The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-14
Most of Those Who Lost Their
 Lives Were Negroes.
Hole Torn in the Bottom cf tho Vessel by snag, and She Sank Within Few Moments.
 Story Told by One ox
 the Survivors.

Carbondale. H.. May 13.--The steam CT City of Paducah was sunk in the Ohio river near Brunkhorst Landing about four miles north of Grand Tow CT at 12 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 . downward trip and stopped at most of the landings and loaded on freight. Be- tween Il and 12 o'clock Miss Fannie Block, who, in company with her par- ents. Rev. and Mrs. Block, was going from St. Louis to Evansville, was rous-. ed from sleep by a sudden jar. She asked her mother If her berth had broken down and no sooner had the words passed her lips than water rush. ed into the apartments and they were compelled to act quickly to save their lives.
 With four others they escaped to the Illinois shore by holding on to drift wood and swimming. The seven sared are Jews. Rev. MT. Block is a Jewieh Rabbi. The seven survivors of the ca tastrophe made their way down the
  ed Mrs. Baronowsky. at the Fremont Hotel. where they were givn lodging until this morning.
 They lost all their clothes and vaiu- ables and had nothing but their ux1-' derwear and blankets about them- Among the drowned were about twen- ty-five negro roustabouts. Reverend Block, wife and daughter passed through Carbondale this morning on their way to Evansville. where they will reside.
 A man whose home Is in Kansas City, told the following story of the disaster:
 T got on the boat at Landing 7s to 9o to Cairo, The boat stopped at Lake Ditch landing and took on several sacks of corn. We landed again at Brunkhorst, which is only few miles from Lake Ditch. and took on corn. At both places about seventeen sacks were loaded. After the corn at Brunk- horst had been placed on board the b, at started down stream and just as she put off she struck a snag. tearing a big hole in her. The crew then tried to place the stern of the boat toward the river and while turning her around sine sank. She is about thirty feet from shore and her cabin and pilot house are above water. I jumped into a skiff and made to shore.
 q do not know how many were abandoned, but I think there were about twenty-five drowned. Among them were two engineers. one white woman and about fifteen negroes.
 "There was great confusion and 1t may be that more are drowned.
 Rabbi Block dad just retired for the night in a berth next to that occupied by his wife and daughter, when the boat struck the snag No warning whatever of impending danger was given.
 "The boat" he said, took on at Fountain Bluff 1,500 sacks of corn. Some .f us thought the boat was over loaded When the vessel struck the snag she broke in two lengthwise, one side careening and going to the bottom at once, while the other floated. hap pened to be on the floating part.
 Miss Block, Rabbi Blocks daughter. was rescued by Captain Kilpatrick- She was asleep in her berth when the accident happened. The captain by great exertion succeeded in taking her and her mother from the wreck.