Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-01-02
ANOTHER RIVER HOLOCAUST.

Thirty Souls Sent 60 Eteruity by the
Burning OF the Steamer John n.
Hanna.
PLAoUEMINE, La, Dec. 26.-The
steamer John II. Hanna, loaded with
cotton from Ouachita, burned here Christ
mas morning. The boat and cargo are a
total loss. The disaster was one of the
most terrible that has ever happened in
southern waters. The loss of life was
heavy, nearly thirty persons perishing ip
the flames and in the river. AT the
time the fire was discovered the crew
were at their posts. Captain Jolles was
at the wheel, and in the pilot house with
him was Bob Smith, a famous Mississippi
river pilot, who was one of the men on
the Robert e. Lee when she burned to
the waters edge some years ago.
She had reached point just. short
distance above the town, when negro
roustabout near the boilers, ran to the
after end and cried out that the boat
was all 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
at once. Engineer Merriman took in
the situation at a glance and at once
sounded the alarm by blowing the steam
whistle and ringing the bells. In an in
slant the flames shot through the cabin
and over the sides of the cotton, wrap
ping the entire boat in fnmes. As
soon as the smoke and flames began to
shoot after the sides of the boat. Captain
Jolles swung the wheel around and
headed the boat for the shore. A full
head of steam was on at the time and
the boat was soon run into the bank.
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,
and springing into the river, swan
ashore. The sight was weird one
viewed from the bank, and the town was
aroused. Floating cotton, charred tim
Der and other debris filed the river, and
many people were
STRUGGLING DESPERATELY FOR LIFE.
Some of them were able to swim ashore,
but most of them were so badly burned,
they struggled but few moments
and sank to rice no more. AS the burn
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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 cover
ing. Among those who managed to get
off were Captain Holmes and Bob Smith,
the unfortunate pilot of the ill-fated Lee,
who was passenger on his way down
to the city. Both men were burned
nigh unto death, and the story of the
way they perished is most heartrending.
When the captain jumped ashore he was
horribly burned, and In his frantic desire
to be relieved of the pain he was suffer
ing, he buried his face and hands in the
soft mud and begged most piteously for
some one to help him. Smith was just
behind and lay down beside the dying
captain. Nothing could be done for the
suffering men, and
THE TWO DIED TOGETHER
on the bank. Plaquemine was not
slumbering when the fire broke out, and
when the discovery was made that the
Hanna was burning, the entire town
almost f1ocked to the river bank and
.ched the vessel burn. The strug-
glng anfos s>'nates who reached the
snore were taho.- are of cad ducIOfs
and others ca " to their assistance and
tried to alleyi Atheir s,lfferinps