The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-05-02
RIVER STEAMER BURNED.
City of Pittsburg Destroyed While
En- Route from Cincinnati
to Memphis.
DISASTER OCCURS NEAR CAIRO, ILL.
Wild Panic-Every Effort Made to
Save Them from the Flames-Lat-
est Advices Estimate That 63 Lives
Were Lost.

caro-, ILL.,, April 2l.-lne Slue-Wneel
steamer City of Pittsburg, en- route
from Cincinnati to Memphis, was
burned to the waters edge early
Sunday morning at Turner's Land
ing, near Olmstead, ILL.,, IL miles
from Mound City, Ill, and "a miles
from this city. The early reports
stated that 65 lives were lost, and
that many were badly burned and
otherwise injured, but the list of
casualties is not yet definitely de-
termined. Two boats and every
available craft from this city went
to the scene for relief. Efforts were
made to catch the New South, of the
same line, at Paducah, and have her
steam back for relief, but the New
South had passed Paducah upward
bound before the telegram was re-
sceived.
Passengers In Panic.
Most of the passengers were still
in bed when Second Clerk Oliver
Phillips gave the alarm. The engin-
GERS 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 staterooms and a
frightful panic ensued. The appeals
of the officers and crew could not APP
pease the terror-stricken crowds that
interfered with those throwing water
ON the flames as well as with those
working with the life boats.
Work of Rescue.
Life boats were manned and every
effort was made to save the passen-
gers from the floating furnace of
flames. Sturdy boatmen rowed as
they never rowed before in their he
roic work of rescue. From the river
banks the sparks from the burning
craft and the dense clouds of
smoke, tinged with tongues of
flames from the vicious bed of fire,
spectacle. Boats were sent from the
shore to help in the work of rescue,
but the flames were only too surely
concentrating their work of de-
struction, to save all from the in
ferno. Boats, laden to their limit
with passengers in the scant attire
theywere able to gather, were landed
at the river banks. AS fast as one
boat could be emptied it returned to
the Inflated steamer, the heroic res
scuers not waiting to catch breath
of rest.
Some of the Victims.
Mrs. Fannie McCullum, of Leaven-
worth, Ind, lost three children. Pat
Burt, of Greensboro, KY, wife and six
children, were all lost. The body of a
child, dressed in night clothes, was
taken from the river at Mound City.
Among the first bodies recovered were
those of Capt. Wesley Doss, of Cincin-
natl, and Miss Marie Tissim, of Camel
ton, Ind. The fire was discovered at
4:o5 a. m. There were 10 passengers
and 70 all told in the crew.
More Bodies Found.
Cairo, ILL.,, April 25.-Fourteen more
bodies were taken from the river near
the scene of the accident late Thurs
day, making the total number of %
bodies so far recovered. Five of the
bodies found were those of white per.
sons and were identified as Thomas
Smith, cub pilot, of Memphis; Leslie
Carter, of Deansfeld, KY; Glenn Bow.
man, of Portsmouth, o.; Fred Jones
assistant engineer of Newport, Ky.
and J. r. Evans, of Jeffersonville, Ind
New Party.