The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-30
FIRE ON THE ST. JOHNS.
THE H. B. PLANT BURNED AND
THREE LIVES LOST.

@1AsAS&- IA v A4o 6O0As
All the Victims Negroes and Supposed
to Have Been Drowned in Trying to
Swim Ashore-The Fire Started by
Overfilling a Lamp and Upsetting a
Can of OIL.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, April 29.-The
steamer II. b. Plant, one of che best known
of the st. Johns river craft, was burned to
the waters edge at 4 80 o'clock this morn
ing, in the middle of Lake Beresford, 10a
miles from Jacksonville, while on her way
to Sanford. Three lives were lost, all coli
ored. The men are supposed to have
drowned while attempting to swim to
shore. The missing are:
ELBERT MALLORY, waiter.
WALTER COLEMAN, a deck hand.
AN UNKNOWN DECK PASSENGER who
boarded the steamer at a way landing.
OFF ON HER LAST TRIP
The Plant left here Monday afternoon
with a heavy miscellaneous freight, eight
cabin and ten deck passengers, and a crew
of twenty men. She reached Lake Beres-
ford about 80 o'clock the following MORN
ing Everything was running smoothly
and the night was clear and still. This lake
is about one mile wide and stretches west
from the entrance to the river. There are
several landings on the western shore, and
steamers make & wide curve across the lake
and then back to enter the river above
The Inflated boat was about in the middle
OF the lake on her up-river course when the
fire first broke out
STARTED BY LAMP.
The night watchman was about TO 90 20
bed as daylight began to break. AS he was
filling his lamp 1t overfiowed and ignited
from the wick, which, it is supposed, he left
burning. He gave an alarm, and several
of the deck hands and firemeu rushed in and
succeeded in nearly smothering the blaze
before much damage was done. but in the
scuff1e about the room five-gallon can Of
oil was upset and the fluid ran over the
floor. 1t at once ignited, and in an
instant the room was full of flames.
RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES.
The watchman had his bands severely
burned before he could get out. A stream
of blazing oil ran along the floor into the
freight deck and under pile Of boxes filed
with soap. The pine woodland COM
bustible contents broke out in sheet
of blaze and smoke. The deck hands,
walters and firemen fought nobly to extin-
guish the fire. Second Engineer John
Clever was on duty and at once put an
extra pressure of steam on the pump.
Three lines Of hose which were already
connected we're dragged forward, and three
streams of water put on. Chief Engineer
JQhn Currier had been awakened and took
charge of the engine. he stopped the
machinery at once, the wisest thing he
could have done.
FLIGHT OF THE PASSENGERS.
At the cry of fire and the breaking in Of
the state room doors the terrified passen-
erurralNy Ia n frapfinallU inf0
the saloon clad in their night clothes, only
to find the cabin filled with a sitting cloud
of black smoke, and forward a red glare
and cracking timbsrs, which, with the
confused din down stairs, were enough to
cause a panic, but the presence of mind
displayed was remarkable. The cabin
passengers had no time to save
even their clothing, and the men
crowded out upon the rear deck in their
trousers and shirts, and Mrs. Thweatt, the
only lady in the cabin, held the hands of
her two little boys, who, with nothing on
but their night clothes, were the coolest
of all.
LAUNCHING THE BOATS.
Capt. Hall rushed down stairs, but saw
that the fight was useless, and returned to
the upper deck to launch the boats. The
starboard boat aft of the wheel was swung
out and lowered a few feet, when
any self control leaped into it. In moment
the boat was filed with people, and Capt,
Hall and Second Engineer Clever were left
alone to lower the boat to the water The
ropes tore the flesh from their hands, but
they held on with heroic courage and en-
durance under the tremendous weight.
OFF FOR THE SHORE.
Three colored women and four deck pass
sengers were gotten in the boat and she
started for the shore, picking up several
people struggling in the water.
Capt. Hall stuck to his ship until the
deck was a mass of flames, and when he
was sure that all were off he jumped over :
board and swan ashore behind the boat,
preventing the frightened negroes from
climbing over the gun wales and upsetting
her. Une passenger was seen to sink while
swimming for shore, and two colored decH
hands, who are known to have jumped
overheard, are missing.
Nothing was saved. The vessel burned
to the waters edge and then drifted ashore
The passengers were cared for at farm
houses.
The Plant was valued at $4,000 and was
owned by the Plant Investment Company.
The company will at once place an order for
uau0 ahfr, NTH a rp. ot JNiIpoiu0t01 Tal.