Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-04-26
RIVER STEAMER BURNED
Frightful Panic on City of Pitts
burg When Fire Started.
n PERSONS DEAD; 40 MISSING

pie Were Forced to Jump Into River.
Cairo. ILL.,, April 21.-The side-wheel
steamer City OF Pittsburg. from Gin
cinnati to Memphis, was burned to
the waters edge at 4.05 O'Clock yes
terday morning at Ogden's Landing.
near Olmstead, Ill, IL miles. from
Mound City, Ill, and "a miles from
this city. 1t is stated that % lives
were lost and that 40 persons are
missing, but the list OF casualties is
not yet definitely determined AS the
register of the steamer was burned.
no list can be given. either OF the vic
tins or of the survivors.
Most OF the passengers were still
in bed when Second Clerk Oliver
Phillips gave the alarm. The engi-
| neers at once started al 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 aud frightful y.nic
ensued- The appeals OF the OF. e Is
and crew could not appease as
| with those throwing water on a.
flames, as well as with those workir
with the life boats. Few could adjus;
life preservers or do anything 70.
themselves
The smoke was sitting. Great
clouds fioated through the blazing
steamer, choking the passengers and
adding to the terror. Children cried
pitifully, begging that they be saved.
Life boats were manned and every eff
fort was made to save the passengers
from the floating furnace OF flames.
| From the river banks the sparks from
the burning craft and the dense
clouds of smoke, tinged with flames,
made most impressive and weird
| spectacle.
Boats were sent from shore to help
| in the work OF rescue. Boats laden to
their limit with passengers in the
scant attire they were able to gather.
were landed at the river banks. As
fast as the boats could be emptied
they returned TO the Inflated steamer,
the rescuers losing no time from their
| work.
The burning steamer was quickly
headed TO the bank, but passengers
were forced to jump from the stern,
and In trying to swim ashore through
the swift current, many were drowned
Many also persisted in the flames. Only
one yawl was saved, without oars, and
the women were taken of. About 20
or 80 were taken on in the yawl, The
rest were picked up out of the water.
| Help. except from people living
nearby, did not arrive until $50 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. and passengers,
with only night clothes, and without
food. suffered terribly
Mrs. Sherman McCullom, with her
three children, was going TO Caruth.
ersville. Mo-, to join her husband. She
jumped overheard and landed in the
yawl, but her three children landed in
the water and she saw them sink from
sight. She is nearly frantic with
grief. The body OF the youngest OF
the little ones was recovered at Mount
City. and it's remains were identified
by the mother.
Another terribly sad circumstance
was the loss OF one OF the children OF
Pilot Al Pritchard. The little one was
tossed from the burning steamer to
arms waiting to catch II in the yawl.
but its head struck against the side
OF the boat and II fell into the river
and was lost.
A Passengers Experience.
Mrs. Mulkey, wife cc Judge MuIkey,
of Metropolis, ILL.,. boarded the City
OF Pittsburg shortly before the disas.
ter. She said: II got on the boat at
Metropolis to take passage to Cairo.
All OF the passengers were asleep
when l went aboard, and went at
once to my stateroom and lay down
with my clothes on. 1t must have
been an hour or more before | noticed
a bright light shining into my state
room and saw that the front cabin was
on IRE. But few passengers were
aroused at this time, and /, with 9th
ers. climbed out over the guards and
down the railing, hand over hand over
the life boat, which was below me. BY
this time others crowded into the boat
and filled 1t to overlooking, but, as II
providentially, the flames reached the
ropes that held the life boat, and we
dropped into the river before Others
could push their way into the boat
We would all have been drowned II
others had pushed into the boat. The
life boat commenced to drift bach
toward the burning steamer, and we
thought that we were to die after all
We had no oars. and the men useC
their hands for oars. There were peo
pie In the river all about us on every
side
After we had managed to get t.
; the shore, fires were lighted and tn,
poor men and women and children
many Of them in their night clothes
, shivering with the cold and from thei
wet clothing, huddled about the fires
Many Of them had lost those neares
and dearest to them, and their crie
and means were heartrending.
Some were burned, but more wer,
badly bruised and cut by coming II
contact with the wreckage. Oh, 1
r was horrible experience, and one
J. shall never forget. People chung Z
; shutters and anything they could fin,