The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-01-04
APPALLING CALAMITY.
OF the Two Haadr~1 fer~ons On bsare
thirty are kaewn % Have n~~a
Harmed 60 Death OF Drowned
some of the yicstms-


Adams was burned few minutes before
eight O'Clock yesterday morning near
Commerce. Miss. and thirty % the two
hundred people on board lost their lives.
The boat left Helena NJ one o'clock in the
morning. loaded % the guards Besides
Twelve hundred bales 81 cotton. the lower
deck had forty passengers while over
hundred passengers found quarters IN the
cabin Many were AT breakfast when
Peters Island forty miles below this city.
was reached Ten minutes later column
~ smoke was discovered ascending out ~
he cotton piled on the boat and the crew
rushed 70 the spot with buckets and hose.
The first bale tossed aside disclosed
widespread ronfagrAtion In the cotton
below. The alarm was given and First
Pilot Barton who WAS on duty AZ the
wheel. turned the bow 81 the steamer to-
ward the Mississippi shore The vessel
burned like powder. and in fash tho
flames had taken possession % the for
ward part 81 the cabin and spread along
the rails toward the stern The paSsen-
gers rushed around in state ~ panic inn
possible for the captain 10 check OF the
oficer< to subdue. Many % them leaPed
overheard and were drowned while some
few ~ the men succeeded in swimming
from the middle ~ the river a. the shore.
Among the deck passengers the panic
was. II any thing. greater. Most ~ them
were colorei men. and upon the approach
~ the FIRE they ilnped into the river.
Only q few succeeded III reaching tho
Shore
Among the deck passengers were six
colored women. and in attempting % res
cue l-rm. Second Clerk George Corbstt
lost his life An attempt was made 10
lower the yawl. bre in the struggle TO
take possession q t. the boat was cap
sized and several people drowned
The pilot remained AZ his post though
surrounded by fame and smoke, and soon
had the bun ming steamer against the
bank II was none tor soon. for already
score ~ people were cut on and compelled
70 jump into the river from the opposite
side. and Just how many were lost in this
plunge i not known About one hun
dred and fifty a.-drowneL and partially
burned people were landed from the
cabin deck These below had been cns
OF. and the los ~ life was heavy The
majority ~ them we're forced into the
wafer On the side .. the boat where tho
water was deep and the current strong
Fortunately there were only few women
and children on board.
Captain Marx X. Cheek. who was on the
hurricane deck remained there giving his
orders until the stage plank was safely
lowered The FIRE had by this time spread
all through the cabin and he was COM
pelei 10 retreat a. the rear and climb over
the rails and tescetied 10 the cabin As
he WAS cropping his way aft he stumbled
and fell over some chairs and lost all the
valnAbles be had secured and Il was with
great difticrifr that he succeeded in reach
ing the rear through the binding smoke
and flames which filed the cabin Cap
tain Cheek seized life preseryrr and
placing il on Clerk Banker helped him
overheard into the water He f0atrt
down about three miles before he was
rescued bv parties who hid walked ashore
and followed him down the river
The lost - FAR A. can be learned are:
George corl,ef. third clerk aged
thirty nine years. who had launched =
yawl and was trying q save the colored
women On the lower Iecs- he leaves =
wife who resides in -. Louis
Joe Porter
Andrew ReeS-
Monroe Jackson
Jim Nelson
Senator Coleman
H1lliAru NORTON
| This comprised AL % the coicred cabin
4 crew
Ire Finlay and Frank Wells, cclcred
1 ronSfabOur~-
1 In addition about fifteen deck passen-
/ gers. four ~ whom we're white men, were
4 also drowned
l II the list ~ unknown were three col
ored women and fwc children Theywere
| coming 10 Memphis 10 spend the holidays.
I The whites had been working On the
lere~s. and their names and destination
! are unknown The burning steamer
dritfed away after laying NJ the bank for
twenty minutes. and foated down the
river. her hull sinking NJ the head u
Peters Island four males below Com
merce-
Mr.. Fields i positive that w. A. Cow
inrfon planter AMI merchant ~ Rose
dale. Miss rerished in the flames
II l. reported that negro murderer
who was being brought back here for
trial. persisted on hoarl the steamer He
was hand-cnffed. and the officer in charge
made his escape and left the negro in his
helpless condition and be was burned %
death
The cabin passengers who we're IN
| NtArL were. MI anu 4N-- AAr41A4~ -
Lemere and two children Of Bolivar
County. Mississippi: Mrs Maggie Field,
81 Memphis. Mrs. John Qnehn and fye
children. Of Ro~edaie. Mi~~issippi: Mrs.
Harrison and wife % I.aConis. Mississippi
Mrs. Johnson and child ~ LaConis;
Captain T. a. Glosfer. assistant engineer,
OF Nississippi L~vre Board; John A.
Woods: Captain Elisha Evans. 81 Mem
phis and W. r. Jackmnn- agent ~ the
American Cotton S<ei oil Trust cum
pany-
All the passengers ard crew arrived Al
Memphis yesterday afternoon at III
o'clock. There were ~. from the ill-fatrsl
steamer that came ~ Memphis. Captain
Cheek defrnving the expenses ~ all those
who did not have fanls.
Thrse AZ the colored cabin crew wh<
wefe rescued from the water died after
ward
Defeated Bo<tos Candidates 10 Contest
Bosrox. Dec. AK Alderman r. 4
Mcclure filed motion with the city Gers
yesterday ~ his intention a. contest ths
seat IL Alderman short in the next Board
n Aldermen on the ground that short r.