New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1902-04-23
RIVER Boa I BURNED.
Steamer City Of Pittsburg IS De-
stroyed by Fire. .
DISASTER OCCURS NEAR CAIRO, LII.

Passengers Are Thrown Into q Wild
Panic-It Is Believed That at
Least sixty-Five Persons
ne .s Perished.
Cairo, Ill, April q. The side-Wheel
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 Is. !.
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-
ceived. II
r ,:. Passengers In Panic.
Most of the passengers were still
in bed when Second Clerk Oliver
Phillips gave the alarm. The enggin I'M
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
I 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. Few
could adjust life preservers or do
anything else for themselves. The
smoke was sitting. Great clouds
foated through the blazing steamer,
choking the passengers and adding
to the terror. Children cried pitiful-
ly, begging that they be saved. They
knew, as we'll as their elders, that
death confronted them, and chung
to their mothers as though they
alone could save them.
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,
made a most impressive, yet weird,
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
cuers not waiting to catch breath
of rest.
Drowned or Burned.
The burning steamer was quickly
headed to the bank, but passengers
had to jump off the stern and try to
swim ashore through the swift cur
rent. Many were drowned. Many also
persisted in the flames. Only one yawl
| was saved without ores, and the WON
en- were taken off. About 20 or 30were
taken off in the yawl. The rest were
picked up out of the water. Help ex-
cept from people living nearby, did
not arrive until $3.50 Sunday after
noon, and passengers, with only night
clothes, and without food, suffered ter
ribly: Among the missing. is a child
of Pilot Al Pritchard, and CLAW
| Breeze and wife and son, and son of
| Archie M. Allen, of Pittsburg. Capt.
Phillips says 20 or Is Of the passengers
are missing and the same number of
the crew. Two women passengers
| were severely burned, but will re
cover. They are: Mrs. S. r.. Leach,
OF Bridgeport, O., burned about the
hands, and Mrs. Ellen Kenmore, Of
Arbuckle, W. Va, severely burned
about the face. IA 51.
some of the Victims. d
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 q
child. dressed in night clothes, was
taken from the river at Mound City.
Among the first bodies recovered were
| those OF Capt Wesley Doas. az CYnci1-
natl, and diss Marie Iissim, Of Camel
ton, Ind The Ere was discovered at
4:b g M. Thers were 20 passengers
and 20 all told IL the crew. Tho Ere
started in tho forward hatch, lar
board and burned fepceIy. When the