Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-13

on w SSGeIH waters ana How
Their Careers Ended.
Since the publication in last Sun
days Register of the steamer Wash
ington's explosion in 1914 it has been
found in looking over river records
that it was not the first accident On
Western waters but that three other
boats met serious accident before the
Washington's time. However the ex-
plosion Of the Washington was the
first fatal river accident occurring in
The West. In the following is given
nh account of the first half dozen
steam boats Of the West with the ex-
caption of TIE Washington. the fifth
craft and of which a full account has
been given.
The first steamer that ever foated
On Western waters was the Orleans
She was built by Fulton and Livirgs-
ton was Of one hundred tons burden
ana was fitted with one propelling
wheel at the stern. In 1912 she made
her frst trip from Pittsburg at which
city she was constructed. to New Or
leans. The run was ACCOMPLISHED in
fourteen days. The Orleans after
wards piled between New Orleans and
Natchez until the 18th day OF July.
when She was so badly wrecked by
striking snag that no attempt was
ever made to put her in shape and
thus
HER CAREER ENDED
The second steamer to make her ap-
pearance on the bosom of the ONO
was The Comet, built by Daniel D.
Smith and owned by D. French. The
Comet went to Louisville in the sum
mer OF 1913 and descended to New Or
leans in the spring of 1914. She aft
erwards made two trips to Natchez,
was then sold, later was wrecked and
her machinery and engine put up for
Use in cotton factory The Comet
was a pretty little craft but was not
al all speedy compared TO the steam
ers of to-day
The third steam boat of the West
was built at Pittsburg by Fulton and
was named NesuVius. She made her
ipnital trip from the latter city 10
New Orleans in the spring OF 1914.
lar trips between New Orleans and
Natchez under the command of Capt.
Clement who was afterwards sue
ceeded by Capt John DeHart The
boat while approaching New Orleans
with a valuable cargo took fire and
burned to the waters edge The
wreck was afterwards raised, rebuilt
and placed in the Louisville trade
where she made her runs until 1919
when she was condemned.
The Enterprise was the fourth boat
10 run in the West and was built at
Brownsville, Pa, by d. French. She
was
A SMALL STEAMER
Of seventy-fve tons. She made two
trips TO Louisville in the summer of
1914 under the command Of Capt.
Gregg. On the first day OF December
of the same year, she conveyed a car
go of ordnance stores from Pittsburg
10 New Orleans. While at the latter
city she was pressed into service by
General Jackson and on the tenth day
of September, 1916, was destroyed by
an explosion Of her boilers while
making a landing to put off some pas
sengers. Eight persons were killed
and several injured in the accident.
The sixth steamer was the Oliver
Evans, whose name was afterwards
changed to Constitution. On the
fourth day of May 1917, while she was
ascending the Mississippi river near
Point Coupee, her boiler exploded
wrecking the boat and killing and in
junng thirty persons. Eleven people
We're killed instantly As soon as the
terrific report of the explosion was
heard good number Of passengers
Who might have escaped death by re.
naming still and waiting for assist
ance. threw themselves overheard
and were waited off by the rapid cur
rent and drowned. The shrieks of
the
WOUNDED AND DYING
were reverberated from the distant
shores and many a CHASTITY and heart
sckening spectacle presented itself
on the deck of the i'll fated boat. One
man had been completely submerged
In the boiling water, which inundated
the cabin and in his removal to the
deck the skin separated from his en-
tire body. The unfortunate man was
practically boiled alive. Although the
flesh parted from his bones and his
agOnies were most intense he MAIN
tanned perfect consciousness for sew
eral hours. Another passenger was
found lying aft of the wheel with an
arm and leg blown off and as no sur
glcal aid could be rendered him death
from loss of blood soon ended his suf-
ferings. Miss c. Butler of Massachu-
sets, was so badly scalded that after
lingering in unspeakable agony for
three hours death came to her relief
Many were drowned whose names
DO not appear in the list of
THOSE WHO persisted
by this disaster. A number of the
victims were so badly mutilated and
disdgured that their bodies could not
pc identified and owing to these
causes the list may be considered as
very incomplete. Capt. Beam and
Lady with some others were fortunate
enough to escape unhurt.
Those who were killed were vii
Lam Cornell, Va, f. Frazier, Glib
sonport Thos. Brown, Scotland; VIM.
Mcfarland, Washington county, Ky;
Joseph ID. Wilson and James Carpen-
ter Md; Alexander Philpot. Henry
county, Va; VIM. Steel, Warrenton;
NJ. T.; Peter Huber. Baltimore: Rob-
eft Robinson, VIM Larkin. Natchez;
Amos Shorter, VIM. Albright, David
Young, Theodore Wright and Mrs.