The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-04-21
OVER FIFTY LIVES LOST
Passengers and Cnw of the City 81
Pittsburg Perish.
THE BOAT BURNED.
All Records Destroyed Which Render
an Accurate list Impossible All
Passengers Lost Their Pos.
sessions in the Fire.

/
Cairo. ILL.,. April 2t.---oue OF the
worst disasters in the history If river
navigation occurred shortly after
o'clock Sunday morning at Ogden'f
Landing. near this city While almas'
all aboard were asleep. the steamer
| City Of Pittsburg was discovered to- be
burned to the water The loss OF over
| $4,000 on the steamer does not include
| the cargo. both being a total loss. The
| latest estimates are that there were
| 100 persons aboard and that moi more
| than half OF them We're saved. many
| of the latter being burned or injured
| AS the register Of the steamer was
| burned. no list can be given. either OF
| the victims or the survivors. and Ii
| the confusion Il has been impossible
| to get complete lists Capt Phillips
| admits that the death list may reach
60.
Most OF the passengers were in bed
| when Second Clerk Oliver Phillips
gave the alarm The engineers at once
started all the pumping engines, while
the crew brought all the hose into play
Amid the streams of water ON all sides
| the flames on the lower deck and dense
clouds of smoke, the passengers rushed
from their rooms aud frightful panic
ensued: The appeals OF the officers
and crew could not appease the terror,
stricken crowds, that interfered with
those throwing water on the flames
as well as with those working with the
lifeboats Few could adjust life pre-
| servers or do anything else for them.
| selves.
|. The smoke was sitting Great clouds
| fioated through the blazing steamer
| choking the passengers and adding &c
| the terror Children cried pitifufly
/ begging that they lie saved. They
| be emptied. it returned to- the Inflated
/ death confronted them, and chung &c
| their mothers as though they alone
| could save them.
| rffeboats were manned and every
| effort was made to save the passe myers
| from the furnace OF flames. Sturdy
boatmen rowed desperately in theiI
heroic work Of rescue.
| From the river banks the SPARK
| from the burning craft and the dense
| clouds of smoke tinged with tongues
| Of flame, made a most impressive yea
| weird spectacle,
| Boats were sent from the shore to DC
| what they could in the work of rescue
Boats. laden to their limit with pas
| sengers In the seant attire they were
| able to gather, were landed at the
| river banks. AS fast as one boat could
| knew as well as their elders. thai
steamer, the rescuers not waiting tc
| catch breth of rest
The burning steamer was quickly
headed TO the bank but passengers had
to jump off the stern. and trying K
swim ashore through the swift current
many were drowned Many also per
ished in the flames Only one yaw
was saved. without oars, and the won
en- were taken off About 20 or 81
were taken off in the yawl. the rest be
Ing picked up out of the water.
I The fire started in the forward
hatch larboard and burned flercely
4
escapes were made over the cabin rail
Ing. Very few passengers or the crew
were aware of FIRE until 1t was to-
later The captain and clerk state IL
persons were aboard including tn
crew. and claim in all 50 persons hav'
been accounted for, leaving 60 peopl
lost or unaccounted for
Just prior to the boats departure sh
4 IN~ an inGnaFf1nn
United States Inspectors Cameron an
/, Fern and was granted first class pa
II pers
Many passengers chung by finger tip
!, TO the burning boat with bodies sub
merged. until, overcome by fire 0
water, they sank to death, Wesle
| Nicely. a fisherman. rescued two fror
r the wheel house. One was man an
the other woman. The latter clnn
to the boat until her hands wer
j burned.
II Captain Doss. who was drowned, wa
an OLD river pilot He was maxim
the trip for pleasure with his son, Pilo
:. Harry Doss and when his body wa
found a mile or so below the wrecl
: he had on all his clothes and III
] preseryer 1t is believed he died froE
| the shock Captain Doss had been
= work for some time on a history
+ notable river disasters.
II The following is a partial list OF
/. | tanned, as far as possible. with mel
:, gre information obtainabie
Passengers known to have been lost
III Captain Wesley Doss. retired rive
r pilot, Cincinnati.
al Miss Marie Tessim. Cannelton, In
r. Three children of Mrs Fannie d.
Cullom OF Leavenworth, Ind.
i, Patrick Burke and seven children
Q his family, Greensboro. Ky.
II Child OF Pilot AL Prltchard. Men
phis, Tenn.
II Clay Breeze. wife and son. Uniol
town, KY.
III child OF Archie NJ. Alien. Pittsburl
i Pa.
vi Miss Mary Lister. Carrollton, O.
Mr.. Adams OF Ohio.
II Nj. Downs Memphis. Tenn.
I'll Miss Sweeny, Greensboro, KY.
ell L. L. HUNTER of Latinti, Pa.
I'll Members OF the crew missing. %
: sibly dead:
Toe Redding. Cincinnati. o.