New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-29
RIVER CRAFT SWEPT AWAY.
SOME SUNK AND OTHERS PILED UP
ON THE ILLINOIS BANK
MANY LIVES WENT OUT IN THE MUDDY MIS-
SISSIPPI AS THE STORM PASSED O"EH
IT-DETAIIs OF THE DESTRUCTION

! SISSIPPI AS THE STORM PASSED OVER
IT-DETAIIs OF THE DESTRUCTION
ALONG THE LEvEE.
[By TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
81 Louis MAY 2S-There is no way OF cor
| rectlv estimating the number Of lives that were
| lost In smaller craft that happened to be on the
river when the tornado came up. Hundreds OF
| barges and wharfs were moored along Tue
| river bank In some instances as many as ten OF
| twelve persons were on board when the anchor-
| ages gave way under the terrible strain. Men
| were blown into the water, the barges were over
turned, and the destruction OF life IN tnese III
| stances will be large Several tugs were 1erked
from their docks and carried far down the river
| The tug Belle Of Baton Rouge, wnich was
| anchored above the big bridge, was carried down
| the river. rolling over and over, ana hnahy
struck the wharf Of the Virgins FERRY COM
| pany at Choteau-ave.. where 1t sank IN ten ieet
| Of water. part of the cabin and smokestack
showing. The steamers Pittsourg' OF the LA
mond Toe Line: City of Vcksburg and City Of
Providence OF the Columbian Excursion COM
pany: the City Of Monroe, of the Anchor Line.
and all sorts of smaller craft were pitched ana
tossed about until final blast rent them from
their anchorages. They were swept diagonally
across the river. and struck the Illinois bank
within a few blocks Of each other
The loss of life on these boats Is thought to be
slight as everybody was cautioned not to jump
and they would be brought safely to land Inc
Pittsburg escaped with few injuries The CITY
OF Vicksburg 10 almost total wreck the CITY
of Providence was blown upon the Illinois nanK;
her rudder is gone, and cabin and smokestacks
we're blown away before she parted from her
wharf The St Louis and ST. Paul Packet Com
pany's steamer st. Paul had started for Keokuk
when the tornado struck the city. She has not
been heard Of She had full cabin. The Belle
OF Calhoun, the Medl and the Libbie Conger,
which were moored near Choteau-ave. were al
most totally broken up. The cabins ana smoke
stacks were blown away. The Elon G smith,
the harbor boat. was blown way down the river
and was wrecked near Arsenal Island. 1t Is
thought that no lives were lost on this boat
The steamer Harvester, OF the Mississippi Val
ley Transportation Company was also torn from
It's dock and carried down the river.
MANY ACTS OF HEROIsM.
Many heroic acts were performed In the saving
Of lives a result OF the storm When the CITY
OF Monroe was twisted away from the Anchor
Line wharf there were about forty passengers
on board and full crew. as the boat was just
making ready for the trip to New-Orleans
When the mornings finally gave way the boat
Iurchod over on its starbOard side and nearly
capsized The movement threw nearly all the
freight 10 the starboard side, and this served to
hold the boat In It's perilous position. Captain
Viegler made reassuring speech TO the pas
sengers which slightly quieted the extreme ex-
element He said they were all safe When the
boat struck the Illinois bank, the captain was
not TO be found.
After the tornado passed It left in its tracks a
l.a
fore hundreds OF steamers had rocked quietly at
their moorings some just arrived and discharg-
ing their passengers. others preparing for de-
parture But one boat left, the Henry
I.aurey and not another one was in sight in any
direction that the eye might wander on this side
OF the river Trucks and baggage had been
tossed hither and thither. mcst>of 1t into the
river; ploughs and other agricultural implements
had been distributed up and down the levee as
far as could be seen. and the whole general APP
peara nee was that OF waste and wreck.
The steamer ]. J. Odill. an Illinois river packet,
was blown out from her wharf at Morgan-st.,
crashed into the second pier OF the Eads Bridge
and sank Her boilers blew up before she dis
appeared IN the boiling water OF the river. She
had a crew OF twelve men and three women
passengers. besides her captain. George Town
send. an old river man, who has his home in st.
Louis Three OF her crew-"Jack' Morrissey,
Pat" Milan and a man named Moore-reached
land safely The two former jumped before the
explosion and caught driftwood. Moore was
blown overheard by the explosion. and was cut
about the head. but managed to swim ashore.
Three others OF the crew chung to the pier, and
made their way up to the bridge proper.
SAVED BY FLOATING DRIFTWoOD
The wharfboat. Dolphin No >. which was also
anchored near Morgan-st crashed into the pier
OF the bridge rebounded with her whole star
board side crushed in and sank three blocks be-
low the bridge. Her PROV projects above the
water 10 tell OF her ending Eleven persons.
three OF them women all of whom had jumped
and caught driftwood fioated down on the Illi-
nois side OF the river until they struck the Pitts
burg dixie Here they were caught in the eddy
formed by the dixie and swrled around An eye
witness says that In ten minutes every one of
the eleven souls had disappeared beneath the
turbid waters of the river. They were either
from the steamer Pittsburg the Libbie Con-
ger both Of which were blown upon the Illinois
bank above the dixie.
The steamer Bald Eagle the property of
Schwartz Brothers. was blown down the river
and. according TO several reports. capsized and
went to the bottom. Nothing has been seen or
heard Of her or any Of her crew. About twenty
persons board
The loss of property on the river can only be
estimated rivermdn said last night that 81
100000 would not repair and replace the boats
alone that figured in yesterdays disastrous
storm When the freghtage Is considered the
amount will be brought up to something more
than $2000OO0 AS an instance, it may be
81 a fpd h1rRpS belonging MiSSlS-