The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-01-03
MANY LIVES LOST.

MANY LIVES LOST.
Another Horror on the Mississ ppi River
The Steamer Hanna Takes Fire Noar
Piaquemine. La, snd Burns to the
Waters Edge - Twenty-Ono PersO"s
Periah-Passengers Reach tho shore
where. Unabia to Exrttcatc Them
selves. They Are Roas.ed To Death BY
the Heat from tho Raging Flames
Loss OF the Steamer Lief Erickson, In
Washington Territory, with Sic or
Seven Lives.
New ORLEANS, Dec. o6.-The steamboat
John H. Hanna. from the Ouach to river
with large number Of passengers and
cargo Of 1900 bales Of cotton on board,
was burned N M,ndav night near Plaque
mine, La. Conflicting reports have been
received reg riding the loss OF life The
first accounts said that only fourteen Of
the 100 persons on beard were known to
have been saved. The latest report from
tic Picayune's correspondent, however,
places the loss at i've whites and sixteen
colored:
CAPITA J. 5. Holmes, master OF the boat:
Samuel Powell, chief clerk: Bob Smith. pilot
from 6mithland. La; Nike OfNeill, night
watchman: Joe Crane, cabin watchman; Mon
roe Dlggs, tirst cook; Jack Dun, second cook;
Joe Harye;, cabin boy; Jim Watson. second
baker; Jonn Grafton. carpenter: John Barlow,
roustaoout; Jim Bank (coiored), roustabout:
p OK Blank tcolorcd). mess-room tender; child
OF Prise lla White (colored,.
Among those who were badly injured
are:
Dan Carroll. steward; Jim O'NeilI, deck
hand; John Gibbons, saiorman; louis WEIGH,
roustabout; John Jackson, Thomas Garrow.
Many Of the crew and passengers were
asleep when the fre broke out, and it
spread with indescribable raridity. The
detafls Of the suferings and death Of
some Of the passengers are narrowing in
the extreme. The boat had reached q
point short distance above the town when
u negro roustabout near the boiler-rO0M
ran out to the decx and shouted that the
boat was on Are. John Cullen. stoker,
ran hastily to the engine-room and gave
the alarm. Engineer Merriman at once
81 unded tho 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 h-e. Clerk Powell was
upstairs at the time. and when he saw the
flames he heroically ran through the smoke
which filed the cabin and tried to arouse
tho sleeping people. He kicked at the
DOORS and In short time almost
every body was awake. Frantic people
ran to different exits to make their escape,
but the boat was piled high with cotton
and the Eassage.ways were filed with
smoke. Many dropped before they were
able to get to the forward part OF the boat,
and were dead when tue steamer went
down. As soon as the fire was discovered
Engineer Merriman set the steam Jumps
w, rk.ng and tried 20 battle with the
flames, but the fire swept through the boat
Ike blaze on y IRA ric, and the engine.
room was soon In flames. Then. to add
further to the CONSERVATION, stcam-pipo
burst and flied 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 in
order to save their lives.
A soon ~ the smoke and flames began
TO start up the sides Of the boat Captain
Jolles. the pilot, swung the wheel around
and headed the boat for the shore. A
tull head OF steam was on at the
me and the boat was soon run into the
bank Before she was however, she was
loom ID. All Of her timber was then furi-
ously burning. When she struck the bank
she bounded away again and swung
around, drifting down as shc burned.
Then Captain Jolles jumped out over the
cotton bales and spring ng into the river
SWAN ashore.
The sign: was w:erd one, viewed from
the bank, and the town vas arouse i.
Floating cotton, charred timber and other
debris filed the river, and many
people wero struggling desperately in
the water for their lives. Some of them
were SO badly burned or 30 thoroughly
exhausted that they struggled but q few
moments aud sunk to rise no m, re. Al
the turning boat struck the bank Of the
river tho crew and passengers who had
been able to reach tho forward end of the
boat sprung ashore, some Of them with
scorched faces and bruised limbs, and
many Of them with scarcely any covering
Brave Captain Holmes, . resident Of
New Orleans, met with . most awful
death He remained ut his post Of duty
till every chance to save the lives Of his
passengers was gone Then he attempted
to SWIM ashore. but L happened to be
boggy, and he was seen to make frantic
en- ieavors to extricat, himself without
avail The burning boat WAS fast nearing
him and Whilc he was ON his knees in the
mud he put his hands up to protcc. his
back from the intense heat. II was ar
awful moment for those on shore
who wero making every endcavor Il
| relieve him with skiffs and with rope.
from tho bank One man went ou,
to him and placsd box between him
| and the flames to protect him from the in
creasing heat. be said: .Nevcr mind
me. FL be dead in few minutes, any
way" He was finally freed from his ter
r.ble situation by tying = rope around hi
bOdy ard dragging him on shore. but, alas
too late. He died about half an hour after
| beng rescued.
| The body Of Chief Clerk Powell was In 8
perfect state Of preservation. There were
| marks of any kind upon it. He had on
| . life-preserver which was partly urned
II is supposed he d.cd Of suffncation.
| short time pl,svlous to tho alarm Of fire
Powell was conversing with Willie H g
! gins bar keeper, about the burning Of the
Kate Adams, an account OF which Higgini
had just finished reading.
| The death OF John Grafton, carpenter
was sad one. He was in the upper por
I tion OF the boat, struggling to get near the
bow. the flames were twisting and sweep
| ing all about him. He tried nobly, bu
4 uc UIOpptu 0uu OuTHeu 10 0C3LU DelOr0
g eyes Of the people, who were not able
to render him any help.
The second bar-kecper of the boat sale
Mr.. Powell was standing near him whcr
they both jumped into the water. Powell
who could not swim, climbed on float
ing cotton bale, but two decl
hands jumrcd on the bale, turn
ing it over and throwing Powell into tn,
water, and hc disappeared.
Tho boat was about fifteen yards from ths
store when great m ny people plunget
into the river and several who reached
the bank In safety became begged in tn,
| soft mud. aud SO intense WAS the heat o.
the burning craft that they burned I,
death before they couli climb up tho steel
bank to the levces.
The fro was so rapid that before tn,
! pilot had finished sounding three alarm
whistles the entire boat from stem I,
stern was roaring ma IS of flames, ant
the scene that ensued was terrible In tn,
extreme. Men yelled and ran lbout tn,
decks OF the burning steamer like mani
acs. and others, screaming ut the top o.
their vo ces, threw themselves into tn,
dark watcrs and We're lost to sight. III,
! second bar-Kee,,e said that several por.