Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-02-01
Ohio RIVER WRECK.
The Steamer State Of Missouri
Struck on a Rock.
THE PASSENGERS SAVED.
The Catastrophe Happened near
Alton, Ind.-Members or the
Crew Reach LOuiSVIlle--
Thrilling Tales OF
the Survivors.


the Survivors.
The big New Orleans packet the State OF
Mi souri,. struck rock on the Indiana sioe
of the Ohio River near Alton Ind, and went
down In fifty feet Of water.
She gave heavy luroh forward and sank
rapidly. Four passengers on the city OF
Owensboro were picked up on the Kentucky
shore They swan for life on panks and
reached tho willows. One reached the shore
and others remained in tree many hours
until rescued. They were W. G. Leathers'
from Hopkins county, Ky, and man man,
ed Gregory, of Cave-in-Rock, III. The names
OF the other two could not be learned. Those
passengers report that the boat struck rock
near the stern and gave a sudden lurch for
ward.
A yawl was launched, but so many people
crowded into it, 0ghing for life, that 1t was
soon sunk. As the boat urched again a
second yawl was put or from the sinking
boat in which four women and some oil the
cabin passengers managed to get places.
Leathers never swan before but was able to
keep anoat until he reached the willows. He
saws four men drowned near him, but was
powerless to act. One chambermaid was
picked up by boat from farmhouse near
by and several rescued were picked up
further on and taken to Louisville by the
steamer Tell City. One yawl thai was upset
full of
and children. and all are thought to be lost.
There we're Is cabin and 80 deck passen-
gers and crew OF 60 on board. The surviv'
Ing passengers think that at least 95 were
lost. The cabin and upper works OF the
boat foated away. The City of Owensboro
rescued part OF the freight from the cabin
deck. In less than ten minutes from the time
tAe beast struck she had gone down.
At Rockport and Owensboro as we'll as at
all intermediate points, the bank is lined
with skiffs picking up pieces OF furniture and
Watching for dead bodies, but the current is
too swift for small craft to get far from
shore. No names OF those drowned can be
| learned
THINKS THIRTY FIVE WERE DROWNED.
Mr.. Leathers thinks that at least 95 people
! were drowned. He saw four men go under
within five feet OF him, but the current was
90 swift he could render no assistance.
Mr.. Leathers says there were Is cabin pas
seneers. 30 deck passengers and a crew OF 60
! on board.
The steamer Tell City, boand for Louis
Vile took most OF the survivors to Louis
vile
The current running at TIE time was at
least ten miles per hour. The normal is
about four miles.
Alton. Ind. where the wreck occurred, is
80 miles from telegraph station, with al
! most impossible roads.
! The latest Information obtainable is to the
effect that the only persons lost were rousta-
bouts. The number Is not believed to lie
over five.
The boat and cargo will be total loss.
she was valued at 100000 Her cabin ca.
pacity was so rooms and she had lreigh'
capacity Of ,O0o tons.
The boat was running about 20 miles an
oour. and on account of the swift current she
got away from the pilots control as she was
rounding Bullock's Point. She crashed into
the rocks and soon went to pieces
The officers of the Memphis, New Orleans
and Cincinnati Packet Line still maintain
that the lives OF no passengers we're lost in
the sinking Of the STATE Of Missouri. They
are not so sure about the crew. The pilots
were jim and Jim Pell, father and son cap
tain. ]. Colon first mate, Henry Adams :
second mate Amos James, colored.
SAYS NO LIVES WERE LOST.
CINCINNATI, O.-Commodore Laidley and
Captain Wi e. officers OF the Cincinnati
Memphis and New Orleans Packet Company,
that owned the State OF Missouri, insist thai
they hav, reports from their officers on the
wrecked steamer stating that the boat and
entire cergo are total loss, but they do no
believe any passengers were. lost. It is i'm
possible to get track of all who reached
either bank OF the river, but they report tha
tho officers are Of the opinion that all the
passengers will be accounted for.
One of the pilots telegraphed his family
that they had hard time getting to shore
hut that no lives were lost.