The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-07-16
PEORIA'S DISASTER.
FIRST REPORTS CONFIRMED
BY LATER PARTICULARS,
OF THE TERRIBLE WRECK.
The Storm Burst on the Inflated Crafts
with Scarcely "a Sign of Warning
The Passengers Had Little OF no
Chance to ~Escape-Tho Cap
tain's Story of the Terrible
Mishap.

PEORIA, Ill, July 13.-The later par
ticulars of last nights cyclone disaster
on the lake fully confirms the first re-
ports.
So far as can be ascertained at this
writing twenty-five lives have been
lost.
The party on the Folsom was made
up of the better class OF people of
Pekin and Delavan. There were also
nine smaller pleasure boats out on the
river ut the time the storm came up.
Four are still missing.
Business Is practically suspended and
all classes stand about the streets in
little knots eager TO get the latest
stories of the survivors of the disaster.
The storm burst on the Inflated crafts
with scarcely a sign of warning. Above
the roar of the thunder the cries of the
passengers as they chung to spars,
guards and pieces of furniture could
plainly be heard while at each sue
ceeding fash of lightning the ship
wrecked could plainly be seen by the
thousands of people who lined the river
bank ave in the face Of the drenching
rain.
The storm was mor of q gust than
anything else. 1t blew up with rapid
ity little short of marvellous and as
quickly subsidized, and soon more than
a score of rowboats were slowly bring
ing passengers to shore. Patrol
wagons, ambulances and nearly the
entire police force were ordered out to
assist in caring for the rescued.
At the morgue in the lower end of
the city ever since there has been a
constant stream of humanity flowing
through the building, and a Gordon of
police is unable to keep the masses
away. Fathers, mothers and sisters
and other relatives were there in scores
Throughout the night and to-day.
The bodies recovered have been pre-
pared for interment and were laid out
side by side. most of them to be taken
to Pekin this afternoon. OF the nine,
all but one was identified. The official
list of the coroner shows the following
dead:
Rev. j. H. McMEEN of Benson. (He
got on at Pekin and was only coming to
the foot of Main street for a little boat
ride.)
Mrs. FRED FISHER.
Cora FISHER.
JOHN AHRKNDs of Pekin.
lar FLATH, Pekin.
Mrs. HENRY DUIspIEKER, Pekin.
Mas. w. G. WILLIS, Pekin.
Miss LILLE SHADE of S~helbyville, Ill.
From Pekin people it is next to inn
-@1as1l@ - ALlo ill., - Ia - |
missing on account of the confusion
prevailing, and it will likely be a
couple of days before the exact casual
ties will be known.
Little Chance to Escape.
boat tipped over, found almost no
smashed in and one woman pulled out.
She was breathing, but died in a few
seconds. Men and women were pulled
out half drowned and it is feared some
of them will die.
Immediately on the approach of the
storm it appears hat the m took
in the cabin, a small room with
closed doors and shut windows. When
the boat capsized they were in prison
with no means of egress, and those
on the outside knew there
was no hope for them.
The river will be dragged immedi-
ately. Officials are waiting for one of
the large Illinois river boats to arrive
and the Folsom will then be moved.
just before the storm struck the YES
sci the approaching danger caused
alarm among the passen-
gers. They crowded the decks and
anxiously awaited the coming of the
~-l-1 a. - Ill., -,--~ |
thrown together, many striking the
water before it was fully capsized.
As the volume of water rushed into
the cabins frantic efforts were made to
escape. One man clambered through a
window only to and in the lake out
side. Furniture was shifted about
and a number was injured by it, SO
that they were unable to make any
efforts to escape.
The storm abated somewhat as the
morning came on and the rescuing
parties were able to get to the over
turned hull. Graphing irons were
brought and the bodies of those in the
cabin were taken out as rapidly as
possible. OF the first eight recovered
Ave were those of ALI had
fed to the high side of the craft as it
careened and their faces were badly
burned. The flesh fell from their
faces and the features are indistin-
guishable.
When the storm struck the lake and
the river the water was cove red with
small row boats loaded with merry
makers. The fury of the gale dashed
the water into foam and as most of the
boatmen were inexperienced they lost
control of their boats, which were
driven along before the wind. Many
Of the boats filed with water and
were swamped, their occupants having
to take to the water and swim for the
shore. The women and children were
the greatest sufferers. People who
were on the shore rescued many of
these from watery graves. 1t is be-
lieved that not a few have persisted.
Captain Loesch, commander of the
steamer, said this afternoon that he
was trying to head the boat toward
shore when the wind caught and up
set ii. He was in the cabin and did what
he could for the passengers. He found
the life preservers and passed
them around. A man and
two women were struggling in the
water and he pulled them out. All
the others seemed to be safe and he
broke in a window of the cabin in the
hope of rescuing some one There was
a woman floating near the window.
He dragged her out and she was taken
to the shore. Her name was Miss
Shade. She seemed to be still breath
ing, but died before she could be got
ten into the house.
The boat was eighty-two feet in
length with sixteen foot beam and
three feet in depth. She was built in
Still water, Mimi, in 1886, and was in
spected by the government. There
were thirty-four passengers on board
and q crew Of six. She is almost @
total loss. The river for some distance
is strewn with wreckage.