The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-09
steamer LongfelIow Strikes a G. a. o.
Railroad bridge Pier nj Cincinnati
ara sinks i'm Five Minutes.
AT LEAST SEVEN LIVES LOST
MANY SAVED FROM DROWNING BE
PRESENCE OF ANOTHER BOAT.
Pilot Unable to See ON Account oa
Smokc-Terre Haute steamer sinks
in the Wabash River.

morning the steamer I-ongfeilow, of the Ciu-
cnnati, Memphis and New Orleans Packet
Company, crashed against pier of the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad bridge and
sank in few minutes. Seven lives were
los.. The victims are:
DAVID ALDRIDGE, Rome ~ V, MISS
ing; believed lost. His wife Is at the Palaces
Hotel, this city.
j. l., CARTER. first clerk, Newport. Ky.s
AUGUSTUS CHAtvEr, barkeeper. New
Orleans, surely lost; body not recovered.
JAMEs MLEk' NIL 0 eoI0rea @ porser roysrsd sinein-
MRS. W. j. AULT. Dayton, o., body re-
covered and at the morgue.
MIR. w. j. AULT, Dayton, certainly lost;
body not recovered
UNKNOWN WOMAN.
The above is the apparent death list. but
unfortunately the complete loss may ncver
be known. All the records OF he steamer
were lost with it and no passenger list ia
ever left ashore Later in the afternoon in ~
portion of the wreckage which had been
landed some distance below the city ths
body OF young woman was found. Sha
was wearing a satin night dress and y
black skirt about her feet, as il She
had been in the act of dressing. A small
satchel was in her hand, but il contained
nothing to identify her.
The accident was one of peculiar horrors
1t was daylight, the fog had disappeared,
passing the bridge piers, had been given this
assistance of the powerful tow boat Her
cules Carrel. When almost upon the pier
the pilot found himself confronted with
an alarming condition. The powerful crosA
currents which no human foresight could
have located caught the long steamer like
toy and turned the bow away from the
course he had given it. At the same tims
the smoke from the lowered chimneys which
had been let down to allow the boat TO pass
under the bridges, was wholly obscuring
his vision. The Hercules Carrel pilot being
located almost behind the great steamers
was also unable to see the boats positions
and more likely it was not strong enough
to turn its course against the current. And
so the fated Longfellow was carried like
helpless thing against the cruel, immova-
BILE pier, and crushed into wreck. SO quick
was the work of destruction that in live
minutes not vestige of the great steamcr
was visible except bits of wreckage hoat-
ing on the river. The carpenter had time
to go into the hold with a lantern. whence
he quickly returned with the report than
nothing could save the Longfellow from i'm.
mediate sinking.
DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT
The Longfellow was scheduled to leaye
here last evening for New Orleans but the
fog on the river was so dense that Cape
tain Wise, president of the packet COM
pany, to which the steamer belongs, orr
dered her to be held until this morning.
He also ordered the Hercules Carrel 10
be ready to assist the big steamer to pass
the dangerous bridge piers. For having
given this latter order Captain Wise is
now more than gratified for it was nns
doubtedly the means of preventing a great
er loss of life. The Carrel took position
at the stern and port side of the Long
fellow this morning and assisted in making
the turn. The boat went all right until
within a short distance before reaching
the piers OF the Chesapeake & Ohio bridge,
when the treacherous currents began to
interfere with the boats management
There was no fog. but the bow of the
boat pointed to the Kentucky shore the
wind blew the smoke in such way as to
entirely blind the pilot. ~ cannot see any
thing" he shouted to Captain John kirker-
The captain called back TO run her south
of the pier. The pilot signaled the engineer
to stop, using the speaking tube for that
purpose to make sure of quick action. lSut
the current was relentless. The simple fact
was that the big vessel with its powerful
consort and with the pilots vision OBJ
scured, was absolutely helpless The dam
ger was apparent Warning was given to
everybody In a moment the Longfellow
crushed. The stroke was alongside the
boilers Then was apparent the wisdom OF
having the Carrel at hand, All who could
do SO rushed for safety to that vessel.
With remarkable presence of mind some
of the crew manned two lifeboats or the
~ ana,n aa saHeh eSn Mler Of missouri
landing them In Coyington, NY
The destruction of the steamer was was all
after the crash, but the currents, striking
bow and stern, broke her in two and in
! less than FIVE minutes she went down.
| David Aldridge, of Rome. n. ". an eld-
| erly man. who was accompanied by his
| II. T., was lame He walked with a cane
the freight that inpeded the way toward
| lost. but his wife and Mrs. Armstrong were
saved. The aged clerk of the boat. Capt
J. L.. Carter, who only last night was
| speaking of his long service and OF his
| feeling of safety, committed the indiscrc-
| OF going back for something from his office.
Before he could return the vessel went
| was fatally crushed by the collision. Gus
| Chauvet, the barkeeper. perished in an
unselfish effort TO save the aged clerk.
Chauvet was doing his utmost to hurry
| him back to the Carre
CROSS CURRENTS TOO STRONG.
Said Captain D.. W. Wise, president of the
company: II cannot tell why 1t happened.
| | do not care for the money loss, but IL
| is the loss of life that hurts. felt safe
when ordered the Carrel to help the Long
| fellow out. but it appears these cross cur
rents caused by the piers are almost I'M
| possible to overcome. The Carrel has many
| time taken this and other steamers past
| the bridges when they had no steam up.
| The f.ongfellow using steanl
Major Turner, of Toledo, was on deck
! when the accident happened. He heard the
| co.loquy between pilot Oscar Whitlen as he
uttered the despairing cry: II cannot see
anything" He heard the captain tell him
10 20 south of the pier and heard the pilot
| give the order to stop the engines IL was
| all hopeless. The mighty river was stronger
than thc boats machinery.
Mr. r. B. Skinner OF Maasiilon o.. WAS
passenger Said he: Il Was in my state
room. having just had breakfast. did not
even know that the vessel had left tho
wharf. Tho first intlmation that had OF
the accident was the sound of crushing TIM
hora nd nf hraa ,fiuts.