Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-22
DISASTER ON THE OHIO.
A Steamboat Sinks and n Number OF Lives
Are Thought Lost.

The Cincinnati-New Orleans steamboat,
the state OF Missouri. was sunk in the
ohio river at Crow creek. near Alton,
Ind, at $50 o'clock Saturday evening. and
| IL is thought that five or more lives were
lost just after the packet had passed
Alton, Ind, the boat struck a rock, and
In ten minutes had gone down in seventy
feet OF water
The crash was OF such force that the
boat was almost broken In two. The
pilot-house and texas were thrown into
the river, but Pilot Hawkins saved his
lite by swimming 10 the shore, which
was only about nfty yards away.
\ big yawl was lowered, and three
women and two children were put into it,
Twice IL was overturned i'm the frantic
EFFORTS OF negro roustabouts to pile into ii.
One negro was drowned, but II is be-
lieved that the women and children got
safely TO the shore.
The boats register showed that there
were eight nrst-cabin passengers aboard.
fifteen second-cabin passengers. and about
nuy roustabouts and deck-hands. and
these were soon clnginS to llfe-preservers
and barrels. boards. and whatever else
was found floating.
All the women, II Is believed. were
safely landed. though they have not yet
been heard from.
crow Creek is far away from tele-
graphic communication. and nothing was
known Of the disaster until o'clock Sun
day, when two OF the passengers were
picked up at Owensboro', Ky. They
were Walter G. Leathers. a farmer from
MormanGcld, Ky, and Frank Gregory, OF
Illinois.
They were hardly able to hold to the
4 a looIa ,a1t o hot
least forty lives were lost. Survivors
were picked up at Rockport and Hawes-
Vile Sunday afternoon.
The Tell City first noticed the wreckage
below Alton, Ind, at 9:S0 o'clock Saturday
night, and picked up two negroes and a
white man, Henry Webster of Clover
port, and at Sanders Landing, three
miles below Crow creek. found thirty ne,
groes. roustabouts. huddled about the
willows. nearly frozen.
The negroes thought that no more than
five or six were drowned and that none or
the whites were lost
The State Of Missouri was valued at
$4,000. and was owned BY the Memphis.
New Orleans, and Cincinnati Packet
Company. She left Cincinnati Friday af-
ternoon with seven first-class passen.
gers. all ticketed TO New orleans.
At Louisville two passengers were to
have been taken on. but both missed the
boat They are Mr.. Hiram Scogsan. or
Scoggan Brothers. turfmen, and Mr.. cas-
per Hammer. second vice-president OF
the Louisville Baseball Club. They had
bought tickets u New orleans and mis-
took the time for departure by about half
an hour.
The State OF Missouri had a cargo con-
sisting principally of Soo0 bushels of coal
and some light freight, and nothing
whatever was saved.
4 telephone message from BrandonDurg
states that Captain Conlon and all the
officers Of the boat saved their lives by
swimming to the shore near there.
LOSS OF LIFE. lS.
TELL CITY. IND. January %.-Later
and complete reports from Wolf Creek
regarding TIL loss ef Ef-,sy tie sh.SiEs
of the steamer State OF Missouri place
the loss Of life at IS. This includes cabin
crew. carpenter one passenger from
Pittsburg. and one from BarfeId. The
five lady passengers were saved. Five
roustabouts were lost.
no LIVES LOST (?).
CINCINNATI. o.. January 2l.-Supenin-
tendent Wist. of the Memphis Packet
Company. has received telegram from
CAPTAIN Conlon. OF the wrecked steamer
state Of Missouri. 1t is said that no
lives had been lost. Yet James McCabe.
the barkeeper ~ the steamer, said to-day.
in an interview, that he saw five or six
Of the negro roustabOuts drawn under
the sinking boat and drowned. He Is
under the impression that the loss OF
life Ia mainly confined To the negroes,
but he will not venture IN cstimate o.
| the lives lost. He confirms the story OF
the brave work done by the negro rousta-
bout who swan ashore with line and
tied II To- tree. in the vain hope OF saw
ing the boat. Information from louisville
supports the views cf Captain Conlon.
but reports from Howesville, Ky. are
| opnosad To his statements