The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-03-14
BOAT WRECKED.
The Longfellow Strikes a C. & 0.
Bridge Pier, Cincinnati.
The Vessel Breaks in Two and the
Wreekage Floats Down the River.
1t IL Thought Eight or More Persons Per-
ished In the Wreck-Nearly All the Pas
sengers Were Asleep When the Crash
Came-Loss on Boat and Cargo.

CINCINNATI, March 9.--Shortly after
6 o'clock Friday morning the steamer
Longfellow, of the Memphis & Cincin-
natl Packet Co.. pulled away from the
wharf at the foot of Main street and
started on long voyage to New Or
leans The towboat Hercules Carrel,
which was alongside all night, was
signaled to be in readiness to help the
Longfellow through the bridges.
About $3.50 the boats started. Owing
to her length it took some little time
for the Longfellow to turn in order to
get her head down stream. At few
minutes before the boat was in
position to move down stream. The
Carrel was on the left or port side of
the Longfellow.
The boats passed under the suspen-
sion bridge in good shape.
Immediately after this, however, the
Longfellow began behaving badly. A
cross current seemed to strike her and
swing her. bow around toward the Ken
lucky shore. Every effort was made
to right her SO that she would pass be
tween the piers of the Chesapeake &,
Ohio railroad forming the span on the
Kentucky side.
The swift current of the river car
ried her along rapidly. Those on the
boat could see that it would be impos-
sible 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 starboard
or right side, just behind the boilers.
The crash was an awful one and for a
brief space the air was filed with fly
ing timbers, glass and iron-work. Those
on board the boat, many of whom were
in their night clothes, were hurried
to the Hercules Carrel, which was still
alongside. CONSERVATION reigned.
There were piercing cries and terrible
yells. Women tainted. The frenzied
passengers called for and hurried
around in search of friends and rela-
tives the moment they touched the
deck of the Carrel.
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, rending
crash and the boat parted amidship.
The prov went down into the river
first, disappearing completely. The
stern followed. Some of the upper
works fioated down the stream and
then the wrecked hull came slowly up
and also floated away
Some four or five men were on the
floating cabin, and these were taken
off Immediately by the crew of the
Hercules Carrel A number of small
boats put out from the shore and
picked up persons who had jumped into
the river. Five minutes af err the boat
struck there was nothing left but 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, valuables,
cargo, ETC., went down with her. The
passengers succeed in saving but few
of their belongings.
The passenger register was lost and
so it is impossible to know how many
passengers are missing. 1t is believed
that the loss of life will not be more
than ten, and may be less. Of the
passengers only one is reported miss
ing SO far. He is Mr.. Aldrich, of
Cleveland, who in company with his
wife, had engaged round trip pas
sage to New Orleans. He was last
seen moving along under the stage
plank, which fell moment later and
is believed to have crushed him.
Capt. j. Lawrence Carter, the first
clerk of the boat, is also missing. He
was the last man seen on the deck.
When the boat struck he was still in
his berth. 1t is possible that he sue
ceeded in getting onto piece of float
ing wreckage and was carried down
the river. The hope, however, is a faint
one.
Two white roustabouts, one of whom
is Michael Russell, a resident of the
east end, are believed to have been
drowned.
A colored porter known as BILLY"
tried to jump from the Longfellow to
the Carrel. He miscalculated the dis
tance and fell between the boats just
as they were coming together. He was
crushed to death and the body fell into
the river and disappeared.
The second mate of the boat, whose
name was not known, and two fire.
men are also reported missing. The
barkeeper, Gus Charwet, Frenchman,
is also reported missing, and is be-
lieved to have gone down with the
boat. Several other persons have not
been accounted for, but it is thought
that they were saved by the several
skiffs which put out from and returned
to the Kentucky shore.
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.
The tugs Hercules, Carrel, Al. Mar
tin and Alex. Montgomery have gone
down the river to gather up any pas
sengers who may have foated down