The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-10-14

was no safety for the boat while he ~
NAMED on board. Ponies were secured
from the traders at Fort Peck, ~ miles
distant, who had come to see the stea1nr
boat. Clark, with two OF three others,
who were anxious to get to Fort Ben
ton, started with very little prepare
tons. Before theIndians had got over
their consternation, Clark, whom none
of them knew personally, had got be-
yond the reach Of their heetest horses,
and, through the influence Of Father
De smet, they probably never pursued
him.
Among the passengers on the Nellie
Rogers on that day was "Tom Dorris,"
q young man from St. Louis, bound for
the gold mines at Helena. He was one
of Clark's. companions in the Gilpin
race. The riders traveresed the dis
lance of 200 miles in three days. The
cause for the murder of young McKen-
zie was never definitely ascertained.
It was believed that an old grudge ex-
listed that was to be settled in that way
whenever the parties met. Nothing was
ever heard of Clark, afterward beyond
a letter written by a gentleman living
at Findlay, O., in 1889. The story here
toldwas publishedin Cincinnati paper
at that time, and the announcement
was made of Capt. E. w. Could forth
coming book. This gentleman, who re-
quested that his name be not used,
wrote that he met Malcolm Clark at
Fort Benton in 1862. Clark, he said,
was man to be feared, but a gentle
man when not angry. He was married
to beautiful half-breed GIRL. with
whom he seemed to live quite pleasant
ly. She had brother named Isadore,
who made his home with Clark and
hunted and traded with him. In 1865
Clark moved to Prickly Pear creek and
located ranch there. For some rea.
son Clark became cruel and overbear.
ing to his wife. After enduring it for
awhile she appealed to her brother for
protection. He and Clark had an al.
tercation, in which Isadore shot and
killed him.
On the Sd of January, 1874, the whole
city of St. Louis was thrown into con.
sternation and feverish excitement by
the report that the steamboat Shep-
herdess had been wrecked in Cahokia
bend, only three miles from the center
of the city. Many lives were reported to
have been lost. Several boats were i'm.
mediately dispatched to the scene of the
disaster, and the worst rumors were
soon verified.
The Shepherdess, while ascending the
Mississippi river on her way from Gin
cinnati to St. Louis, struck snag at
II o'clock at night just above the mouth
of Cahokia creek. The night was dark
and stormy. The conclusion was Sc
we're, and several planks were torn from
the bottom of the boat. There were be-,
tween 60 and 20 passengers on board
Most of them had retired, but four or
five gentlemen in the cabin were sitting
around the stove, for it was cold, winter
weather.
In less than two minutes after the
beat struck the water rose to the lower
deck, where most of the passengers in
that part of the boat were asleep. The
captain ran to the cabin occupied by the
women and assured them that there was
no danger. Then he returned to the
forecastle and is supposed to have been
wished overheard, as nothing was seen
or heard of him afterward. One Of the
pilots attempted to descend into the
hold for the purpose of examining the
leak, but the rush of water quickly
drove him back.
Shrieks of distress arose from the
deck below, and several women who ran
to the stern railing reported that they
saw number of persons struggling in
the river. The water rushed in with
tremendous rapidity, and before three
minutes had elapsed it had risen to the
floor of the upper cabin. Some person.
On the upper deck saved themselves by
getting into a yawl, which was cut
loose and rowed to the shore with q
broom.
The rapid rise of the water caused all
those who could to seek safety on the
hurricane deck. This position was not
attained without great difficulty, for the
bow had sunk so deep in the water that
the only access was by way of the stern.
Meanwhile the boat was drifting down
the stream, and few hundred yards
below she struck another snag, which
rose above the surface. This threw the
steamer nearly on her beam ends on the
larboard side.
Drifting from the snag, she again
lurched to starboard. With every lurch
several persons were washed off. Some
of them reached the shore, but many
were drowned. A short distance below,
just above the first shot tower, the hull
struck a bluff bank, which again ca
reened the boat nearly on her side. The
hull and cabin parted. The former sunk
and lodged on bar above Carondelet,
while the cabin floated down to the
point Of the bar below that place, where
it lodged and became stationary. As
the cabin passed the steamer Henry
Bry lying at the shot tower, it's captain
heard the frantic cries of the passen-
gers. He went to their rescue in his
yawl, but only few at time could be
taken off.
Among the passengers was Col.
Woods famous "Ohio Fat GIRL" who
weighed 40 pounds. She was saved by
the combined efforts of Capt. Robert
Bullock, of Maysville, KY, and several
other men. The mayor of St. Louis,