The record-union., 1895-01-21
PACKET STEAMER SUNK.
STRUCK a ROCK IN THE OHIO
RIVER NEAR ALTON, IND.
At Least Thfrty-Five People Believed
to Have Lost Their Lives
In the Disaster.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.

OwENsBoRo (Ky.l. Jan. 2O.-The big
packet the State of Missouri struck rock
on the Indiana side of the Ohio River
near Alton, Ind. about o'clock last
evening, and went down in fifty feet of
water. She gave heavy lurch, and
rapidly sank. Four passengers on the
City Of Owensboro, passing here this
evening. were picked up near the Ken
lucky shore. They swan for their lives
on planks, and reached the willows.
One reached the shore and the others re-
mained in the ice many hours. until
rescued. They were W. G. Leathers
from Hopkins County, l.ontucky, and a
man named Gregory, of Cave-in- Rock.
Illinois. The names Of the other two
could not be learned.
These passengers say the steamer hit
rock near the stern and gave a sudden
lurch. A yawl was launched, but so
many people crowded into it that it was
soon sunk. AS the boat lurched again q
second yawl was put off from the sinking
boat, in which four women passengers
and some of the cabin passengers man.
aged to get places.
Leathers never swan before, but man
aged to keep atioat until he reached the
willows. de saw four men drowned
near him, but was powerless to act. One
chambermaid was picked up by a boat
from farmhouse near by, and several
passengers were picked up further on and
taken TO Louisville by the steamer Falls
City. One yawl that was upset by frantic
passengers was full OF women and chill
dreD, and all are thought to be lost.
There were fifteen cabin and thirty
deck passengers and a crew OF sixty on
board. The surviving passengers think
that at least thirty-tive were lost. The
Is Il Al
away. The pilot-house was towed ashore
at Rockport. The City of Owensboro got
out part of the passengers from the ca bin
deck
In less than ten minutes from the time
the boat struck she had gone down. At
RockpOrt and here, as well as at inter-
mediate points, the bank is lined with
skitfs picking up pieces OF furniture and
watching for dead bodies, but the current
was too swift for small craft to go out far
No names of those drowned can be
learned here. The boat is a total loss.
SANK ONCE BEFORE.
KANSAS CITY (Mo.), Jan. 2O.-The State
of Missouri was built at Madison, Ind.
in 1890, by Kansas City syndicate for
the Missouri River trade, at a cost of
$4,000. She was one of a trio of fine
steamers built by the same company, the
State OF Kansas and the 4. l.. Mason be-
ing the others. She was 80 feet long,
with 44-foot beam and siX-foot hold.
She was never launched on the Missouri
but placed on the Ohio and Mississippi
plying between Cincinnati and New Or
leans, with occasional trips to st. Louis
The Kansas City syndicate was compelled
to sell the State of Kansas to enable the
company to continue business. Then
followed the fatal loss by sinking of the
y. l.. Mason and her cargo at Friar's
Point, Miss, January 4, 1894. This mis-
fortune, with the low rates and l per cent.
insurance on the Missouri River, forced
the Kansas City syndicate into liquida-
ton, and shortly thereafter the vessel was
sold to the Cincinnati, Now Orleans and
Memphis Packet Company for SIS, 900, a
little more than one-third OF her cost.
She went down from overlooking near
New Madrid last February, but was
pumped out and raised. These misfor-
tunes caused old river men to look upon
the State of Missouri with superstition,
and they have been expecting some such
late as that which has overtaken her.
She was in charge of Captain Joseph
Coulton, with j. K. Whitman as Clerk.
CLAIM THAT NO LIVES WERE LOST.
CINCINNATI, Jan. 20. = Commodore
Laidly and Captain Wise, officers of the
Cincinnati, Memphis and Now Orleans
Packet Company, that owned the State
of Missouri, insist that they have reports
stating that the boat and the cargo are an
entire loss, but they do not believe any
passengers were lost. 1t is impossible to
get track of all who reached either bank
of the river, but they report that the Off
GERS are of the opinion that the passen-
gers will be accounted for. One of the
pilots telegraphed his family here that
they had hard time getting to shore,
but that no lives were lost.
The State of Missouri left this city last
Friday. Most of her crew are from this
city, and private dispatches from them to
their friends and families, as well as from
Captain Wise, say that they are safe, and
that no lives were lost.
The Ei.quire1's special says five men
were rescued tonight below the scene of
the wreck. They had been clinging to
| trees.
The Commercial Gdzette'S special says
seven passengers were picked up in bad
condition at Hawkesville, Ky. Advices
to both these papers up to 1880 indicate
| that no lives were lost.