The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-02-21
RIVER DISASTER.
High Water at Cincinnati Causes a
Wreck.
A STEAMBOAT STRIKES THE BRIDGE.
Two of the Passengers IziiIed-Other Cas-
uRltIes Unknown--A Brave Boatman
Rescucs Many-The Accident
at Night.

CISCIyNATI, Feb. 1S.--A bout o'clock
last night the steamer Sherlock, of the
Cincinnati and New Orleans line, under
command OF Captain Mcintyre, backed
out from her wharf and started down
the river, She had aboard from thirty
to thirtyfivc passengers and u crew of
fifty to sixty men.
The river was high and the wind
stroug, and, rs the steamer approached
the Chesapeal:e q Ohio railroad bridge,
nearly all the passengers were on deck
to see how near the boats chimneys
would come to The bridge. Their Curl
osity WIS soon changed TO terror, as
they saw the boat apparently at the
mercy of the wiud and current.
In moment, with terrible crash in
the darkness, the boat struck the stone
pier of the bridge and was utterly help
less.
James Pickett. of the Kenton County
Boat Club, who was on the Kentucky
shore. saw the boat, instead OF going
toward the wide center span, move
toward the Kentucky span, where the
current is. 1t seemed To be unmanage-
able and was too close to the pier, and,
the wheel house on the Kentucky side
of the pier. She clung there for short
time and gave distress signals.
Pickett manned boats with what help
he could command and went TO the help
of the distressed passengers. He sue
ceeded in picking oil six women and
seven men, following the floating vessel
as she left the pier and floated down the
angry river. lie says that he saw some
of the crew swimming ashore. lie saw
two on raft of three boards, and he
thinks he saw many struggling in the
water
When the steamer reached the Fifth
street wharf, after narrowly missing
| Southern railroad bridge pier on the
way, the hnli sank, leaving the cabin
with the passengers afloat. Here some
of the people managed TO get ashore.
The harbor steamer Al Martin was
hastily sent after the floating cabin and
caught it at Riverside, several miles be-
low the city. AS many as were left
were hastily taken aboard and re-
| turned to the city. It is said they We're
remarkably brave during their season
of peril and with few exceptions the
women We're more courageous than the
men, even when death seemed certain.
Mrs. Mclean, of Pittsburgh, was in
stantly killed by falling freight at the
time of the collision.
It is now known certainly that Mrs.
Mclean, of Pittsburgh, and her grand
daughter, little Margery Brown. of
Pittsburgh, were the only ones of
twenty-one registered passengers lost.
OF the nine unregistered passengers.
whether all are saved is not known. 1t
is believed every one of the official crew
was saved.
In respect to the cabin and deck crew
there is painful uncertainty. Persons
are reported escaping to shore for quite
distance along the river in Covington.
Many believe several are lost The
rescued are SO scattered about on both
sides of the river that it is impossible
to make tally of the living and the
missing,
D. H. Key. wife and daughter of
Cleveland, were saved by Marr, Mr., Pickett.
Mr.. Key offered $40 TO his rescuer. MOI
knowing who he was, and was surprised
to hear his offer refused.
Among the saved are Pres Ellison,
second clerk, and his sister: Mrs. VIII
lard and daughter, of Columbus, o.,
and Mrs. Conners, of Columbus, o.
Anthony Davis and lsham REYNOLDS.
colored deck hands got ashore In q
yawl.
The Sherlock was eighteen years old,
valued at $4,000 and insured FOR SI2,-
900. She had 400 tons of freight, con-
sisting of nails, paper, bottled beer,
glassware and miscellaneous freight
There were 81 registered passengers
and not registered.