Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-11-05
BURNED ON THE MISSISSIPPI.


The Fine Steamer Oliver Bierne De-
stroyed by Fire at Milliken's Bend, La
Twelve Lives known to Hs - Been Lost.
and the List May lie Increased-A Num-
Der of Narrow Escapes-Deeds of He
| roes.
| VICKsBURG, Miss, Oct. 29.-The fine
steamer Oliver Beirne laid up at Mil
iken's Bend landing at ~ o'clock last
night She had quite lot of cabin
passengers and something over 200
deckers, white men, who we're en- route
to various levee works below Vicks-
burg. Of the deckers she took ninety
eight at Greenville. At the landing
were about seventy-five bales of
cotton to take on. The mate had
| some trouble with the rousters,
many of them quitting work, after
which the mate hired the 1evee men,
| paying them % cents an hour. This
enraged the negroes, who made open
threats against the mate and the boat
At $3.50 this morning the cotton in the
deck room was discovered on fire,
and the entire boat was a mass of
flames in a short time. Late investiga-
ton shows that the fire broke out
amidship, and was undoubtedly caused
| by the carelessness of some smoker
among the deck crew or deck passen-
gers The boat was crowded
with levee laborers, most of
whom ran forward and got ashore,
but the majority leaped overheard.
Many of these were unquestionably
lost The boat burned to the waters
| edge and sunk. The books and every
thing on board were destroyed. and it
/ I2 Iyrrl hi Ia 70 licf of
| gers There were about twenty-five
persons in the ca bin and 100 on deck.
The river was full of floating people
and blazing bales of cotton. When
| the flames broke out less than
i half a dozen persons were awake.
and the survivors were awakened
| from their sleep by volumes of flame
and suffocating smoke. Some of them
| hardly knew what had occurred when
| they found themselves struggling in the
| river. Pilot Stricken was sleeping in
| the texas, and was so suffocated as to
be helpless. He owes his safety to Pilot
Burbank, who seized him and dragged
| him to the guards of the boat when he
| jumped overheard.
| Messrs. Adams and Howell, of Omaha,
| were on board going south to spend the
supposed to have persisted. The latter
is badly burned.
| Mrs. DR.. Worley, of Baton Rouge,
| lost two little girls and is herself badly
injured. Her condition is considered
| very critical.
| Mrs. Frazer, of Natchez, is also at
Milliken's Bend with her infant, who is
| seriously, if not fatally, hurt by fall
from the deck to the lower deck, and
| can't be moved. The child's nurse is
lost.
First Clerk V. G. Entricken endured
the supreme agony of seeing his eldest
son, Sam V. Entricken, a boy of II,
drown. The heroic boys last words
were: Never mind me, papa; save
mother" 1t was impossible to aid him.
Heroes are never wanting on such oc-
casions, and this furnished at least two.
Mr.. Entricken, his wife and two chill
iren had reached the shore, when they
discovered that the youngest child
mere infant, was still in the cabin.
Mate Jim Cassidy declared he would
save it or go down with the boat.
and accordingly rushed into the
burning .cabin. He found the child
unhurt, and wrapping it in the bed
clothes, made his way the lower deck
by sliding down the guy ropes. burning
his hands fearfully in the descent. Here
he took the precious bundle in his teeth,
and swimming ashore bore it to it's
parents unhurt. Among the missing
passengers is sandy-haired man, aged
about 40 years, who got on the boat at
Greenville.
Every effort was made to save the
lives of those on board. but it is feared
the list of lost will reach twelve or
more. The yawl was lowered to pick
up those who could be reached in the
river 1t was about the only hope of
saving the many who We're compelled
to Jump into the river. The passengers
lost everything. The passengers and
crew who were sayed were shown every
kindness by the citizens of Millikens
Bend, who threw open their doors to
receive them. The list of the lost, as
reported by Capt. Thorwegen. in tele-
gram received at p. NJ, is as follows:
Two children of Dr. Worrell of Baton
Rouge.
Sam V. Entricl1en.
The two chambermaids.
A daughter of Mr.. Adams. of Omaha.
A nurse of Mrs. Frazier, of Natchez
Mrs. Woolidge, of New Orleans.
Mrs. NJ. E. Waddell, of ST. Louis.
A number of declzers
The barber, second cook and pantry
man, five cabin boys and two white
levee laborerS.
A skiff has just reached here from
Duckport with the body of very old |
white lady who wa1 found clinging to !
a bale of cotton floating down the river
about 10 o'clock this morning by fish
erman named John Mason. The old |
lady was alive when he found her, but |
speechless He took her in his skiff, |
where she died a few minutes after. |
She was identified as Mrs. NJ E. Wad- |
dell, a wealthy resident of st. Louis. |
She was 50 years old.
There were quite number of narrow
escapes. Capt. Thorwegan was the last |
to leave the boat, having to slide down
guy-rod from the upper deck. Pilot
Massie made his escape by passing
through the flames to the stern of the
boat and jumping into the river. He
was severely burned. The mate dis
played his bravery by letting himself
down by rope, holding little child.
The bodies of the pantrymen and
baker, cham bermaid and her daughter
have been recovered.
The crew and passengers all left for
Vicksburg by steamer Sheffield this
evening, with the exception of Mrs.
Frazier and child Mrs DR. Worrell and |