The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-30

CAu56 CT INC Elk pI- SlOA Ou08p1dlA0O-
The Captain and Engineers stories
of the Disaster.
The steamer Far mer, of the Georgia and
Florida Inland Steamboat Company, on
her return trip to Savannah from Fernan-
dina, via Brunswick, night before last blew
hole in her boiler, and three negro deck
hands and negro fireman jumped over
board and were drowned.
The steamer was about a mile from Do
boy, between Darien and Doboy, when the
accident occurred, and was about to blow
her whistle as signal to prepare for land
ing.
THE LOST. -
The names Of the lost are: g9
JEFF MILLS, deck hand. I'd
WILLIAM ANDERSON, deck hand.
STEPHEN HARRIS, deck hand.
JACK WATSON, fireman.
f. Bars, q white passenger, and Abe
Brsbee, colored deck hand, were rescued
by the Farmers boat and were got aboard
all right
The Farmer was towed to Savannah yes
terday morning.
Capt. w. G. White, who was in command
Of the Farmer, said that the crew was be-
low at supper at the time of the &C
slowed down while nearing Doboy. It
was quite dark. the moon not having risen.
There was hardly any noise on board when
all of sudden q dull rushing sound was
heard by those on the upper deck, coming
from the boiler room, followed almost inn
mediately by the cry from below of Men
overheard
SEARCHING FOR THE LOST MEN.
The steamer was brought up and the boat
lowered, which occupied about two min
utes' time. The boat was manned by John
Dennison, an old and experienced sailor,
who was acting mate, and the pilot, Rich
ard Robinson. They searched the locality
for some time and found Bars in an ex-
hausted condition, struggling in the
water and chilled from the
cold. He was hauled into
the boat. Brisbee was found standing in
the mud of the marsh where he had swan,
and was taken in the boat, which returned
to the Farmer and the rescued men were
put aboard. The boat then resumed the
search, but failed TO find any trace of the
others who are missing from the steamer.
In the meantime Capt. White had all
hands called forward, and it was found that
four deck hands and the fireman were still
missing. The marsh was about $50 feet
away and the men, if they had been able to
swim, could have easily reached it, but it is
hardly probable that they did, as they
would have heard the hailing of the
searching party and those on the steamer,
as she remained about the spot fully an
hour and half after the accident. The
tug Jacob Paulsen was hailed by the cap
tain, and was asked to tow the steamer to
Savannah, which she did, arriving here
about o'clock yesterday morning. The
Paulsen was on her return from Darieu,
where she had lowed the schooner Jonathan
May.
HOLE IN THE PORT BOILER.
Capt. White says that on examination he
found a hole about foot square blown in
the lower part of the steamers port boiler,
the escaping steam and water making the
rushing sound which was heard on the
upper deck, no other noise having been
heard by any one above. The deck hands
we're eating their supper on the lower deck
near the engines, and when the noise
made by the escaping steam reached them
they became panic-stricken aud rushed to
the guards on the starboard side of the
steamer, carrying Bars and Watson, the
lost fireman, with them in their rush to get
overheard.
While in the wcter Bars had terrible
struggle with one of the frightened deck
hands to loosen the latter's hold of him,
which quite exhausted him. He believes
the negroes succumbed to the cold and were
drowned. Bars was taken on at Bruins
wick through the kindness of Capt White
IN giving him free passage to Savannah,
he being in quest of work.
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
Engineer Thomas Walton said that he
was standing about midway between the
port boiler aud the starboard engine, within
few feet OF the boiler, when the hole was
blown in it, and for several seconds. from
tina macmillan nniSa If
tube had burst and was leaking, which
often occurs. In a few seconds he was
enveloped 10 a cloud of steam, the
water flying all over the deck
and into the fire, scattering it in every d.
rection, and increasing the cloud of vapor.
The negro dec&hands who were sitting
around on the barrels of rosin made rush
to the guards at the first noise, which pre-
ceded the escaping steam, and went over
board, carrying with them Bars and
Watson, who were standing within a few
feet OF the boiler on the starboard side.
SEIZED WITH PANIC.
Had the frightened meu kept their places
without becoming panc-stricken not one
would have been injured. While the
engineer was enveloped in the vepor he was
not even scalded on any part OF the body.
The fire was blown out among the cotton,
and he Immediately turned his attention to
the cargo, about fifty bales Of which
were forward. Some OF the cotton was
Searched before the hose could be got out
and water turned on, but the fire was put
out before much damage was done. The
cargo, however, was covered with dust and
dirt raised from the decks by the rushing
steam.
The engineer said the hole was blown In
the second sheet OF the boiler, about four
feet from the forward end and half way I'D
between the bottom and water line, and
was about foot square, possibly q little
larger. The water was about twelve inches
on the top of tubes, as shown by the glass
gauge above the three other gauges. The
boiler was carrying seventy pounds pres
sure of steam, which is not near what is
usually carried.
THE EXPLOSION UNEXPLAINED.
A short while before the accident the
boiler had ninety pounds Of pressure. The
engineer knew of no reason for the ex-
plosion except that where the break oc-
CURED the plate bore the appearance of
having crystallized, as it did not appear to
be thin at that point. The boilers were in
spected last May in the Charleston district
and were apparently in fine condition. The
engineer was allowed to carry ITO pounds
pressure, aud when the accident occurred
she was net carrying within forty pounds
of the limit.
Nothing is known of the lost deck hands