The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1895-03-15
BOAT WRECKED.
The LOngiellOw Strikes a c. & 0.
Bridge Pier, Cincinnati.
The Vessel Breaks in Two and tn,
wreekage Floats Down the River.
II is Thought Eight or Moro Persons Per
ished In the Wreck Nearly An the Pas
sengers Werc Asleep When the Crash
Came-Ioss on Boat aud Cargo.

Z CINCINNATI, March 0-Shortly after
6 o'clock Friday morning the steamer
Longfellow, Of the Memphis & Clncin-
natl Packet Co, pulled away from the
wharf at the foot OF Main street and
started on long voyage % New Or
leans The towboat Hercules Carrel,
which was alongside all night, was
signaied TO be In readiness TO help the
Longfcllow through the bridges
About 6;30 the boats started. Owing
10 her length II took some liatle time
for the Longfellow 20 turn In order to
get her head down stream, Att few
minutes before the boat was In a
position 10 move down stream, The
earrel was on tho left or port side Of
the l4ongfcllow
The boats passed under the suspen.
sion bridge in good shape.
Immediately after this, however, the
Longfcllow began behaving badly. A
cross current seemed 10 strike her and
swing her bow around toward the Ken
lucky shore Every effort was made
TO right her so that she would pass be
tween the piers OF the Chesapeake &
Ohio railroad forming the span on the
Kentucky side
The swift current OF the river car
ried her along apidly Those on the
boat could see that it would be impos-
sible 10 avoid striking the pier The
alarm was sounded Immediately, and
the passengers some Of whom were
at breakfast, while others were still
In their berths. were hurried 10 the
deck
While some of the passengers were
still m thie;,iir ss.i,..n ik;s crash came. The
boat struck the pier with her starboard
or right side, just behind the boilers.
The crash was an awful one and for o
brief space the air was filed with fly.
ing timbcr,, glass and iron-work Those
on board the boat, many OF whom were
In their night clothes, were hurried
20 the Hercules CarreL which was still
alongside CONSERVATION rcigned.
There were piercing cries and terrible
| yclls Women tainted The frcnEied
passengers called for and hurried
around Ia search uf friends and rcln-
tiycs the moment they touched the
deck Of the Carrcl
In the meantime the immense Long
fellow was being driven harder against
the pier by the swift river
In less than FIVE minutes after she
struch there was loud, rcnding
crash and the boat parted amidship.
The PROV went down into tho river
FIRST, disappearing completely The
stern followed Some Of the upper
works hoated down the stream and
then the wrecked hull came slowly ur
and also 1oatcd away.
Some four or five men were on the
floating cabin. and these were taken
of Immediately by the crew Of the
| Hercules Carrcl A number Of small
boats put out from the shore aud
picked up persons who had jumped into
the river Five minutes af er the boat
struck there was nothing left but loi
Of floating wrcekagc 70 show that
there had ever been such q boat as The
Longfcllow
l Everything on board the boat in tn,
way OF registers, papers yaluablcs
cargo, etc went down with her. The
passengers succeed in saving but few
Of their belongings
The passenger register was lost and
so It is impossible to know how many
passengers are missing. II is believed
that the loss OF life will not be NOR,
than ten, and may be less. OF th,
passengers only one is reported miss
Ing 50 far He is Mr. Aldrich, o
Cleveland, who Ia company with hi
wife, had engaged round trip pas
sage to New Orleans lie was las
seen moving along under the stag,
plank, which fell moment later an,
is believed TO have crushed him,
Capt J. Lawrence Carter the frs
clerk of the boat is also missing. III
was the last man seen on the deck
When the boat struck he was still II
his berth 1t is possible that he sue
cccdcd in getting onto piece Of float
ing wrcelSage and was carried dow
the river. The hope, however is a fain
one.
Two white roustabouts, one Of WHOM
is Michael Russell, resident of tn
east end, are believed to have bee
drowned.
A colorcd porter known ms BILLY
tried TO jump from the Longfellow t
the CarreL lie miscalcula,ed the dis
tance and fell between the boats jus
as they were coming tos s.hcr. He wa
crushed TO death and the body fell int
the river and disappeared.
The second mate Of the boat, who's
? name was not known, and two fir
: men are also reported missing, Th
: barkeeper, Gus Charwet, Frenchmar
r is also reported missing, and is b.
r licved to have gone down with Il
v boat. Several other persons have NJ
been accounted for, but II is thougl
}. that they were saved by the sever
n slSifrs which put out from and returnC
Z TO the kentucky shore.
IS The cause OF the accident can be q
s. tributcd to the boat refusing TO OBJ
& her ruddcr when she struck the stror
current, just below the suspense
IS bridge
m The tugs Hercules, Carrcl, Al. Ma
le tin and Alex Montgomery have go
re down the river to gather mp any p'
sengers who may have foated doy
ID and also TO capture any floating wrec
OF age.
lis The Longfellow struck the K'
ot tuclsy pier of the channel span of
q bridge This is the same pier whi
damaged the Longfellow ON her Il
a. trip to New Orleans, about the midi
OF of January The Thomas Sherlo
on foundcrcd on the same pier seye
ar, years ago,
as The Longfcllow was valued Mt SEE,
and insured for $4,000, AT the pr
m. ent stage Of the river II would be
70. possible TO save any Of the cargo,
Ia effort will be made as soon as the wa
10 rccedcs.
M. The cabin Of the boat, surmouutcd
al. tho texas aud pilot-house, was eau
mo by tic tugs Alice L. Barr and j..
Mcdonnell and landed opposite
lom's station ON the Kentucky s
10y 10y The Al. Martin caught the hull n
~ Culiom's and landed II near Andcrs'
Ivy NV Ferry, about eight miles below
Al.