The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02
JOHN GRAFTON, carpenter.
Among those who are badly burned are:
ON -t-.-...I


"Child of Priscilla Wright (coloredl"
Coming down on the boat as passengers
were number of the crew of the steamer
Josie W., all OF whom were saved.
"The survivors were all warm in their praise
OF the humane people of Plaquemine, who
spared no pains and money to furnish them
with clothes and shelter after their terrible ex-
perience. w. L. Brule, mayor of the city, was
especially kind TO the survivors.
None of the men could say what was the
origin of the fire. The general impression,
however, is that some careless smoker threw
cigarette among the cotton bales and thereby
caused the disaster.
The death OF John Grafton, the carpenter,
was a sad one. He was in the upper portion OF
the boat struggling to get near the front end of
the boat. The flames were twisting and sweep
ing all about him. He tried nobly TO reach the
bow, but he dropped and burned to death be-
tore the eyes OF the people who were not able
to render him any help. The second bar
keeper Of the boat said Mr. Powell was stand
ing near him when they both jumped into the
water: Powell, who could not swim, climbed
on floating cotton bale, but the two deck
hands also jumped on the bale turning it over
and throwing Powell into the water and he dis
appeared.
"Tne boat was about fifteen yards from the
shore when a great many people plunged into
the river, and several who reached the bank in
safety became begged in the mud, and so in
tense was the heat OF the burning boat that
they were burned to death before they could
climb up the steep bank TO the levee. The
fire was so rapid that before the pilot had fin
lshed sounding three alarm whistles the entire
boat from stem TO stern was roaring mass of
flames, and the scene that ensued was terrible
in the extreme. Men yelled and ran about the
decks OF the burning steamer like maniacs, and
Others, screaming at the top of their voices,
threw themselves into the dark waters and
were lost to sight in the twinkling of an eye.
THE second bar-keeper said that several per-
sons near him struggled in the water and
begged pitifully for help, but he could not
render them any assistance because the water
chilled him to the marrow and his clothing
clogged his every movement. A cabin boy,
who was an assistant of the steward. said the
crew who were in the texas were aroused
from their slumbers by the flames which
roared over them, and they were compelled to
dive headlong from the roof OF the boat into
the river, and many of them were burned to
death while in the water. The impression now
is that the number of lives lost will not exceed
thirty"
The steamship Josie W. OF the same line, was
laid up at Monroe and her crew were discharged
and sent home on the Hanna. This will explain
the reference to persons belonging to the Josie
W.
At the inquest held at Plaquemine on the
body of Clerk Powell, $1,000 was found in his
pockets.
The Times Democrats special from Plaque
mine gives the following account of the death
of Capt. Holmes:
THE brave captain, resident of New
Orleans met with a most awful death. He re-
manned at his post of duty till every
chance to save the lives of his passengers
was gone. Then he leaped into the
water to swim for the shore, but it happened
to be Doggy, and he was seen to make frantic
endeavors to extricate himself without avail.
The burning boat was fast nearing him, and
while he was on his KEGS in the mud he put
his hands up to protect his back from the
intense heat. 1t was an awful moment for
those on shore who were making endeavor TO
relieve him with skifs and with ropes from the
bank. One man went out to him and
placed a box between him and the flames
to protect him from the increasing heat He
said: Never mind me- I'll be dead in a few
minutes anyway. He was finally freed from
his terrible situation by tieing a rope around
his body and dragging him on shore, but, alas,
too late. He died in about half an hour after
being rescued.
"The body of Chief Clerk Powell was in per-
feet state of preservation. There were no
marks of any kind upon it. He had
on a life-preServer which was partly
burned. It is supposed he died OF
sutfocation. a short time previous TO the alarm
of fire Powell was cOnverSlng with Willie Hig-
ging, bar-keeper, about the burning of the Kate
Adams, an account of which Higgins
had just finished reading. On being
told that fifty lives were lost Powell said:
81 can't understand how so many lives can be
lost when land is so near" Half an hour later
cruel fate made him a corpse floating down the
river