The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-05-07

or All Escape and the Vessel Was
Macs OF Flames In Fifteen Minutes
Only Those Were Saved who Left
THAR Bsrths and jun ped Overheard.
Cairo. Ill.-The river steamer City
Of Pi.tsburg. Of the Cincinnati and
Southern packet trade. was burned to
the waters edge In the river. near
Turner's Landing. and about sixty
lives were lost. OF these twenty-five
persons were burned and the others
drowned.
The boat was on her way from Gin
cinnati to Memphis with about 1oo
persons aboard. Sixty were members
Of the crew and the others passengers
Fire was discovered aboard the yes
sci at about 4 o'clock a. m. 1t had
gained such headway that 1t was use
less to fight 1t. and mad rush for life
ensue6. Many passengers remained
asleep In their staterooms until the
dames cut Off their escape.
A single iifeboat was launched by
the crew. and q number Of the pas
sengers dropped over the rail into It
1t was about to be swamped by the
crowding Of panic-stricken passengers
when the rope that held II was burned
In two, and 1t drifted away to safety
Those who had escaped from theil
staterooms. only to find the boat gone
jumped into the river. A few Of then
managed to reach the Illinois shore
hut the majority were believed to have
been drowned.
OF the passengers the following art
known to be lost: Captain w. Dass
Cincinnati: Miss Marie Tessim. Can
Melton, Ind: three children OF Mrs
Fannie McCullum. Of Leavenworth
Ind: Patrick Burt and eleven mem
hers Of his family. all Of Owensboro
Ey.: child Of Pilot Al Pritchard: Clay
Breeze. wife and son. OF Cniontown
KY: child Of Archie II. Alien. of Pitts
burg.
or the crew the following are miss
ing: Joe Redding. Cincinnati. ant
Fred Jones. Newport: Engineer Ton
Smith. Memphis; Pilot William Bolun
ger. Cincinnati; First Steward Henr!
Thomas. colored. Cincinnati: Secont
Steward John Bats, Cincinnati; Cool
Tony Gilfoil. Cincinnati.
The following members Of the crew
names unknown. are also missing
First pantryman, three colored fire
men. six cabin boys. two chamber
maids. six or eight deck-hands.
The experience Of the passengers wa
very much the same. The case OF Mrs
Herman McCullum was most pitiful
With her three children she was 60
Ing to Charlottesville. No.. to join he
husband. She jumped overheard ant
landed In the yawl, but her three chi!
dren were not so fortunate. for the!
landed In the water and she saw then
sink from sight. She was nearly fran
tic with frief. The youngest Of tn,
little ones was recovered opposite
Mound City. and its remains were iden
titled by the poor mother.
Another terribly sad circumstanc
was the loss OF one Of the children o
Pilot Al. Pritchard. The little on
was tossed from the burning steame
into the arms waiting to catch 1t II
the yawl. but Its head struck agains
the side of the boat and 1t fell into tn
river and was lost. The mother wa
nearly wild with grief.
One Of the surviving members OF tn
crew says: The fire was discovere'
at 4.O5 o'clock in the forward hold
By 4.15 the entire boat was in flames
and at 4.30 the whole boat was
wreck. The front stairway burned
cutting of any avenue Of escape
Captain Dass. who was drowned
was on old river pilot. He was maxim
the trip for pleasure with his son. PHO
Harry Dass. and when his body wa
found, q mile or so below the wreck
he had on all his clothing and a life
preserver. 1t Is believed that he die
from the shock.
Pittsburg. Pa.-The steamer City o
| Pittsburg was hoodoo. So said ey
cry river man on the Ohio River. From
the time she left the boatyard at Ma
rietta, Ohio. she passed through on
! series OF accidents after another unit
It was difficult to lind crews to maj
| the stern.wheeler.
II was one Of the largest boats Ol
the Ohio River. and was designed b.
Captain John VI. Phillips. Of Pittsburs
for the Louisville aud Pitrsburs packe
trade.
The initial trip from Marietta t
! Pittsburg took two weeks. and th
crew said the boat had to stop ever.
few miles. as something went wrong
Accidents. tire and bloOdshed wer
monthly happenings. Fire almos
wiped her out in Cincinnati. but sh
was saved by the Cincinnati Fire De
partment. and scarcely month NJ
one Of the mates killed negro deck
hand ut Tiptonv!ile. Mo-. by shooting
him. The mate was tried and at
quilted.
The boat was insured 1t S30,OG
most of the policies being held by Pitt:
burg agents.