The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-28

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War Eagle Burned to Death, Hen
ry HOItra, Pantryman, Missing,
and Others Injured-TvvO Wharf
boats Badly Damaged.
St. Louis, Sept. 22.-In the destruc-
ton, by fire, of the steamers War
Eagle and Carrier, at the foot of
Locust street, early Friday morning,
one man was burned to death, an
other is missing, third was painful
ly burned, and property estimated at
100000 in value was lost.
The wharf boats Eagle and Illinois
were badly damaged.
The Casualties.
Joseph Schultz, third clerk of the
War Eagle, was burned to death.
Henry Holtia, of Cincinnati, the Sec
ond pantryman on the War Eagle, is
missing.
Robert HI. Miller, Waterman on the
War Eagle, was severely burned about
the neck and hands.
Starting of the Fire.
The fire started about a. M, in
the sleeping room of the fireman of
the War Eagle, of the Eagle Packet
Co., which was lying at the wharf
boat waiting to take on cargo for her
regular trip to Commerce, Mo-, and
way ports.
1t was discovered by Robert Miller,
the Waterman. He got a bucket of
water and threw it on the flames,
but saw that efforts of this kind
would be useless. The woodwork was
perfectly dry. and, Miller says, the
flames were all about him before he
had time to get another bucket of
water. He sprang up the ladder and
began the work of arousing the Off
GERS and crew.
The third clerk, Jospeh Schultz,
aroused, and it was thought he was
safe, but it appears that he was
smothered by smoke before he could
escaeP.
Nobody seems to know anything
about Holtia. Henry Sherman, the
steward, says he was aboard, and has
not been seen since. Miller was badly
burned while he was making a second
round of the boat to make sure that
everyone was awakened.
Communicated to the Carrier.
The Carrier, a smaller boat, plying
between Mozier Landing, Ill, and ST.
Louis, arrived at two o'clock Friday
morning, and was moored beside and
a little behind the War Eagle. On
board of her, asleep, were 20 passen-
gers, the crew and a large cargo of
wheat, apples and other produce. Be-
fore the Carrier could be cast loose
the fire had communicated to her up
per works, and the Waterman, Will
lam Criger, an once devoted all of his
energies to getting the passengers
and crew aroused and off the boat,
and Notwithstanding many of the for
mer We're women, he was, happily,
successful.
The Fire Department Responded.
The fire department responded
promptly, but the whole river would
hardly have been effectual in the
quenchiDg of the flames. The best
the department could do was to save
nearby boats and wharves. Their eff |
forts on this line were successful, the |
only other damage being to the |
wharfbOats Eagle and Illinois.
The big steamer Hill City escaped |
by casting loose and drifting down |
the stream out of reach of the sparks |
and flames.
The War Eagle was put in service |
year ago. She cost 100000, and is |
burned to the hull. Officers of the |
Eagle Packet Co., which owned her,
believe the hull is not damaged. They |
estimate the loss at $4,000, with no
insurance.
The Carrier, a much smaller boat, |
was worth $1,000. She was insured. |
The value of her cargo is not known,
but it is estimated at $4,000. The car |
go was not insured.
Crews Lost Everything.
The officers and crews of the two |
boats burned lost everything they had |
on board. Most of the men slept in |
shirts and overalls. Nearly all had |
chests of clothing on board. None |
made any attempt to save these.
Clothing, jewelry, tools, all the pos
sessions of those on board, were for
gotten in the rush for life.
Of more value than the clothing and |
property of those who slept on the |
boat were the belongings of Capt. |
Leyhe, Clerks Gates and Lawrie, and |
half dozen other of the higher of |
ficials of the boat who had spent the |
night at their homes in the city.
Some of the passengers on the Car
rier saved a few of their personal
effects, but the fire was too quick
for anything but the most hasty
gathering up of clothing and loose
baggage.
The tug Susie Hazard, which was
at the stern of the Carrier,
narrowly escaped destruction.