Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-09

ubCk Oi tuc uSIclloWt anu tu6u the wreck drifted away.
 The steamer Longfellow was one of the largest, best known and handsomess packets on the Ohio river. She was stern wheeler, and up to about two years ago was known as the U. P. Schenck. At that time she was purchased by her present owners, the White Collar line company, and the name was changed to Longfellow. She was freighted almost entirely with reaping and moving machines for southern markets.
 The consignment consisted of more than $500, 900 worth of machines, and was billed to Vicksburg, Yazoo City and New Or leans. It was doubtless the largest ship meut Of harvesting machinery ever made at one time out of Cincinnati, and shows that the south was preparing for period of prosperity.
 Au interesting fact connected with the shipment is that the goods were sold and not being shipped down there Tor exhib | tion. The Walter A. Wood Moving and Reaping Machine company, which made the shipment, had invited the local stock exchange and chamber of commerca mem- bers to visit the boat and inspect the i'm mense cargo O. machinery before the start. The steamer struck the pier just abaft her boilers. All was confusion, and the pas sengers were so hastily aroused that only a lew of them had time to get their clothes. The Hercules Carrel pressed 10 the Long, | fellow's assistance and the latter's passen
 
 Hardly had the last one saved landed on the uninjured steamer when the Longfel- low parted amidships and disappeared in the muddy stream, bow first. The pilot house and some Of the upper works floated down stream aud were picke up late la the afternoon. All papers and records were lost and nearly everything in the way of personal property of the passen' gers and crew. During the nasty transfer of the survivors James Miller, a colored bacafpa friUhtqnad than the rest and jumped, and just as he did so the boats came together, and miscalcuiating the distance the unfortunate darky was caught between them and his body ground in two. A moment later both portions of the man fell into the river aud disap- peared.
 The cause of the accident, as conceded by all river men who knew the Longfellow, was the steamers refusal to obey her rud- der when she felt the stem came below the suspension bridge. When the vessel struck the pier Captain Kirker was in command, with Pilots Whitten and Trim mel at the wheel. Clerk w. J. Colbert, who was in th, office, had but a moments notice of the danger, but hasteniug to his wife's stateroom he succeeded iu arousing her and getting her to the Carrel in safety. His son leaped from the wreck to the Car rel and was saved.
 On western rivers the register of passen- gers is only kept on the boat. None of the office papers have been recovered, but the officers of the boat feel assured that they have accounted for all the crew and passen- gers. Among the latter the following have reported to the compauy's office in this city:
 PASSENGERS ACCOUNTED FOR. Mrs. w. J. Colbert, wife of the second clerk, and son; Mrs. Aldridge Of Rome, N. I., whose husband was lost; Mrs. 5. P. Shining and two sons of this city; Mrs. Metcalf and Miss Fanny Metcalf of Walnut Hill; Miss Kirker, daughter of Captain Kirkeri Capt. @. F. Mckay and wife of Cleveland; Dr. Mary Armstrong and Miss
 Harrington of Jamestown, N. Y.i Mrs. Skinner of Massilion; J. s. Frank and wife of Marysville, Mo-; Mrs. Aurelia Colt, George Colt, Miss Jennie Colt, Mrs. Mattie Bolan and two children, all of New Or leans.
 A BRAVE MAN.
 When the force of the shock was felt the colored roustabouts We're among the first to realize the extent Of the disaster. They made wild rush for the Hercules Carrel, trampling passengers under foot aud throw tug them aside in their rush for safety. Several of the passengers resisted such treatment, among them Ed Skidmore, a brother of Charles w. Skidmore, telegraph operator at the Grand Central depot, who was aboard the Long, fellow to see party of friends off. Mr. Skidmore was in the lead of his party, and when the roustaDoutS made tnelr charge for the Carrel he realized that be must fs sht for the lives of the ladies and his own. Catching up q life preserver he knocked one of the negroes down, and helping his friends aboard the Carrel he returned to the Longfellow to see if he could Lffer any assistance to others. By doing so he was enabled to save two children and two more ladies, af- ter which there was only time to save him. self before the boat sank.
 Another passenger on his way to Mem- phis with four small children managed to make his way through the crush and save himself and little ones.
 David Aldridge, the invalid who was drowned, was the superintendent of the poor house at Rome, N. Y., and probably
 met his fate while going back to the Long, fellow after seeing his wife safely to the Carrel. He had left his oyercoat and satchel in his stateroom, and in go- ing back for 1t got caught as the boat went down. Mrs. Aldridge is at present at the Palace hotel, as are also Dr. Mary Armstrong and Miss Harrington her patient. Mrs. Aldridge is completely pros.rated over her husbands death, and IS left without clothes or money by the ac- cidept.