The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-04


frs. information OF the frs, river disas.
ter for several years on the upper Ohio.
As the boat is in tho Pittsburgh and
Cincinnati trade. and her officers being
well known here. the news OF the even.
was received with as much interes. as
though it had happened in or near
Wheeling.
Last evenings Ohio River railroad
train brought Clerk Mccullough. PHO.
Forsell and fifteen or twenty cabin pas
sengers OF the ill-iated steamer, and
from these the following Interesting
story of the burning OF the peerless
Iron Queen is obtained:
The boa. lett Pomsroy at 3 o'clock
yesterday morning with everything in
good shape. At Racine, nine miles
above, quantity OF excelsior was taken
on board, Tor East Liverpool, and was
stored on the boiler deck just ahead OF
the engine room. Two miles above Ra-
cine, on the Ohio side, OF the river is To-
Gated the little village Of, Antiquity.
The Queen landed for the purpose
OF taking Oh large consignment OF
hoop.poles, and while there breakfa,,
was served and all OF the thirty odd pas
sengers were Up. When the boat pu,
in At Antiquity the electric lights tina.
lighted up the lower deck where the
freight was being stored were turned
OF, as is the usual custom on the boa,
soon after daylight Just over the bales
OF excelsior an oil lamp was lighted.
THE CRY OF FIRE"
It va, just a few minutes after S
o'clock when the dread cry OF "irs" was
heard on the lower deck. A deckhand
in depositing bundle OF hoop-poles
had knocked over the lamp which ex.
ploded and within a minute fierce f.e
was feeding on the inhamable bales OF
excelsior. Mates Knowles and Snriyer
at once put force OF men at work get
ting out the fire hose and putting the
pumps at work. This occupied posi-
bly, one minute and in that time the
blaze, famed by q strong wind that was
blowing upstream, had secured such
hold Oh the boiler deck that. although
almost superhuman efforts were made,
. it had got beyond control and the cry
went up that the boat was doomed. Tho
firemen abandoned their apparatus and
the effort, OF everybody was concentrat-
cd on the saving of life.
Had the fire happened an hour earlier,
when majority of the passengers were
in their staterooms. there would surely
have been loss OF life. so incredibly ias:
did the FIRE take hold OF the entire fabric
OF the boat. Happily, every passenger
with but one exception was on tho for.
ward part OF tho boat and they had bu.
to atop across tho stage on shore. The
exception was an old lady from Middle.
poet. Mrs. Lowell. who was going to
Pittsburgh. Clerk Mccullough, who
had devoted himself entirely to saving
the passengers, heard Mrs. Lowell cry
out from the ladies' cabin and fastened
there TO assist hor out. She had
become 80 frightened at tho smoke
that was fast filling every portion
OF the boats interior that she was in.
capable OF assisting herself out OF the
way OF danger. Mccullough took her
in his arms and soon had her in tho
forward portion OF tho cabin. Here,
however, she insisted on going back
after her satchc!. With reluctance, for
the situation wal becoming moro
dangerous every second, the clerk con.
ductod her back to hor stateroom, but
the smoke was 40 thick that Mrs. Lowell
had to DO again carried out