Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-21

rent that caused the immense boat to
trenb1e in every fiber, foot by foot,
yard by yard, she gained on her rival
The mass of faces at her stern could
be separated and almost counted with
the naked eye. Then the Prentiss
took a sudden squirt. and cheer from
her crowded decks showed that she
was increasing her lead.
The captain of the Queen ragged
round the pilot-house, and shook
his fist at the other boat.
'.What steam?'' he shouted down
through the pipe.
Hundred and eighty-and every
thing redhot and grooming. Dunno
how much more she'll bear
We've got to find outr' yelled back
the captain. 'sKeep the water buckets
ready to drown the furnace when
we've passed her by mile or so, and
crack on the steam. Pile it up, tell
your
Under the terrific impulse of head
| of steam which no man would have or
dered but a lunatic or the captain cd
Mississippi river steamer in race,
the Queen literally dashed at her rival.
The loss in distance was made up, was
doubled. The captain, leaning far out
in the effort to better observe the gain
of his boat, heard again the hoarse
| rnurmur of the tube from the engine
room.
What is it?''
''The pine is used up and the cypress
| don't burn WE'LL
There's hundred hams and
shoulders for'ard that belong to those
Baton Rouge passengers. Tell the
niggers to get 'em and chuck 'em in.
If the boat won't pay, 1 will"
Steadily the Queen pulled mp on the
Prentiss, her officers almost coming to
blows with some of the passengers in
| the effort to keep more of them amid
| ships. The leading boat was quivering
and vibrating and her pipes belched
| forth pail of smoke so black that it
needed not the smell that came from it
| to show that it came from burning
turpentine. The Queen drew on, and
from her bow the officers of the
Prentiss were seen driving some of the
people from her stern. Both captains
| frantically shouted for more steam.
| The bow of the pursuing boat was
past the stern of the other. Foot by
foot she gained. Her bow reached
! the paddle box. A prolonged, exultant
cheer arose from her decks. Yells OF
| defiance came from the Prentiss. Fists
were shaken over the rails. A Babel OF
| human voices arose.
But these and all other sounds were
swallowed by a roar that seemed to
shake the heavens, mingled with a ter
rife and prolonged rush of escaping
steam. The smoke pipes of the Queen
| tottered and fell with a crash on the
| deck forward; the steam flooded every
| thing to the bows; a bright glare shot up
amidships, and the poor rent, ruined
burning Queen drifted down with the
| current, her decks ringing with the ag-
onizing shrielzs of dozens of victims
while the river was black with Others
who 1eaped overheard.
The Prentiss was put about, and
every effort was made to save the pas
sengers and crew of her luckless rival.
| Her boats picked up many of the
wretches who struggled in the water
many more were drowned. Bodies
| were found floating miles below, the
next day; some with arms or legs bit
ten off by alligators. The Queer
grounded on point two miles down
from the place of the explosion. Many
| of those who were fortunate enough tc
be aft of the engine escaped to the
shore; others were burned alive as
| they lay mangled and scalded. Two
hundred and thirty-nine human beings
killed or dreadfully hurt was the price
| paid for the effort to determine which
| of these boats was the faster.