The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-10
SEARCHING FOR DEAD
BODIES OF THREE VICTIMS OF THE
STEAMER WRECK RECOVERED.
Pilot of the LongfeITow Indirectly
Criticised by Army Engineer
Views of River Men.

CINCINNATI, March 9-This has been a
day of suspense among the relatives and
friends of the victims of the Longfellow
wreck. Searching parties have gone down
the river looking among the willows for
traces of the missing. The officers of the
packet company have been Jealous in their
efforts TO find the drowned bodies, and were
rewarded in the afternoon by finding the
body of the veteran clerk of the Longfellow,
Capt. j. L. Carter, in part of the wreck
that had been caught and tied to shore near
Riverside. The aged clerk was pinned to
the boiler deck by a portion of the cabin
deck which had fallen on him. His features
We're lifelike and his body was not mutt
lated
The list of ascertained casualties does not
differ from that sent last midnight from
this office The third body of those reported
missing and certainly lost has been re-
covered since dark tonight at the wreck
at Riverside. 1t is supposed to be the body
of w. j. Ault, of Dayton. This leaves yet
uncovered the bodies of Augustus Chauvel,
the bartender, of New Orleans, and James
Miller, the porter, of Cincinnati. Divers are
working at the wreck assiduously. Captain
WISE of the New Orleans Transportation
Company, to which the Longfeflow belonged.
says very emphaticaIly that he feels sure
that there were not more than six lives lost
There are reports of deck hands and roust-
=,
awake at the time of the accident, and they
are always prompteSt to escape. However,
they had just shipped and no list or tnelr
SengsrS are accounted for either as saved
or lost by name among the dead or missing.
The wreckage of the Longfellow is scat
tered for a distance of twenty-five miles
down the river, and everywhere the skis
of wreckers are busy towing floating cases
to shore, where they are Immediately rifed.
Pirate Skiffs are lowering around the hull
waiting for pieces of freight to be detached
possible to save what can be saved OF the
cargo. A half dozen or more trunks or
passengers have already been secured,
cause of the accident. The Longfellow on
her last previous trip down the river rubbed
against that same Pie Pier niot Of
the Longfellow. Said one of them
to-day: This pier stands directly in the
terrific suction toward the Kentucky shore,
and also creates cross-currents that must
imperil any steamer 1t is dangerous at an an
weather towboats have to double trip
past it in order to get their lows safely
down. 1t is the most dangerous bridge on
the Ohio river-far worse than the dreaded
Parkersburg 5ridge-and is menace and
Lieut.. Col Amos Stickney, of the United
States Engineers, takes an opposite view.
He said to-day that he failed to see why
any pilot that understood his business could
not take boat safely between these piers,
which are 525 feet apart, and through which
great coal fleets pass safely. he says re-
port of the currents at varying stages of
the river made when the bridge was
built and this report was acceptable to
pilots. Besides. he says that while the Ken
lucky pier is in the channel, so, Also is the
Ohio pier, 525 feet away. He says the cur
rent at that point sets toward the Ken
lucky shore The supervising inspectors
will give the matter a thorough investiga-
ton very soon.
Tonight searchers in the wreck of the
Longfellow near Ludlow, Ky, brought out
the body of James Miller, colored porter.
This makes three Of the six bodies re-
covered.