St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-30
A RIVER HOLOCAUST.
Score Of Lives Lost on a
Burned Mississippi River
Steamboat.
The Fatal Fire Believed to Be
the Work of Revengeful
RoustaboutS.
Passengers Awake From Sleep
to Battle for Life With
Fire and Water.
Forests in Flames Devastate
Large Areas Of Timber
and Farm Lands.

New ORLEANS, Oct. 29.-The steamer
Oliver Bierne, Thorwegan captain and
Entrlcken clerk, was burned to the
waters edge and sunk this morning
at 4 o'clock at Williken's Bend,
twenty miles from Vicksburg, on
the Louisiana side. The cargo con-
sisted of about 700 bales of cotton and
100 tons of freight. The boat and cargo
total loss. She had about eighty
deck and about twenty cabin passengers.
1t is difficult to ascertain the loss of
life, the several reports differing as to
the exact number. Conservatives state
twenty were lost.
The following are known to have
been among those who perished: Mrs.
Wadell, an elderly lady, of New Or
leans; Sam Entricken, son of the clerk;
two daughters of DR.. Worrell, of Baton
Rouge; chambermaid and daughter of
Mrs. Adams, of Omaha; the barber.
second cook and pantryman, five cabin
boys and two white levee laborers.
The passengers and crew lost nearly
everything they had in the way of
clothing and baggage, many leaving the
burning boat i'll their night clothes and
bare feet. 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 juming into
the river. He was severely burned.
The mate displayed his bravery by let
ting himself down by rope holding
little child by the clothing. The bodies
of the pantryman and baker, the
chambermaid aud her daughter have
been recovered. The crew and pas
sengers all left for Vicksburg
by the Sheffield this evening with
the exception of Mrs. Frazier and child,
Mrs. DR.. Worrell and E. Nj. Howell,
whose Injuries are too severe to permit
travelling just yet. After loading the
cotton she dropped down couple hun
dred yards and laid up for the night.
The tlre broke out after nearly every
one had retired for the night and
spread with such rapidity that the en-
gineer was unable to turn on the hose.
The crew, together with the passen-
gers who were awake. gave the alarm
to those who were asleep. A rush was
Immediately made for the forward part
of the boat and many got of in safety,
but that avenue of escape and
others were soon cut off, and the unfort-
innate passengers and crew were forced
to plunge into the water. The
crew of the boat displayed commenda-
BILE GOODNESS and every effort was made
to rescue those who had not reached the
shore. Some, however, were beyond
reach and were either burned to death
or sank beneath the waters.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 29.-The Bierne left
here with list of 100 deck passengers
and fifteen c.bin passengers. This list
was increased by additional passengers
taken on board at Cairo, Memphis an
other landings down the river.
Rousters' Revenge.
VICKsBURG, Miss, Oct. 29.-The
Bend landing at II o'clock last night
She had quite lot of cabin passengers
and something over 200 deckies, white
men, who were Ell route to various
levee works below Vicksburg 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 Ievee
men, paying them % cents per hour.
This enraged the negroes, VINO made
open threats against the mate and the
boat. At $50 this morning the cotton
in the deck room was discovered OIL fire.
and the entire boat was mass of flames
i'll short time.
The list of the lost as reported by
Capt. Thorwegen is as follows: Two
children of DIR. Worrell, of Banton
Rouge; Sam V. Entriken; the two
chamberm aids; daughter OF Mr..
Adams, of Omaha; five cabin boys;
nurse of Mrs. Frazier, of Natchez; Mrs.
Woolidge, of New Orleans, and num-
Der of deckies.
A skiff has just reached here from
Duckpor with the body of white lady
who was found clinging to bale of
cotton floating down the river about 10
o'clock this morning by a fisherman
named John Mason. The old lady was
alive when he found her, but speech
less. He took her in his skiff, where
she died few minutes later. Nothing
was found on her person 10 identify her.
The insurance value of the Bierne
was placed at SOL, though she was
Insured for only 1000. Total
loss of boat and cargo 100000. The
cotton was also insured.
The crew and passengers of the Oliver
Bierne arrived here at p. III. Capt.
Thorwegen says he was awakened by the
boats bell ringing the alarm. He Sprang
from his bed, and being prevented by
the flames from going aft, devoted his
attention TO arOusing the persons for
ward. There was little time for his
efforts, for within five minutes the boat
was wrapped i'll flames.