The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-12
Her Boilers Exploded and Several Of
the Crew Were Killed and Injured
and others Drowned.
MANY EXCURsIONISTs HURT
TRAIN. FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLA,
DERAILED AT ANDERSON, GA.
One Child Killed and About Forty
People Manned, Cut or Bruised,
Some Very Seriously.

most terrible river disasters of recent years
occurred last night about twenty-five miles
below this city. The towboat Harry Brown,
of Pittsburg. upward bound from New Or
leans, exploded her boilers at IL o'clock and
sank In less than FIVE minutes. Eleven lives
are known to be lost. including:
NORMAN BRAVO. pilot.
G. w BARDSLEY. stesrsman-
WILLIAM DOCGHERTY, chief engineer
MISS ANNIE HESS. chambermaid.
THOMAS JUDGE, fireman.
WILLIAM WILSON, hrepan.
WILLIAM FITZMORRIS, first mate.
PATRICK CARNIFF, second mate.
WILLIAM KELLY. lamp trimmer
FRANK ADRIAN, of Cincinnati, missing.
JOHN WAGNER, Louisville, missing.
The survivors and also the wounded were
brought to this city on the Honshell. Six
OF the officers and crew of the Brown are
in the marine ward OF the Vicksburg Hos
pital as follows:
JOHN KEIM, captain, hip seriously in
jured-
otherwise seriously injured.
DENNIS LONELY. second engineer. badly
scalded and injured internally; will probably
die.
Two deck hands. names unknown.
Pilot bravo. who was lost. was resi-
dent of Pittsburg land an excellent man.
whose death viii be greatly regretted. The
bodies of three dead men who were brought
here are at an undertaking establishment.
They have been embalmed and will be sent
to their homes. The towboat HonsheIi was
90 near the scene when the explosion oc-
Cured that her yawls were lowered at once
and promptly. manned. They saved many
lives that would have been lost If 1t had
not been for their prompt service. Captain
Keim, the master OF the Brown, although
OF the cabin roof OF the Brown. where he
had been blown by the explosion. He was
seen this morning by a reporter and said:
'-The afterpart OF the cabin ioated off from
the hull and as 1t sank to the bottom of
the river / directed the efforts Of the men
who were at work rescuing the boats crew.
Myself and pilot, Daniel Kane, were in the
Browns pilothouse when the explosion oc-
CURED. 1t would be impossible for any one
to tell how many Of the seven boilers ex-
ploded. as the darkness prevented seeing
anything 1t seemed that the hull went
down in less than a minute. have no blame
TO attach to any one. The cause of the ex-
plosion will never be known, as the chief
engineer. William Dougherty. who was on
watch, was lost
The officers and boats crew speak in the
most grateful praise of the officers and crew
OF the steamer st. Joseph, who contributed
Clothing and other substantials. Captain
xeim expects TO send the crew Of the Brown
to their homes by rail as soon as he receives
instructions from Pittsburg. The coroner
here held an inquest on the dead bodies and
returned a verdict of accidental death. .s
The Harry Brown was one of the most
powerful coal towboats in service on the
river. She was 20 feet long, forty-nine feet
six inches beam and six feet deep In the
hold. with net tonnage Of 7-15. She was
owned by w. II. Brown & Sons. Of Pitts
burg. who do not insure their steamers. She
had just gone from Louisville with an i'm
mense coal tow for plantations along the
louisiana coast, and was returning with
empties. She was built in Pittsburg in 1873,
and had powerful machinery. Only three
weeks ago the Sam Brown burned at Louis
vile. and the Harry Brown took her tow to
the South.
A1dspatch from Pittsburs says: The Harry
Known was owned by W. II. Brown & Co.,
the extensive coal operators. OF this city,
and was one of the largest towboats in the
country. 1t was valued at $4,000, and was
not insured. The press dispatch from
yicksburs was the hrst intelligence Capt.
Sam Brown had of the explosion. A short
time later he received a telegram stating
that the explosion had destroyed the boat
Killing three men instantly and inJurfng
number OF others. Some of the crew were
missing. The Brown had crew of twenty
eight persons, rs follows: Captain Keim,
Pitsburg: engineer William Dougherty,
Pittshurg; second engineer Dennis Lomey.
Cairo; mate Dad Fitzmorris, Louisville;
steward Frank Adrian. Cincinnati; pilots
Norman bravo, Piftsburg, and Daniel Kane,
Louisville. hremen Patrick Carniff John
Joyce, James Sheehan and Thomas Judge
all OF Pittsburg. There were also on board
two cabin boys and chambermaid from
P1ttsburg, and number Of roustabouts,
whose names are unknown.