The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-21
Imprisoned and Perished Like Rats
When the steamer Was struck by
Squall and Turned Turtle.
SEVENTEEN WERE DROWNED
SEVERAL BODIES RECOVERED AND
TAKEN TO PADUCAH.
Only One Woman Saved-Cuipabls
CareIessness Alleged to Have
Caused the Disaster.

PADUCAH, Ky, Aug. W.-The horror OF
the City of Golconda disaster at Cotton
wood bar, four miles above Paducah, last
night, is just beginning to he fully compre-
hended by the people of Paducah as body
after body is brought into the city and
taken to the undertakers'. The boats reg
lister has not yet been recovered, but IL Is
certain the death list will number seven
teen, and perhaps twenty-five. There were
sixty persons aboard. An official investiga-
ton will be made as it seems certain that
the most culpable carelessness caused the
catastrophe The following are known to
have perished:
MISS LIZZIE GRAHAM, Grahamville.
MISS LUCY BARNETT. Smithland.
MISS TRIXIE GRIMES, Grahamvilie.
MISS MAY FILMING. Birdsville. Ky.
MRS. DAVID ADAMS, Smithland.
MRS. w. A. HOGAN and three children
IRA aged ten: WALLACE. aged eight, and
LUCILLE, aged six, Paducah.
WATTS DAVIS. Livingstone county.
CLARENCE SLAYDEN, Lola, Ky.
WALLACE BENNETT, Tolu, Ky.
ID. JACKSON (colored). Paducah-
WILL WOODS (colored) Golconda.
GEORGE WASHINGTON (colored), Col
conda.
HORACE RONDEAU (colored). Golconda.
GEORGE SANDSBURG (colored), Col
conda.
A. A. Peck, the pilot. claims the engineer
deserted his post and that he could not
manage the boat with the engines helpless.
The engineer denies this and claims that
he remained at the throttle until the water
was waist deep. Frank Enders. one OF the
passengers. corroborated by several Others
declares that the effort to land brought
the side of the boat around that the
wind struck IL full force. There had been
almost a gale blowing for ten minutes,
and one man who could not swim went to
the pilot house and begged the pilot to
land When he did finally consent to land
the hurricane. visible as a huge black
streak sweeping across the river, struck
the boat as it swung around in position
least able to resist IL.
Early this morning the work of search
ing for the remains began. the party be-
ing led by Charles Graham, county clerk,
and Luther Graham, his brother. whose
sister among the dead. Three bodies
were recovered in the forenoon, those of
Miss Trixie Grimes, Miss Lucy Barnett
and Mrs. David Adams. Miss Barnett's 5
face was badly laceraIed.
This afternoon the bodies of Miss Gra-
ham and Mrs. w. A. Hogan and Lucille,
The position of the limbs and the express
sion on the faces. as we'll as scratches
and bruises, Indicate a fierce struggle
when the prisoners were caught in the
little cabin like rats. All the bodies were
brought here and prepared for burial. The
reason the work of recovery is so slow is
because the furniture Is piled on the
bodies. The boat is being dismantled as
she lies in eighteen feet of water in order
that the dead may he reached. a sicken-
ing odor already emanates from the wreck.
and hundreds of people are on the scene
as spectators and volunteer assistants
The crowd Is SO thick that the wreckinG
crew has great difficulty in wrecking.
Groups OF sad-visaged people dotted the
wharf here all day awaiting tidings from
the rescuers. while the parlors of the Rich
mond Hotel were filled with weeping
women.
man OF Paducah. and MIR. Archibald Lewis
a travelling man for George II. Barnes *
Co. of ST. Louis. had narrow escapes. and
when they were thrown into the water
caught several posts on the boats. which
successively broke. They finally got on
top of the inverted hull and there found a
farmer. who not even wet. He ex-
planned this by saying he Just kept climb
ing
H.. the only woman saved. is badly
bruised. When she went down she clung
To her child and both were finally saved
by roustabouts. She was sitting on the
lower guards, so she could be near her
husband. the engineer. when the boat
postmaster r. II. Garner. Of BAY CITY.
ILL., was marvelously saved. He went down
in the wreckage and a drowning rouster
caught hts foot. He able 10 get but
four fingers above the water and Clerk
Clarence Coker saw them and pulled him
out
Frank Enders. a nephew OF Police Judge
Sanders OF this city was sitting I'm the
gangway when the lurch came. He kept
climbing and when he reached the hull of
the boat saw two men drown. The boat is
bottomside up. fifty yards from shore. in
eighteen feet OF water.
The whereabouts of Mr.. Hogan. husband
OF one OF the women. and the three chill
dren drowned unknown. He travels
for the Clark Grocery Company, OF ST.
Louis.