The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-06
THE OLD MISSISSIPPI.
Life and Destruction of a
Bl0ckade-Runner.
vicissitudes Of . Steamer Whose Wreck
Lies In the Harbor-Rice From
China-water Front Notes.

Presumably but . small proportion Of
the present residents of Seattle are aware
OF the fact that near the foot of Lenora
street, in North Seattle, the hull of an iron
steamship has been lying beneath the
water the past eight years. It is the hull
ofthe steamship Mississippi, which was
burned at the Oregon improvement Com
pany's coal bunkers on May Is, 1883.
The Mississippi was an iron vessel of
LOO tons burden and was built for .
oiockade-runner during the war, but was
captured on her first trip She was after
wards used in the cotton carrying trade,
ana was purchased by the Oregon I'm
proyement Company in 1880 to run in con-
nection with the company's other coal
vessels between the Sound and San Fran
cisco. She was quite rapid boat, well
built and was valued at 100000.
When she caught fire she was lying at
the bunkers, almost loaded with coal. The
fire started about 2o'clock in the morning.
and how it originated has always been a
mystery, though it was supposed to have
been caused by spontaneous combustion
OF waste in the oil room, the fire having
started there. 1t soon spread to the coal,
and inside of five minutes the vessel was
mass of fame. The chief engineer,
Charles Knapp, was fast asleep. and was
burned to death. All the other members
of the crew had a narrow escape, and most
OF them had to jump overheard to save
themselves.
The vessel was lying on the south side
OF the bunkers and southerly breeze held
1t damned up against them until they took
fire also, and 300-foot section of them
was wholly destroyed. The ship Spartan
was lying on the north side and would
have been burned, too, but her sails hap
pened to be up and she sailed out into the
bay. Her master, Captain Kullman's.
coat caught afire three or four times while
he stood at the wheel.
The fire attracted an immense crowd,
which stood on the wharf close by the
burning incline when the structure fell,
injuring number Of people and throwing
several into the water All those who fell
into the water were rescued, but long
shoreman named Dan Mahoney had his
leg and one arm broken. The arm had to
be amputated and he died. The city fire
engine went down to make an effort to
suppress the flames, but the tide was so
low that she could not raise water and
was therefore unable to give any assist
ance.
The vessel, her cargo, papers, money,
instruments and everything on board were
destroyed, and Captain Holmes and sew
eral of the other officers lost their clothes
and valuables. The wharf and bunkers
were damaged to the extent of about
$4,000
After the vessel had been burning fully
two hours, the steamer George E. Starr
towed her out on the fats. Next day the
tug Goliah lowed her to the foot of Lenora
street, where she now lies, and pumped
water into her all day, but the coal con-
tinued to burn. When the tide rose in
the evening, however, she filled with
water and sank, and when an effort was
made to pump her out afterward
she broke in two and has lain there
ever since. Most Of her machinery
and portions of her hull have since been
removed, and her old whistle is now being
used on the little steamer Bessie. Only q
few days ago the board of public works
was applied to for permit to blast the re-
mains of her old hull.
The Mississippi was the sixth northern
coast steamer destroyed within space of
five months, four of them having been
burned and two wrecked on the rocks.
Over 100 lives were lost in these six disas-
ters