The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-09

the Longfellow's assistance, and the lat
ter's passengers were transferred to the
Carreirs deck. Hardly had the last one
saved landed on the uninjured steamer
when the Longfellow parted amidships
and disappeared in the muddy stream,
bow first.
The pilot house and some of the upper
works foated down stream and were
picked up late in the afternoon. All the
papers and records were lost, and nearly
everything in the way of the personal
property of the passengers and crew.
During the hasty transfer of the sur
vivors James Miller, a colored porter be-
came more frightened than the rest and
jumped. Just as he did so the boats came
together, and miscalculating the distance,
the unfortunate negro was caught be-
tween them and his body ground in two.
A moment later both portions of the man
fell into the river and disappeared.
The cause of the accident, as conceded
by all river men who knew the Longfel-
low, was the steamers refusal to obey
her rudder when she felt the strong cur
rent below the suspension bridge. When
the vessel struck the pier Capt. Kirker
was in command with Pilots Written and
Trimmed at the wheel.
On western rivers the register of pas
sengers is only kept on the vessel. None
of the office papers have been recovered,
but the officers of the boat feel assured
that they have accounted for all the crew
and passengers. Among the latter the
following have reported to the companys
office In this city.
Mrs. ". J. Colbert, wife of the second
clerk, and son: Mrs, Aldridge of Rome,
N y whose husband was lost; S. T.
Spinning and two sons of this city, Mrs.
Metcalf and Miss Fanny Metcalf of Wal
nut Hill, Miss Kir1er, daughter of Capt.
i
Cleveland, DIR. Mary Armstrong and Miss
Harrington of Jamestown N. Y; Mrs.
Skinner of Massillon, ]. S. Frank and
wife of Marysville Mo-; Mrs. Aurelia
Colt, George Colt, Miss Jennie Colt, Mrs.
Matte Boland and two children, all of
New Orleans.
When the force of the shock was felt
the colored roustabouts we're among the
first to realize the extent of the disaster
They made wild rush for the Hercules
Carroll, trampling passengers under foot
and throwing them aside in their rush
for safety. Several passengers resisted
such treatment, among them Z. D. Skid
more, a brother of Charles w. Skidmore,
a telegraph operator a the Grand Central
depot who was aboard the Longtellow
to see a party of friends off. Mr.. Skidmore
was in the lead of his party and when
roustabouts made their charge for the
Carroll, he realized that he must fight for
the lives of the ladies and his own. Catch
ing up a life preserver, he knocked one
of the negroes down, and helping his
friends aboard the Carroll. he returned to
the Longfellow to see if he could offer any
assistance to others. By doing SO he was
enabled to save two children and two
more ladies, after which there was only
time to save himself before the boat
sank.
Another passenger on his way to Mem
phis with four small children managed
to make his way through the crush and
save himself and little ones.
David Aldridge, the invalid. who was
drowned, was the superintendent of the
poor at Rome. N. Y. He probably met his
fate while going back to the Longfellow
after seeing his wife safely to the Car
| rell. He had left his overcoat and sat
chel in his stateroom and in going back
! for it got caught as the boat went down.
Mrs. Aldridge IS at present at the Palace
| hotel and also Mary Strong and Miss
Harrington, her patient. Mrs. Aldridge
is completely Frustrated over her hus-
bands death and is left without clothes
or money by the accident.