The morning news., 1897-04-03
STEAMER I.F.C C. GRIGGS SINKS.
ESTIMATES OF THE Loss OF LIFE
RUN AS HIGH AS IL.

struck sunken Log On Her Way
Down the ChattahOOchee to the
Relief OF Her HI-Fnted Sister ship
City of CoIumbus-One of the sharp
Prongs OF the Log Penetrates the
Hull aud Projects Into the Cabin.
One story Puts the Loss of Life nt
Only Three.
Donaldsville, Ca. April 2.-The steamer
]. f. c. Griggs. belonging to the Queen
ana Crescent line. plying the Flint and
Chattahoochee rivers between Apalachi-
cola, Fla, ana Columbus, Ca, sank last
night al $3.50 O'Clock twelve miles below
Fort Gaines in thirty feet of water.
The boat struck a log, which tore a
hole in her hun and completely tore away
the staircase. She sank in three and a
half minutes after she struck, and is a
total loss.
Six lives are known to have been lost
and it is supposed that when all the miss
ing are enumerated they may number
twelve. as several are missing.
Among those known to be lost is tho
engineer, who had just gone on duty.
and when the boat turned over he was
caught in the machinery and was
drowned
The Morning News correspondent met
Randolph Russell. son of Congressman
Ben Russell. at Alaga to-day. He was
on board, and says that he was one of
the last to awake, and as the boat went
! down he jumped for life and swan ashore.
The Queen Cl.y from Columbus. came
down the river and picked up the cur
yivors at 1880 o'clock.
4The Griggs belonged 20 the independent
| line. which only had two boats The
other one. the City of Columbus. went
down four days ago.
Fort Gaines. Ga, April 2-About $3.50
o. clock last night the steamer Griggs sunk
near Chittay's landing, twelve miles be-
/ low here. She had turned back on her
course down TO so to the relief of the City
of Columbus, and started back to Colum-
bus with such of the effects of the other
steamer as were recovered when, at the
point named. she ran into a tree top that
had been washed into the river. The
branches were all broken off. leaving
| sharp prcngs which stove holes into the
I nun Oit DIbDA RhhAeQ AiliOAAU NHb bVA-
| tom Of the boat up into the cabin. This
held her 50 that she could go neither for
| ward nor backward and was unable to
effect a landing. Three persons were
drowned. They are;
Chief Engineer waterbury.
| A negro roustabout named Son.
| A negro woman who was a passenger
| from Apalachicola.
Montgomery, Ala, April IA special to
| the Advertiser from Columbia, Ala, says:
1.-THE steamer Griggs sunk about seven
/ teen miles above here at midnight last
night. The Grggs had been TO Smiths
| Bend for the recovery of what was pos
| sible from the steamer City of Colum-
| bus, which sunk Tuesday night. She had
4 on board the crew of the sunken boat
| and what freight could be taken from
| her. She was on her way up stream
when she struck a log, which had one
| end on the bottom, and sank before Ene
| could be run ashore The loss on freight
was light, but the engineer and four ne
groea were drowned. II may be that
| others who had taken deck passage are
drowned, as they cannot be accounted
for"
Columbus, Ca, April 2,-Intense excite-
ment has prevailed here all day over the
sinking Of the steamer Griggs at Chitty's
/ landing.
Various conflicting teegrams were re-
| ceived during the day, but even late to-
| night the names of the three people
drowned have not been learned. The most
reliable report says Engineer Eugene
| Waterman, a negro named Son" and a
| negro woman passenger were drowned.
President Davis and General Manager
| William left for Columbia, Ala, as soon
| as the first news was received, and were
| expected to reach there at o'clock to-
| night but nothing has been heard from
| them.
The Griggs had no electric lights, and
| Capt Hers, who arrived on the Fannie
| Fearn this morning says the weather on
the river the past week has been the
worst ever known In the experience of the
Oldest river men. The nights have been OF
nlSy darkness, and navigation. even by
| steamers lighted with electricity, was con-
sidered extremely hazardous.