Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-12
RIVER PACKETS BURN
The Volunteer, Mascot and Saturn
All Completely Destroyed By
the Flames
Also Three Barges and . Number Of
Smaller River Craft Are
Burned.
Total Loss Of Boats Estimated at
s60,0O0-List Of the Destroyed
Crafts

Davenport, April u. The volunteer is
in twelve feet of water In the harbor at
the Kahlke Bros. boat yards. With it
are the Mascot, the Saturn and three
sbarges, beside a number Of lesser river
craft all sent to the bottom by a fire
which ragged in the yards for several
hours during the night. The total loss is
estimated at 100000, of which $4,000
represents the loss of the Volunteer. and
on her there is 81. 900 insurance. Insur-
!ance Of other boats not given.
There were number IN Davenport
who saw the flames before the alarm
was sounded in Rock Island. AT the
boat yards the origin OF the fire is
mystery, but the whole crew of the
Mascot maintains that the fire originat
ed on the Volunteer. The crew of the
Mascot had steam up and had just re-
tired for the night when the fire was
discovered. John Stafford, the mate,
said the fire originated on the other
boat and not on the Mascot. In this
assertion he was supported by Levi
King, first engineer. Manning King, the |
second engineer. and Glenn King, the
fireman. William Davis, Mat Mulligar,
and Frank Handlean, the deck hands,
also are quoted as affirming that the
fire originated on the Volunteer. Moth
ing that these men could do would have
stopped the progress Of the flames, for
there was a stiff Wind blowing down
the river towards the other boats
The Rock Island fire department re-
sponded quickly, but as the nearest fire
plug was 1000 feet from the fire, the
pressure was much reduced. Several
streams We're played on the fire, but it
could not be checked. The blaze spread
to the Saturn. and to the Mascot and
to a number of barges andsother boats.
The City of Winona. Capt. Streck-6
fus' other boat, was saved by scratch.
She was near the fire and house boat
burned loose from its moolings and
shoated down against the side of the.
Winona. Two men who live near saw
that she too would burn unless some
thing was done. and that at once, and
they loosed the cables with which she
was tied up and let her float down the
river out of the reach Of the flames.
AS it is She escaped with a blackened
side and burned paint.
The boats and barges destroyed by the
I fire during the night are:
Volunteer, owned by the Carnival
City Packet Company, Capt. Blair,
president; loss, $4,000, and insurance
$1,000.
4 Mascot, owned by G. H. Deere.
\ Saturn, Capt. Winans, Waukesha,
| Wis.
1 c. H. Deeress barge, used for excur-
IIsions and well built.
| Little Verne. Capt. Streckfus' barge
for excursions.
Comfort, a barge belonging to Capt.
Blair.
81 Several smaller barges and a naptha
launch. owned by George Lindsay.
These are total wrecks. There is
nothing visible above water but the
wheels of some of the boats. All the
lhulls are full of water.
The Volunteer was the first boat to
sink, ner stern now being the only thing
visible out of the water in the harbor.
/ The Saturn's smoke stack is visible
Saboye the water. and as Mr.. Becker
says. looks like the wreck OF the NIais,e..
| The Volunteer was pougnt in 1882 or
1883 by Capt. Van SAINT and until three
years agowas operated as rafter. She
was under contract to tow RATS from
/ the north to the Christ Mueller Lumber
company, the Burlington. Muscatine
/ and Clinton mills. She was built at an
isexpense of easily 100000.
The Mascot used to be Dinlock e
Kould Lumber COMPANY boat, but was
later sold to Charles Deere She used
to be the consort. or bow boat for the.
Moline. a rafter. She was fixed up as a
pleasure craft at great expense several
Years ago.
The Saturn is an old rarter owned by
capt. George Winans. of Waukesha.
i She Mas built some twelve years ago at;
1.-THE kahlke yards in Rock Island. She
WAS in commission in the Burlington,
\ Quincy and the knapp-Stout Lumber
/ Company. of st. Louis. as also in the
/ Eau Claire towing business under con
tract made by her master. Capt. Wi
mans. She originally cost $4,000.
The Winona narrowly escaped the fire,
being in the water at the time. and for
Etunately gotten out of the way of the
I flames.