Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-01-26
WRECKED ON A ROCK,

~sio S'eainer state OF Missouri Goes To
fieces, Consigning Her Living FreiGhs
70 the Engulfing Waves--At Least Thirty
rvePersons Drowned-A Life-and-Death
struggle for Seats In the Boats.
owENsBoRo, Ky, Jan. 21.-Bricf and
Tagmentary details of the destruction
OF the big passenger steamer State of
missouri, Saturday evening at o'clock,
AZ Alton, Ind, 100 miles above here,
nave been received. She struck rock
and sank in fifty feet of water
The reports say that at least thirty
seven PERSONS were drowned, but no
names are given.
The State of Missouri is very large
sternwheeler plying between Cincin-
natl and New Orleans. She had on
board fairly large cargo of freight
and twenty-five passengers besides a
crew OF seventy.eight.
AT Alton the river narrows and the
water being high, an extremely swift
current results. This threw the stern
OF the boat in toward the Indiana
shore. Before the pilot could regain
control of the boat, she hit Il rock,
tearing long hole in the hull at the
water line.
The shock was terrific, and the boat
trembled from bow to stern. Conster-
nation seized upon the passengers,
and in moment they were frantic.
Without regard to consequences they
rushed to the upper decks, in the hope
OF delaying the inevitable, as the boat
was RAPIDLY sinking. Women and
children were trampled upon, but it is
believed all got out of the cabin.
Then the scramble for seats in the
yawls began. 1t was fight for life,
in which many combatants are be-
lieved to have gone to their death.
The first yawl launched was sunl,
within twenty feet of where it struck
the water. 1t is believed everyone in
1t was drowned in sight of the af-
frighted people huddled together on
the sinking steamer.
A second yawl was then pushed off.
1t contained four women. This is be-
llCNcu W HuNc TedCllcu AllDTc.
just when there seemed some hope
that by means of this yawl the pas
sengers could be saved, the steamer
gave another terrific lurch and liter
ally broke into pieces, and in ten min.
utes from the moment the rock was
struck nothing but the hull remained.
The cabin, texas and pilot house
tloated away, dragging down the into
the water every one upon it.
The lighter freight was washed from
the main deck and on this the men,
women and children clung as best
they, could, many, however, only to fall
succeeded by this means in getting
into the willows and trees, and were
rescued by farmers and passing steam
erS.
On the City of Owensboro which
passed here last night were four of the
passengers who had been rescued from
the trees. Two of them were W. c.
Leathers, of Hopkins county, KY, and
AhI' pItSOIy, VI tfc-ili' NUN, iAi
The names Of the othef two could moi
be learned.
Mr.. Leathers thinks at least thirty.
five people were drowned. He saw
four men 60 under within five feet OF
him, but the current was so swift he
could render no assistance. Mr.. Leath
| ers says there were fifteen cabin pas
sengers, seven deck passengers and
crew of seventy-two on board.
Tie steamer Tell City, bound fol
Louisville, hove in sight early yester-
day morning, and took most of the
survivors to Louisville.
The terrific current running at time
can be partly appreciated by the fact
that the wrcclage began passing here
early yesterday, which would indicate
at least ten miles an hour The
normal is about four miles.
Alton, Ind, where the wreck oc
CURED is thirty miles from telegraph
station with almost impossible roads