The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27

some success on the upper Mississippi.
where all times the water is clear and
not liable to make much sediment or scale.
They had not been in use long on the lower
Mississippi, and it would have been only
question Of time, ii was the opinion of ex-
perts. for all steamers using those boilers
TO have gone the way that the Sultana, the
Carter and the Missouri went had they not
been taken out.
i have one word to say for the engineer
who on duty at the time and who lost
his life. 1t was talked around that he was
under the influence Of liquor I can say for
him, and all who were perfectly acquainted
with him can say the same. that he
was total abstainer from anything of the
kind. 1 went off watch on that fatal night
while the boat was lying at the Memphis
wharf. L retired from my berth and did
not know anything until 1 was aroused by
the explosion. That is as fresh in my men,
DRY to-day as it was twenty-one years ago.
1 stood bewildered for a moment and then
saw the river perfectly alive with human
beings struggling in the water. And the
cry from all quarters was Put out the fire..
which was getting good Roadway by this
time. But there was much confusion and
such complete wreck of the boat that no.
body apparently could get out of the posi-
ton he was in. l managed to get hold of
the shutters and saw that the fire would
soon force me OF the boat. I took my
chances and jumped into the river. l was
not in the water long until came across a
gangway plank about thirty feet long and
about fifteen inches wide. L abandoned my
shutter for it. 1 was not there long until
four others kept me company. There was
just about enough buoyancy to keep our
heads above water. We hoated that way
for two hours. when we lodged against
snag. One poor fellow became so benumbed
from cold that he could hold no longer and
sank to rise no more In a very short time
after that we were picked up by one of the
relief boats that came from Memphis and
were taken to the city. There were sup
posed to be about 1920 people. all told. on
the Sultana at the time, of which about
one-half were lost"
STRANGLED BY A COMPANION.
Otto Bardon, an Ohio soldier, wrote: 81
was in the engine room of the steamer
sound asleep, lying by the hatchhole, with
seven others of my regiment, when the ex-
plosion took place. First a terrific explo-
sion, then hot steam, smoke, pieces of
brickbats and chunks Of coal came thick
and fast. 1 gasped for breath. A fire broke
out that lighted up the whole river. 1 stood
at the hatchhole to keep comrades from
falling in, for the top was blown off by the
explosion. L stood here until the fire com
PEELED me to leave. / tried to get a large
plank, but this was too heavy, so 1 left it
and got a small board and started to the
wheel to jump into the water Here
young man said TO me, You jump first;
cannot swim 1 said to him, You must
paddle your own canoe; cannot help you
Then jumped and stuck to my board
went down so far that / let go of my board
and padded to get on top of the water
strangled twice before 1 reached the top and
then the young man caught me and he
strangled me twice. BY this time I was
about played out
"One of the men of my regiment found a
door, and we started across the river by its
aid. We had not more than started when
a man swan up and laid himself across the
center of our door, l looked back and saw
the wheelhouse fall. 1t had burned off If
we had remained there a minute longer it
would have buried us in the fire. When
we got to the center of the river the steam
er was about out of sight. We met three
young men clinging to large trunk. They
grasped our door for us to steer them into
the timber. We had not gone far until
these bore too much weight upon our door.
That put us all out under the water 1
said Boys, if you don't keep your weight
off the door you must steer the trunk your
selves BY this time L was cold, benumbed
and in a sinking condition, but, having
presence of mind, 1 reached and got my
board and called aloud to God for help.
Soon we were among the timber on the
Hen and Chickens island. We were res
cued by a steamer sent in search of us
from Memphis
]. Walter Elliott, who enlisted in Lafay-
cite, spoke of his experience in the follow
ing: about $500 embarked on the Sultana
for st. Louis. Passengers were crowded,
damned and packed on all the decks, and
guards in the cabin. But what cared the
survivors of Andersonville? The war was
over and we were going home. Each night
the cabin was filled with a row of double
deck cots. had been fortunate in securing
one of these, but on the night previous to
reaching Memphis L asked a stranger,
whose name 1 never knew, to occupy my
cot, while 1 spent the night in a chair.
was aroused by the boat leaving the wharf
a little after midnight. Fell asleep again,
and then there came the report as OF the
discharge of a park of artillery, and 1 was
sitting bolt upright, straining my eyes and
stretching my arms out into the Egyptian
| darkness, face, throat and lungs burning
as if immersed in a boiling cauldron. Crash
fell the chimneys on the roof From all
around arose shrieks, cries, prayers and
groans. 1 sprang TO my feet, dressed
hastily and started forward. / saw a pic
ture that beggars all description. There
were mangled and scalded human forms
heaped and piled amid the burning debris
on the lower deck. The cabin. roof and
| Texas were cut in twain, the broken planks
on either side of the break meeting the
flames and lifting them to the upper deck.
Women and little children in nightclothes,
men who had stood undaunted many a
BATTLEFIELD, all contributed to the confusion
and horror Of the scene. Wringing their
hands, tossing their arms, with heart
rending cries they rushed pell-mel over
the guards into the dark, cold waters of
the river.
THREW HELPLESS MAN INTO RIVER.
Captain, will you please help me?' 1
turned in the direction of the voice so pO-
lite. cool and calm amid the confusion. l
saw a man, bruised, cut, scalded in various