Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-01-26
A STEAMER LOST.
The State of Missouri Sinks in the
Ohio River.
sho Strikes n Rock and Soon Goes Down
-SurvIvorS Report Betweon Thlr-
ty-Five and Forty Persons
Drowned.

ENANoN lllSi lukk = Julls 81 LhCuBSE
particulars of a terrible steamboat dis
nster reached this city Sunday after
noon. The officers of the steamer City
of Owensboro, of the Louisville and
Evansville mail line, arriving at p.
M, reported the sinking of the State OF
Missouri a short distance below Wolf
Creek, Ky, Saturday evening last, at
about 500 o'clock. Between thirty
FIVE and forty lives are said to have
been lost.
The Missouri left Louisville at 10
o'clock Saturday morning and passed
Wolf Creek AT about $3.50 p m. While
the pilot was trying to flank the bend
short distance below he ran close to
the bank. The current at this point
caught the stern of the boat.
She was carried steadily toward the
rocks. Pilot Pell saw the danger and
tried to get the boat backed out, but
was not quick enough. 1t struck the
rocks and large hole was made in the
stern. After striking, the boat
drifted OFF and sank in five minutes
in so feet of water. The people
aboard were pan;cstricken when they
heard the crash. They had no time to
prepare for their safety, and officers,
passengers and crew seized anything in
sight that would keep them above
water. Capt. Joe Conlon, First Clerk
Werman and Second Clerk Howard,
who is a nephew of Capt. Ben How
ard and brother of Capt. Jim How
ard of the steamer John S. Hopkins,
with five lady passengers and Pilot
Pell and son managed to reach shore
uninjured. The second mate and en-
gineer on watch were picked up by the
steamer Tell City and the city of
Owensboro picked up, four men and left
them at Owensboro.
The others, thirty-fve to forty in
number, including male passengers and
members of the crew, it is thought,
went down with the vessel. When
the 0wensboro passed Wolf Creek the
people were greatly excited. They
could tell but little about the
terrible affair, and did not know the
names of the rescued ladies or those
who were thought to have been
drowned. The Owensboro left Louis
vile Sunday at 4 o'clock p. IN. bound
for this point, and passed Wolf
creek about 8 o'clock. After leaving
the scene of the wreck parts
of the unfortunate vessel and her cargo
were sighted as far down the river as
pilot house were noticed float
ing slowly down the stream. In
the vicinity of the wreck and at
Troy the river was dotted with sl1iffs,
the occupants picking up the float
ing articles of the cargo and furnish
ings of the boat Capt Conlon and
others who reached shore were cared
for by Mr.. Hardin, who resides there,
and later were taken to Alton, miles
below. Thence they proceeded to
Louisville. Wolf creek is rs miles be-
low Louisville.
OwENsBoIo, KY, Jan. 21.-Four sur
vivors of the State of Missouri disaster
passed here Sunday evening, they had
been picked up by the steamer City of
Owensboro near the Kentucky shore.
They swan for life on planls and
reached the willows. One reached the
shore and the others remained in a tree
many hours until rescued. 1t is said
four other passengers were saved
by clinging to mule which swan
ashore. These passengers report that
the stern of the boat struck the stone
and gave lurch forward. A yawl
was launched, but it was soon sunk
The boat lurched again and second
yawl was put off from the sinking
boat, in which four women and some
of the cabin passengers managed to
get places.
w. c. Leathers, one of the saved says
he never swan before, but managed tc
keep afioat until he reached the will.
lows. He saw four men drowned near
him, but was powerless to act
One chambermaid was picked uL
near by, and several rescued pas
sengers were picked up farther
on and taken up to Louisville by
the steamer Tell City. One yawl thai
was upset by frantic passengers was
full of women and children, and all are
thought to be lost. There were fifteer
cabin and thirty deck passengers anG
crew of sixty on board. The sur
viving passengers think that at leas'
thirty-five were lost
LOUISVILLE, KY, Jan. 21.-C. E
Hydes, local agent of the Memphis
New Orleans & Cincinnati Packet com
pany, returned from Stephensport
KY, Sunday night. He asserts tina
there were only nine passengers ahoarC
the steamer when she went down, ant
it is believed that none of them wa
lost. The boat had full crew of abou
fifty men.
The latest information obtainable i
to the effect that the only persons los
were roustabouts. The number, h.
claims, is not over five. The boat ant
cesgo will be total loss
Among the passengers were Caspe
Whitehead stock dealer, Logansport
Ind; James McCaffery and wife, Phila
delphia, Pa; Sarah B. Long, Philadel
phia; young married couple on
bridal tour from Cincinnati; Mr.. Gan
land, from cave-in-Rock, H.; one ma
J from New Albany, Ind, and one fror
Morgantield, Ky.
I'm Secnrc ansysra IN I.ettera.