Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-14
SAD RIVER DISASTER.

Ohio River-Collided with n Cincinnati
Bridge-Twelve Lives Supposed to Have
Been Lost and Several Persons Injured
The Boat Crushed Like an EgssheH.
CINCINNATI, March e.-The Cincin-
natl. Memphis and New Orleans
steamer Longfellow, carrying thirty
passengers and crew of forty per-
sons, struck pier of the bridge OF the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad here yes
terday morning and sank in Ga few
minutes.
The following persons are reported
drowned or missing:
A. j. Aull, Dayton, o.
Mrs. W. J. Aull, Dayton, o.
David Aldridge, Rome, n. Y.
Capt. John L. Carter, chief clerk OF
steamer, Newport, KY.
Gus Chauvet, barkeeper, New Or
leans.
Mike Russell, deck hand, Cincin-
natl
Tom Reardon, deck hand, Cincin-
natl.
Unknown invalid young lady, New
York city.
DR.. Anderson. female physician, New
York city.
Jim Miller, deck hand, Cincinnati.
johnson, barber on steamer, New
Orleans.
- Walker, servant in texas, resi-
dence unknown.
Shortly after o'clock the steamer
Longfellow pulled away from the
wharf at the foot of Main street and
started on her voyage to New Orleans.
The boat was slated to leave at 5
o'clock Wednesday evening. She was
held after that time to allow additional
freight to be loaded. A heavy fog
came up and it was decided to wait un-
til the fog lifted, as it a dangerous
undertaking to run the bridges in
heavy weather. In fact, the pilots al
ways breathe relief after they have
passed the bridges when the atmos-
phere is clear.
At o'clock, the fog having risen
sufficiently. Capt. John Kirker decided
to start. The towboat Hercules Car
roll, which was alongside all night,
was signaled to be in readiness to help
the Longfellow through the bridges.
About $50 the boats started. Owing
to her length, it took some little time
for the Longfeilow to turn and get her
head down stream. At a few minutes
before the boat was in position to
move down stream.
The Carroll was on the left or port
side of the Longfellow. The boats
passed under the suspension bridge in
good shape. Immediately after this,
however, she began behaving badly.
A cross current seemed to strike, and
swung her bow around toward the
Kentucky shore.
Efforts were made to right her SO
that she would pass between the piers
of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad
bridge, forming the span on the Ken
lucky side. The swift current of the
river carried her along rapidly. Those
on the boat could see that it would be
impossible to 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 to
the deck.
While some of the passengers were
still in their cabins, the crash came.
The boat struck the pier with her star
board, or right side, just behind the
boilers. The crash was an awful one,
and for brief space the air was filed
with flying timbers, glass and iron
work.
Those on board the boat, many OF
whom were in their night clothes.
were hurried to the Carroll, which was
still alongside. CONSERVATION reigned.
There were piercing cries and terrible
e: yo6
passengers hurried around in search of
friends and relatives the moment they
touched the deck of the Carroll.
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 struck
there was loud crash, and the boat
parted amidships. The bow went down
into the river first, disappearing COM
pletely, and the stern followed. Some
of the upper works fioated down the
stream, and the wrecked hull came
slowly up and also fioated away.
Some four or five men were on the
floating cabin, and these were taken
off Immediately by the crew Of the
Hercules Carroll. A number of small
boats put out from the shore and
picked up persons who had jumped
into the river. Five minutes after the
boat struck there was nothing left but
a lot of floating wreckage to show
that there had ever been such boat
as the Longfellow.
Everything on board the boat in the
way of registers, papers. valuabl
cargo, ETC., went down with her. The
passengers succeeded in saving but
few of their belongings. The passen-
ger register was lost.
The cause of the accident can be at
tributed to the boat refusing to obey
her rudder when she struck the strong
current just below the suspension
bridge.