The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-14
THE STEAMER HARRY BROWN
EXPLODED HER BOILERS ,
NEAR vICKSBURG.
THE KILLED, MISSING and INJURED.
Comprise Quite Large List-Aany
Lives Saved by Nearby Steamer.
The Boat Sank in Ten Minutes
J't'
After the Explosion.

which exploded her boilers near Ursino
landing, twenty-five miles south of this
city, last night, causing the loss Of eleven
lives and the wounding of as many more.
The Brown was up bound. Six empty
coal boats and two full boats in tow. The
Brown was blown to atoms by the explos-
ion and sank, total wreck, in ten min
utes.
Killed:
George Keim, second mate, died while
steamer Honshell.
Engineer Daugherty, found dead and
badly scalded in the wreck.
The missing
Norman bravo of Pittsburg, pilot.
George w. Bradsley, Il seaman.
Miss Annie Hess of Cincinnati, the
chambermad.
Tom Judge and William Wilson, fire
men.
William Fitzmauricc.
The injured in the hospital are:
Capt. John Helm, the master, had his
right hip seriously injured and his left
hand severely cut, supposed by glass in
the pilot house, as he was blown out of
it. While the captain is seriously injured
it is not thought that he is dangerously
hurt
William Drim is cut in several places,
badly bruised and his left leg is broken.
He was the carpenter.
John Hardy, one of the boats iremen,
is badly scalded and he is seriously if not
fatally injured.
Dan Kane, the pilot, who was On watch
ut the time of the explosion, is also in the
hospital, seriously cut about the head,
face. neck and back and badly bruised.
William q. Stallcn, one of the hands,
of Mound City, ILL.,, seriously hurt, but
not dangerously.
Dan DelOney, the second engineer is
badly scalded and hurt internally and it
is thought fatally injured.
The tOwbOat's crew numbered eight
men. Three bodies are here and identi-
fed; five wounded in the hospital and six
missing as named above and are no doubt
lost.
At the time of the explosion the steam
Honshell was in mailing distance.
AS soon as the accident occur
the Honshell and were quickly
within reach of the wounded and drown
ing men and saved many lives that would
no doubt have been lost had they not
reached them so promptly. The men who
manned the boats from the Hon
shell state that Notwithstanding
the serious injuries to the cap
tain and the great danger of
being drowned in his crippled condition,
he made no effort to leave the roof of the
Browns cabin, which had been torn in
two by the explosion and had tloated from
the wreck of the hull which had sunk,
l,f e., ~ L..
juries and great danger. remained and
directed the best he could the efforts of
the men to aid those who were calling
for help in all directions. When he was
taken on board the Honshell and
saw the dead and wounded and
learned of the missing, his sor-
row was indeed, great. He ask
ed those around to do all in their
power for the injured, telling them not to
think of him.
Capt. Helm was in the pilot house with
Pilot Dan Kane and both were blown
through the pilot house to the aft end of
the roof of the Brown.
Many of the survivors were without
clothing or shoes. The crew of the
Brown and the crew of the mail steamer
Saint Joseph stripped their berths of
every article of wearing apparel to give
to the unfortunates.
Dan Kane. the pilot, looked neat in
Capt. Tom Walton's best suit of clothes.
Julius Steere, the steward of the Saint
Joseph. gave the men all they wanted to
eat and when on the street this morning
he was iii his shirt sleeves.
Capt. Dan and Tom Quinn contributed
clothes and money, as they always do
in cases of distress.
Some two dozen were being cared for
by Mr. Frank Fisher. All seem to realize
the horror of the terrible night passed by
the crew. and many little kindnesses
were extended to the boats survivors.
Those able to travel will. no doubt leave
for home by rail as soon as the arrange
ments can be effected by the boats own
ers at Pittsburg, which is the Brown
Coal company.
Capt. Helm made the following state
ment at the coroner's inquest:
At II O'Clock the boilers let 20 and
blew the fore end off the hull and cabin.
Pilot Dan Kane and myself went up in
the wreck and lit in four or five feet of
each other coming down. The men were
hallooing for help. while the boat was
sinking.
| remained on Il piece of the wreck and
gave orders to assist all clamoring for
help, and stayed there until | could not
hear any more means or calls for help.