Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-04-06
A STEAMBOAT SUNK.
An Explosion on the Rowena Lee
Causes the Vessel to Go Down.
MORE Than Sixty PEOPLE PERISH.
Only the CAPTAIN and One of the Crew Ia.
caps-The D-raiIa OF the Catastrophe
Meager--The Names Of Passen.
gers Not Learned.

New Madrid, Mo-. March 3O.-The
steamer Rowena Lee, with about 8
passengers aboard besides her crew
exploded opposite Tyler, Mo-, about
four o'clock yesterday afternoon, anc
Immediately sank in 70 feet OF water
with all on board except Capt Carvel
and one of the crew. The steamer left
Cairo with l6passengers aboard, bound
for Memphis At Charlottesville, Mo-,
she landed and took aboard Is more
passengers. 1t is estimated that, with
passengers and crew, she then had
aboard more than 80 people. She
made the next landing at Tyler,
Mo-, and at four o'clock yester.
day afternoon backed into mid.
stream from Tyler to proceed on her
journey. The steamer had just reached
the middle OF the river when she sud-
denly stopped and lurched as If snag
had been struck. The next moment
the boat parted in the middle, a
volume of steam and debris arose, and
the defamation Of an explosion thun-
dered over the water. The river is
running very high, and the steamer
Immediately sank with all on board
but the captain and one Of the crew.
They chung to wreckage and were
saved by boats. The cause Of the ex-
plosion is unknown.
The Lee was manned by the follow
ing cabin crew: Capt. George Carvell,
First Clerk l.. X. Booker. Second Clerk
Gus Mitchell, Third Clerk Sam Lewis,
Pilots Sid Smith and E. Banks, Mates
John Crasty and Patrick Flanagan,
Engineers Albert Calder and Frank
Stull, Steward George w. Todd, Mail
Clerk M. I. Kelly, Theodore Hum and
Logomarsino, barkeepers, and Will
liam Hight, colored, deck barkeeper.
In addition there was a deck crew of
20 to 30 hands. Most OF the crew live
in Memphis The names OF her pas
sengers cannot be learned, but among
them were II. G. Lewis, travelling
freight agent of the Lee line, and s
c. Humphrey general agent for the
Chicago Mill and Lumber company, of
Cairo
NO Def Ais RECEIVED FROM MEMPHIS.
Memphis, Tenn, March 30. THE
steamer Rowena Lee was owned by
the Lee line, of Memphis, and was one
of the most magnificent passenger
steamers in the Mississippi river trade.
She piled between Memphis and Cairo.
News Of the sinking of the Rowena
Lee spread like wildfire in Memphis.
Most of the crew lived here. As to
the passenger list Of the Inflated YES
sci nothing could be obtained at the
Memphis office of the company last
night. An effort has been made to
get the names of those passen-
gers who embarked at Cairo, but
UiiiS liob ldu uOJ Uctu TcCtlVtu
at a late hour. From local river
men 1t was ascertained that the
Rowena Lee carried cabin crew of
about Is officers and a deck crew num-
boring about 80. Taking these figures
and fair number of passengers on at
Cairo and other points it can easily be
reasoned that more than go people
we're on board the boat when the dis
aster occurred.
The officers of the Lee line in this
lily were interviewed last night Gen.
,ral Manager Robert E. Lee stated
hat he had received Geographic ad-
,ices of the loss of the vessel, but no
letails were at hand. He had no list
If the passengers The Rowena Lee
vas built at Jefferson, Ind, five years
lgO and was valued at $50. 900,