Henry Jolle, the pilot of the Corona,
says no was in the pilot-house at the time
of the explosion, and felt as though he was
blown up at first, and then fell down
through the wreck On the lower deck on the
debris, and found his arm badly hurt. In a
short time a skiff came alongside and took
him from the sinking boat. He also saws
his steersman, Mr.. Pierce. was in the pilot
house with him, and was also blown up,
and when he saw him he was lying upon
the lower deck some feet away, also badly
hurt by the fall and flying timbers. after
| the explosion" Mr.. Pierce said, / found my
self among the wreckage and was picked
up by one of the boats of the rescuina
steamer. My right arm is. / fear, fractured,
and my head is cut in several places.