The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-24

whose sense of danger is ever keen. A
MESSENGER Steamer, the James ID. Parker,
was about to shoot the rapids in the lndi-
ma channel Of the Ohio. When she let go
the lines which moored her to the wharf,
a crowd of friends of the passengers stand
ing on the dock and along the river bank
began to cheer and wave their handker-
chiefs in joy at the sight the vessel made
as she took the stream. The cheering died
away and silence settled upon the crowd
ms the steamer pulled up the river a dis
lance, stopped and turned, righting herself
gracefully for the plunge into the rapids.
The moment the steamer entered the
chute the lookouts in the station house
had a premonition that she was going
TO become unmanageable and gave the
alarm Instantly the lifeboats Reckless
and Ready were manned and started OIL
in the track of the steamer, the oarsmen
pulling with a will and the boats outrun-
ming the current. The lookouts on the
prows of each lifebuat with strained vi.
sion took note of everything that happened
to the steamer, as did also the now anX-
ious spectators on shore This was the
alarming sight before them: After keep
ing her course splendidly for few mo-
ments the steamer began to sheer and
wabble sidewise, and her bow gradually
disappeared altogether. Then she was seen
TO careen to starbourd Her smokestacks
toppled over, and cloud of steam arose
from her into the air like the vapor from an
explosion. Apparently she had gone down.
The Indiana channel at Louisville is
commonly called a falls, but is really
rapids created by submerged ridge Of
limestone rock extending Obliquely across
the river bed. The current has worn
chute in the rocks which mt high water
will admit the passage of vessels OF heavy
burden The fall of the river at that point
is about % feet for = miles, and the cur
rent runs about l2 mics an hour. 1t re-
uuires 80 feet of water in the channel for
heavy vessels to clear the rocks. The al
tentative of passing through this channel
is to 20 around through the Louisville and
Portland canal, which is always crowded
with coal hurges and nondescript river
craft. 1t was in order to escape the delay
Of the blocked canal shat the captain OF
the James u. Parker decided to make up a
days time lost in loading by shooting the
rapids, guided by the best pilots i'll the
harbor.
The experience of the crew and the pas
sengers aboard the boat was equally star
Ting with that of the spectators outside
The vessel was stern wheeler, and tn,
weight of her cargo was evidently great
est in front, so that on reaching the in
cline of the channel her wheel and rudder'
were lifted out of the water and could moi
get grip by which she could be managed
and steered She kept steering, and de
spite the efforts Of the pilot, who saw thu
danger ahead and tried to avoid it, sh
presently struck a reef. She straighteneC
for a moment and then went humping
against the rocks below until her bow wa
completely submerged,
Presently her stern was entirely knock
ed off on the rocks, and swinging out int
the channel she sank in about Is feet c
water The first warning to the passer
gers on board was a rapid succession {
bumps and fearful crash. Groups of ten
rified women and children rushed iron
the cabins up on deck. The roof wa
crushed in in places, and boxes and barrel
and bundles of merchandise tumbled Il
the decks below and rolled about among
the passengers. The wreck was almost in
Simultaneous, and to those outside she ap
peared to be simply n mass of crushed ant
splintered timbers, with boxes, merchan
disc, ships rigging and dismantled smoke
stacks living unfortunately on her bat
tered decks.
The vessel was leaning upon one side
and the floors were so steep it was necessa
ry for the passengers to use improvise'
ladders to climb from one deck to the 9th
err On the canted side the water rushe
into the cabins through broken doors an
windows. To add to the terror, a stove il
the saloon was overturned, and the wrec
took fire. \ sense of coming danger sick
ened every heart. Fortunately the steam
er crew put out the fire before it game
Roadway. 1t burst forth a second tim
and was again quenched.
The entire catastrophe took place insid
Of 10 minutes, and within that time tn
passengers had all been released from thei