The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
DAILY, $40 A YEAR.
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WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-W EEK 81 A YEAR
DESTRUCTION OF THE MEIGs.
SIX MEN KILLED IN THE EXPLOSION
OF THE NINE.

II Let Loose It's Tremendous Force
While Several Feet Under Water.
The Vessel Was Carried by Wind
and Tide to the Enst Bank and
Nearly Everything of Value Was
saved-MirRcuIODS Escape of Pilot
Davis, and Others of the Crew-The
Accident InexpIIcabIc - Work or
Removing Mines Abandoned.
Fort Sc. Philip. La, Sept. 4.--When the
John r. Megs had her forecastle blowu
off there We're six men hurled into the
Mississippi who never came to the sur
face
Three others were thrown into the river,
but were not so badly injured as to pre-
vent their climbing back onto the boat.
Contrary to the advices received Satut-
day night the Melgs did not sink lmme-
diately. Disabled as sne was she was car
red by the tide and a stin wind TO the
east bank, where her stern grounded and
her bow swung out and pointed down
stream.
Nearly everything of value mad been
recovered before she had lurched off the
bank on which her stern rested and
plunged bow foremost into the deep water
Of the channel.
The men hurled to death by the dyna-
mite never saw the mine that exploded
The shock came when It was several feet
beneath the surface. The six men killed
were
CAPT. p. r. STARR of vicksburg
sERGT JOHN NEWMAN, willets
Point, N. Y.
PRIVATE PAT CARLOS. wnlets
Point N. Y.
FIREMAN J. d. MALONE.
RALPH ROGERS, colored.
HARRY JACKSON, colored.
The wounded were:
d. 3. REDDICKS.
FRITZ KOCH.
They are here in the hospital.
Pilot Davis was at the wheel at ths
time of the explosion and the flying frag-
ments of the torpedo and the shattered
steel deck tore the pilot house to pieces.
Mr. Davis. however, escaped unhurt
Lieut.. Henry Jervey was within a few
feet of the pilot house. and he, too, was
fortunate enough TO escape unhurt.
Night Watchman Frank c. Coape,
uSiStp III MS caDln on the DOllef deCks
was awakened by the crash, to find him
self in hole in the roof and hs bed
jammed against the wall by piece of the
steel deck. He climbed out through the
hole.
Lieut. Jervey and Pilot Harris were also
on the boiler deck
d. B. Reddicks was blown into the river.
A piece Of steel went through his right
forearm and another tore off a piece OF
his scalp.
Engineer Layne was blown into the
river and escaped injury.
There were nineteen people in the boat
when the explosion occurred. The explo-
sion occurred about II O'Clock 1t was noon
when the Meigs sank. Her entire fore-
castle was blown off, and nothing but her
wster-tght compartments prevented her
immediate sinking.
column of water was hurled fifty feet
high into the air, and the debris blown sew
eral hundred feet high.
Portions Of the torpedo and steel deck
fell on the east bank in front of Fort ST.
Phillip, 1,5C0 feet from the scene OF the
wreck.
Maj Quinn arrived at Fort ST. Philllu
at o'clock. He stated that no more tor
pedoes will be taken up. The work will
be abandoned There are nineteen still in
the water.
Maj Quinn and Lieut. Jervey agrees
that the accident is inexplcable 1t was
impossible for the torpedoes to explode.
The torpedo did explode, and that is the
way they summarize the situation.