Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-19
RIVER DISASTER.
High Water at Cincinnati Causes a
Wreck.
A STEAMBOAT STRIKES THE BRIDGE.
Two of the Passengers Kuled-Other Cas-
uaItIes Unknown-A Grave BOatman
Rescues Many-The Accident
at Night.

CINCINNATI, Feb. 1S.-About 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 thirty-five passengers and crew OF
fifty to sixty men.
The river was high and the wind
strong, and, as the steamer approached
the Chesapeake & 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 was soon changed to terror, as
they saw the boat apparently at the
mercy of the wind and current.
In a 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,
10 his horror, he saw her strike about
the wheel house on the Kentucky side
of the pier. She cluGg 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 off six women and
seven men, following the floating vessel
as she left the pier and fioated down the
angry river. He says that he saw some
of the crew swimming ashore. He saw
two on a 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 hull 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. 1t is said they were
remarkably brave during their season
of peril, and with few exceptions the
women were more courageous than the
men, even when death seemed certain.
Mrs. Mclean, of Pittsburgh, was in
stantIy 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
a 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 a tally of the living and the
missing.
D. H. Key, wife and daughter, of
Cleveland, were saved by Mr.. Pickett.
Mr.. Key offered SO to his rescuer, not
knowing who he was, and was surprised
[ to hear his offer refused.
Among the saved are Pres Ellison,
second clerk, and his sister; Mrs. Will
lard and daughter, of Columbus, o.,
( and Mrs. Corners, of Columbus, o.
Anthony Davis and Isham Reynolds,
colored deck hands, got ashore in
yawl.
The Sherlock was eighteen years old,
valued at 5000 and insured for S12,-
1000. 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