The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-05-16
STEAMER GOES DOWN
City Of Paducah Strike a Snag
In Mississippi River.
ONLY SEVEN ON BOARD ESCAPE
At Least twenty-five Of the Crew, the
Majority Of Whom Were Negro
Roustabouts, Went Down
to Watery Graves.

A special from Carbondale, ILL.,,
says: The steamer City of Paducah
was sunk near Brunkhorst landing,
about four miles north Of Grand Tow
er, at IL o'clock Sunday night. Be-
tween twenty-five and fifty people
were drowned, only seven escaping
with their lives.
The City Of Paducah left st. Louis
Sunday morning on a downward trip
and stopped at most of the landings
and loaded freight Between II and
IL o'clock Miss Fannie Block, who, in
company with he: parents, Rev. and
Mrs. Block, was going from st. Louis
to Evansville, Ind, was aroused from
sleep by sudden jar. She asked her
mother if her berth had broken down,
and no sooner had the words passed
her lips than water rushed into the
apartments and they were compelled
to act quickly to save their lives.
With four others they escaped to the
Ilinois shore by holding on to drift
wood and swimming.
The seven saved are Hebrews. Rev.
Mr.. Block is Jewish rabbi. The sew
EN- survivors Of the catastrophe made
their way down the river bank to
Grand Tower and aroused Mrs. Baron
owsky, at the fremont hotel, where
they were given lodging until Monday
morning. They lost all their clothes
and valuables and had nothing but
their underwear and blankets about
them. Among the drowned were
about twenty-five negro roustaboats.
Frank White, whose home is in
Kansas City, told the following story
of the disaster:
81 got on the boat at Landing rs
to go to Cairo. The boat stopped at
Lake Ditch landing and took on sew
eral sacks of corn. We landed again
at Brunkhorst, which is only a few
miles from Lake Ditch, and took o.,
corn. At both places about seventeen
sacks were loaded. After the corn at
Brunkhorst had been placed on board
the boat started down stream and just
as she put off struck snag, tearing
big hole in her.
seThe crew then tried to place the
stern of the boat toward the river and
while turning her around she sank.
She is about thirty feet from shore
and her cabin and pilot house are
above water. I jumped into skin
and made to shore.
. 81 don't know how many were
aboard, but l think there were about
twenty-five drowned. Among them
were two engineers, one white woman
and about fifteen negroes.
There was great confusion, and it
may be that more we're drowned"
The bodies of the two passengers
have been recovered. First Mate To
bias Royal, of st. Louis, says only
about twelve passengers were on
board and all were saved except two.
The body Of DR.. ]. w. Bell, of Bells
landing, Tennessee, was taken out OF
his stateroom The remains of young
woman, on which was a visiting card
reading: "Mrs. Mary L. Allen, st.
Louis, Mo-, were recovered from her
stateroom. Two friends travelling
with the drowned woman, who started
back to st. Louis on the steamer City
of Clifton, said that the young lady
was engaged to marry DR.. c. A. Mere
dith, Of st. Louis. Several hundred
dollars worth Of jewelry was found
on her body.
It is supposed that most of the miss
ing deck hands, who were on the lower
deck, were washed down the river.
The boat lies down about 100 feet from
the Illinois shore, the forepart of the
hurricane deck being under water.
She appears to be total wreck.