Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-10-30
STEAMER OLIVER BlERNE.
with . Cargo OF Cotton She IL Now .
Total Loss.

with . Cargo OF Cotton She IL Now .
Total Loss.
VIcKsDURG, Miss, Oct. 30. - The fns
steamer Oliver Bierne was laid up at Mill
ikens Bend landing at IL o'clock last
night. She had quite a lot OF cabin pas
sepgers and somethiaK over 200 deckies
white men, who were Ell route to various
levse works below Vicksburg. OF the
deckies she took on ninety-eght ut Green.
vile. At the landing seventy-fivs bales OF
cotton were taken ON. The mate had
some trouble with the roustsrs, many Of
them quitting work, after which the mate
hired the levee men, paying them % cents
per hour.
This cnraged the negroes, who made
open threats against the mate aud the
boat. At $3.50 yesterday morning. ths
cotton In the deckroom was discovered on
fire, and the boat was . mass Of flame in q
short tims. Every effort was made to
save the lives Of those on board, but IL y
feared the list Of lost will reach twenty o.
more. The yawl was lowered to pick up
those who jumped into the river The
boat had 70S bales of cotton on board. and
was lying at the landing where she
burned. waitir .ordaylght to cross a bar
near there. Tns passengers and crew who
the citizens Of Mi,liksn's Bend, who threw
open their doors to receive them.
A very old white lady was found cling
ing to bale Of cotton floating down the
river near Duckport, about l o'clock in
the morning. The old lady WAS alive but
speechless. She soon died. Nothing on
her person was found TO identify her. Her
arm was slightly burned. The bale was
burned to the waters edge. Boat and
cargo are . total loss. Besides the cotton
she carried 100 tons Of freight. The pas
sengers and crew lost nearly everything
they lad In the way of clothing and bag.
gage, many leaving the burning boat in
their nightclothss aud bare feet. There
were n number of narrow escapes.
Captain Thorwogan was the last to leave
the boat, having to slide down q guy rod
from the upper deck. Pilot Massie escaped
by passing through tho flames to the stern
of the boat and jumped into the river. He
was severely burned. The mate let him
self down by . rope. holding . little child
by the clothing. The bodies Of the pan.
tryman aud baker, chambermaid aud her
daughter have been recovered. The crew
and passengers all left for Vieksburg by
the steamer Cheffield, with the exception
of Mrs. Frazier and child, Mrs. DIR. Wor-
rell and f. NJ. Howell whose injuries are
too severe to permit their travelling just
yet. One report places the number Of
cabin passengers at twenty. When the
fire broke out nearly everyone had retired
for the night, and 1t spread with such
rapidity that the engineer was unable to
turn on tho hose. Five hundred bales Of
cotton on the landing narrowly escaped
burning from falling cinders.
The insurance value Of the boat was
placed at t6l, 900, though she was insured
for only A6,0OO Total loss of boat and
cargo 100000. The cotton was also in
sured.
The fire was discovered in the cotton in
the hole at $3.50 a. m, aud the flames
spread 80 rapidly that many Of the crew
and passengers had very narrow escapes.
The list OF those burned to death OF
dro owned now run up to thirteen.