The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-04
SURVIVORS OF
THE SULTANA
Holding Interesting Sessions
In This City.
SHERIFF JOHN j. ZAISER
with the :Aid OF Illustrations, Tells The
Story of That Terrible Disaster On the
Mississippi at The Tabernacle
Last Night.

at Odd Fellows temple, Tuesday after
noon to finish the uncompleted busi-
ness of the morning session. Minutes
of the preceding meeting were read and
approved. Regrets were read from a
number of members of the association,
who were unable to attend. Other
routine business pertaining to the
organization was taken care of. Among
the most important of which was THAT
a committee on monument be authoriz-
ed to prepare and forward to Washing
ton for passage, bill to erect a monu-
ment in memory of the soldiers of the
Rebellion, who lost their lives by the
explosion and burning of the steamer
"Sultana," on the Mississippi river,
April 27, 1866"
The next convention is TO be held at
Lindsay, Ohio, on the first Tuesday
after the 9th day of April 1901.
Upon motion that the rules be sus-
pended the officers for the past year
were reelected for the presnt year.
They are: S. H. Raudebaugh, colonel
A. A. Jones, lieutenant colonel; A. w.
King, major; William Fies, adjutant;
L. w. McCrory, quarter master, and
DR.. w. p. Madden, chaplain.
After other minor matters was atten-
ded to the convention adjourned to meet
at the tabernacle in the evening.
In the evening the tabernacle was
crowded with the Survivors and their
friends. The stage was beautifully
decorated. over the stage, hung a ban
ner on which was inscribed Welcome
Sultana Survivors" Two large flags
gracefully draped, hung at the sides of
the stage, and huge picture Of An
dersonville prison, in the foreground.
Large stars of white with red border
hung in the rear, one bearing the figures
1885," the other 1900" Potted plants
were arranged about the stage, making
the scene one of beauty. Pictures of
Lincoln, Washington and Mckinley,
hung over the draperies. S. H. Raude-
baugh called the meeting to order.
Chaplain Madden opened the evening s
entertainment with prayer. J. ]. Clark
delivered the address of welcome, and
paid an eloquent and fitting tribute to
the veterans of the civil war. and to
the members of the Sultana Survivors.
and said that the scene through which
the Survivors passed admitted them
to bonds of fraternity that would never
be broken.
Chaplain Madden responded in very
of Miss Flora Holland, Miss Blanche
Grove, Harry Keys and George Sauer-
brey sang, Come where the Lilies
bloom in such manner as to elicit an
encore, when they again appeared and
sang Sweet and low." The Thayer
orchestra enlivened the occasion with
many of their popular selections. Miss
Anna Lewis sang a very pretty song,
entitled after the war is over" The
little Miss has a very sweet voice, which
barring accidents, will make the little
maid a prominent place among the
singers of Canton. She appeared again
and sang Dear Adele" Miss Ella
Rex recited "All hail old comrades" /"
and "In spite of what papa said.'
Sheriff John j. Zaiser, who is one of
the three survivors living in this city,
who has been so jealous in the details,
endeavoring to make the visit Of
his comrades a memorable one in Can
ton, aroused the audience with some
German dialect songs. The members
of the Sultana Survivors then came up
on the stage where they could be seen
by the audience, some of them long,
some short, some bald and some with
hair of grey. Each one looked every
inch a man." They were the men
whom they could not starve to death
in the southern prisons. Every one of
them were men whom they could not
drown. And every one of them had
went through the fire but could not be
burned They made fine appearance
as they stood upon the stage.
John j. Zaiser then pointed out on the
map the different objective points with
in the stockade at Andersonville-the
different buildings within the woodeT
walls, where he spent the years 1864 ant
'65. Cannons were placed at different
angles so that in case of a surprise oil
revolt series of cross fires could b'
turned upon the prisoners. He, will
| the aid of the illustrations, told thu
| story of that terrible disaster. Th'
| "Sultana" left Pittsburg in the latte
part of April and arrived at Memphis
with large cargo of sugar and mules
| At Vicksburg, over 2,300 soldiers wh'
had been prisoners Of war, was crowde'
on the boat, soldiers who for month";
and years had been slowed in rebe
prisons. The passenger capacity OF tn
boat was 400, yet the commander issue'
an order and said that II the captain
did not pue them aboard he woul
place the captain in irons. Two thou
sand three hundred men were crowde
on this steamer which was overloade
more than five times It's capacity. TIL
steamer forced her way up the Missis
sippi, against the current, on the 25t
until she reached the dock at Memphi
where she was coaled up, and left o
the night of April 26th. at IL o'clocl
Many of the soldiers retired for tn
night and dreamed Of the home the
were returning to. April 9th, whe
about seven miles north of Memphis
the boilers of the Sultana exploded an
the boat took fire. OF the $500 person
aboard only about 400 escaped. Hur
dreds of them never knew what haI
pened, others were terribly scalded. I'll
little handful of the living survivor
numbering about 80. 80 of whom al
| .a,,hiad In cnpuantinu In otIr pitv II