Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-04-26

most awful river disasters that ever
occurred was the burning of the
steamer City of Pittsburg, the vessel |
burning this morning almost without
warning.
The disaster occurred early this
morning at Turner's Landing, near
Olmstead, ILL.,, eleven miles from
Mound City, ILL.,, and twenty-four
miles from this city, the fire being
discovered at 4:O5 o'clock.
Most of the passengers were still 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 from the lower
deck and dense clouds of smoke, the
passengers rushed from their state
rooms and frightful panic ensued.
The appeals of the officers and crew
could not appease the terror-stricken
crowds that interfered with the hose
throwing water on the fiames as well
as with those working with the life
boats. Few could adjust life-preserv-
ers or do anything else for themselves.
The smoke was sitting. Great clouds
floated through the blazing steamer,
choking the passengers and adding to
the terror. Children cried pitifully,
begging that they be saved.
Lifeboats were manned and every
effort was made to save the passen-
gers from the furnace of flames.
Sturdy boatmen rowed desperately in
their heroic work of rescue. From
the river banks the sparks from the
burning craft and the dense clouds of
smoke, tinged with tongues of fame,
made a most impressive yet weird
pectacle. Boats were sent from the
shore to do what they could in the
work of rescue. Boats laden to their
limit with passengers in the scant at
tire they were able to gather were
landed at the river banks. AS fast as
one boat could be emptied it returned
to the ill-fated steamer. the rescuers
not waiting to catch a breath Of rest.
The burning steamer was quickly
headed to the bank, but passengers
had to jump off the stern, and, trying
to swim ashore through the swift cur
rent, many were drowned. Many also
! perished in the flames.
The steamer was wiped out by fire,
, and half of the 150 souls on board
} perished. How many cannot be told
now, as the passenger list was de-
stroyed. Capt. Phillips states that the
loss of lives will be from fifty to sixty,
half of them passengers and the other
half of the crew.
H. T. Gardner of Logansport, Ind,
was one of the passengers. He relates
his experience as follows:
about o'clock I was awakened by
the electric bells and the screams of
, passengers. My stateroom was half
way back. I put on a life preserver
and my clothes and went out and
. jumped overheard. l was almost
caught under the wheel, and saw one
> man drown who was carried under
, the boat by the swift current. I was
badly bruised about the limbs, but am
a god swimmer, and managed to gel
to Shore"
s The case of Mrs. Sherman McCullum
/ is most pitiful. With her three chill
: dren she was going to Charlottesville
|, Mo-, to join her husband. She jumped
/ overheard and landed in the yawl, but
e her three children were not so fortu
nate. as they landed in the water ant
she saw them sink from sight. She IL
nearly frantic with grief. The young
:, est of the little ones was recovered
I opposite Mound City and its remains
v were identified by the poor mother.
e Another terribly sad Circumstance
II was the loss of one of the children o
e Pilot AL Pritchard. The little one wa
L tossed from the burning steamer int
the arms waiting to catch it in tn
0 yawl, but its head struck against tn
: side of the boat and it fell into tn
q river and was lost. The mother i
nearly wild with grief.
> One of the surviving members o
the crew gave this account:
"The fire was discovered at 40
i o'clock in the forward hold. By AL
is the entire boat was in flames, and a
IT 4:3O the whole boat was wreck. TIL
front stairways burned, cutting off an,
e avenue of escape. We alarmed tn
p sleeping passengers, bursting opel
!. their doors to awaken them. The
ran out without putting on life pre-
servers. and crowded aft. The officer
held them back while the one yaw
was loaded with women and childre-
y The scene was awful. About twent
or thirty were taken off in the boa
and then those in the water were rel
cued. The water was very cold an
= = the passengers were in their nigh
N clothes.
:. "Those who were not burned up
n. the boat drowned in the cold watel
II and all perished except those VIII
le were able to swim. was one of thesl
e When We reached shore we were u
tt abl to stand and had to be helped OF
Of tbs water. It seemed as though n