Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1902-04-23
OHIO RIVER DISASTER.
Lives Lost by the Burning Of the
City Of Pittsburg.
Many Passengers Chung to the Burn
ing Boat Until Overcome by the
Fire or Water They Sank
Down to Death.


burned to the waters edge at Ogden's
Landing. % miles up the Ohio. at 4:O5
a. IN. Passengers 20, crew 20.
Partial list saved: James Neville,
Dayton. Ky. boat carpenter; Emma
Smith. Paducah, passenger; Ardue NJ.
Allen and wife, Pittsburg; l.. II. Nc
Iraw. Louisville. Ky. Mrs. Judge Wal
key Metropolis, H.; Arthur Shelby,
Buckner. KY. Waterman; Mrs. Tun-
nymyer. Point Pleasant. w. Va. badly
burned. an daughter; Margaret
Bridges, Louisville. Ky; Jennie Bes-
sick, Lexington, Ky: G. X. Staliens
and wife. Careysville. Ky; Head Mate
SINNERS and wife. Miss Leech. badly
burned: Pilot Pritchett. wife and
child; Miss Marie Lisler. Carrollton,
o., died after being on shore. Sill
vester Boss died after getting on shore.
The captain, clerks and engineers, two
engineers stokers, two cooks.
Partial list of lost: Mr.. Adams,
Ohio, bound for st. Louis; Mr. Downs,
Memphis; Tom Smith. steersman.
Memphis; Patrick Adams. wife and
ten children, Greensboro. Ky. bound
for Morehouse, Mo; Joe Kidding. Bud
Jones, striker engineers, Cincinnati;
VIM. Bollinger, steward Cincinnati;
little girl named Sweeney. of Ovens
borO; l.. l.. Hunter Litinti, Pa: two
cooks, two chambermaids and most of
the deckhands
The fire started in the forward
hatch, larboard, and burned fiercely.
TIE vessel was run ashore and es-
capes were made over the cabin rail-
ms. Very few of the passengers or
crew were aware of the fire until too
late. The captain and clerk claim in
all so persons were lost. leaving 60
people lost or unaccounted for.
The steamer Maud Kilgore, Capt.
Cole, brought the survivors to this
place at p m. and the several socie-
ties of the city rendered all assistance
in the way of clothing, etc.
The passengers lost all they had,
and the books and papers on board
were burned
At Caledonia. three miles below the
scene of the disaster the flames could
be plainly seen and the shouts of the
passengers heard and the people put
out in skiffs to the wreck. They as
sisted in saving some of the passen-
gers, among these Mrs S. r. Leach. of
Bridgeport, o.. who was terribly burn
I'd about the head; Mrs. Fennimore. of
Arbuckle. w. Va. who was burned
about the hanus and face, and Mrs.
Fannie McCullum, of Leavenworth.
Ind. who was burned about the breast.
Many passengers chung by finger
tips to the burning boat, with bodies
submerged until overcome by fire or
water. they sank to death Wesley
Neeley. fisherman. rescued two from
the wheel house. One was a man and
the other a woman. The latter chung
to the boat until her hands were
burned
Capt. Wesley Doss. who lost his life.
had been at work for some time on a
history of notable river disasters.
The scene, with the steamboatmen
fighting the fast-growing fire and the
passengers, blanched with fear. seek
ing means of escape. was. indeed, hor-
rifying. Men. losing self-control in
the moment of terror. ran hither and
thither in their mad attempt to flee
screamed and moaned pitifully.
The smoke was sitting Great
clouds foated through the blazing
steamer. choking the passengers and
adding to the terror. Children cried
pitifully. 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
Iifeboats were manned and every
effort was made to save the Dassen.
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 flame from the vicious bed of fire.
made 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 consum-
mating their work Of destruction TO
save all from the vcritable inferno.
Boats laden 10 their limit with pas
scngers i'm the scaut attire they were
able TO gather. wore landed at tho rive
or banks As fast as one boat could
be- omptiod it returned TO the iH-ratcd
steamer. the heroic rcscucrs not wait
ing 10 catch q breath Of rest
Just prior 10 the boats departure
she underwent her annual insuection
by United States Inspectors Cameron
and Fearn. and was granted frstclass
papers
The Piusburg was built at the Ma.
rietta CO.. ways I'm 1899. and was val
ued at $4,000. She is partly insured
The craft was 800 feet long and so
feet wide. over all and considered
the finest craft on the river.
She was of mndnrn nnnlnrnnri In