Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-18
STEAMBOAT HORROR.
AsTsAMER CRASHES INToA BRIDGE
PIER At CINCINNATI.
Mary Lives Lost, and Many Women and
Men Rescued by Persons In Small
Boats--The Cabin Afloat.
rny ,slsgr.ph o ,he pIspatcn.l

CHuNArI, ONO, February 1.-THE
steamer Shrylock struck the Kentucky
pier Of the Chesapeake and Ohio bridge
going down the river on the trip TO New
Orleans. She had on board thirty passen-
gers and about fifty or sixty of the boats
crew. She went topieces and foated down
to Fifth street, where she sank. She had
on board 400 tons of freight. The cabin
1oated down the river and at the river
side some of the crew got ashore in skif.
Some were rescued at Fifth street 1t is
not known how many are lost. The har-
bor-steamer has gone down the river and
Is momentarily expected to return with
news.
CURIOSITY CHANGED TO TERROR.
II was after O'Clock tonight when tho
steamer Shrylock, of the Cincinnati and
New Orleans Line. under the command Of
Captain MacIntyre, backed from her wharf
and started down the river on her last trip.
She had aboard from thirty TO thirty-fve
passengers and crew of fifty or sixty.
The river was high, the wind was
strong. and as the steamer approached the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad bridge near
ly all the passengers we're on deck to see
how near the boats chimney would come
to the bridge. Their curiosity was soon
changed to terror as they saw the boat ap-
parently at the mercy OF the winds and
current, and in moment with terrible
crash in the darkness the boat struck the
stone pier Of the bridge and was utterly
helpless. At this writing no account Of
the accident from any one on the boat
has been given, but James Pick
EFT. of the Kenton-Oounty Boat
Club, was on the Kentucky shore
and observed something unusual in the
boats movements. Instead of going to-
ward the wide centre span she moved to-
wards the Kentucky span, where the cur
rent is. He saw that she seemed to be un-
manageable and that she was too close to
the pier.
PICKED UP sIx WOMEN.
To his horror he saw her strike about the
wheel-bouse on the Kentucky side of the
pier. She clung there for short time and
gave distress signals. Pickett manned the
boats with whatever help he could
command and went to the help of
ceeded In picking off six women and
several men, following the floating yes
sci az he left the pier and foated down
the angry river. He says he saw some OF
the crew of the vesse swimming ashore. He
saw two on @ raft of three boards, and
thinks he saw many struggling IN the
water.
The HULL SANK.
When the steamer reached the Fifth
Street wharf after narrowly missing the
Southern railroad-bridge pier on the way
the hull sank. leaving the cabin with the
passengers afloat. Here some of the peo-
pie managed to get ashore. The harbor
steamer A. l.. Martin was hastily sent after
the floating cabin. and caught 1t at the river
side, several miles below the city. AS
many as were left were hastily taken
aboard and returned to the city. 1t Is said
they were remarkably brave during their
season of peril, and that with few ex-
ceptions the women were more courageous
than the men even when deSth seemed
certain.
Mrs. Mclean, Of Pittsburgh, was In
stantly killed by the falling freight at the
time of the collision.
The Sherlock was eighteen years old,
valued at $4,000, and insured for $4,000.
She had 400 tons of freight, consisting of
nails, paper. bottled beer, glassware, and
miscellaneous freight. There were twen-
ty-one registered passengers and nine not
registered.
THE ONLY ONES LOST.
Ldter.-It is now known certainly that
Mrs. Mclean, of Pittsburgh, and her
granddaughter, little Margery Brown, OF
Pittsburgh, were the only ones OF the twen-
ty-one registered passengerslo Ofthenine
unregistered passengers, whether all are safe
Is not known. 1t is believed every one of
the official crew were saved. In regard 10
the cabin and deck crew there Is painful
uncertainty. Persons are reported as
escaping to the shore for quite o distance
along the river in Covington. Many be-
lieye several are lost.