The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1902-04-24
HAD I4O PEOPLE ON BOARD.
twenty-five Lives known TO Have
Been Lost and About Fifty Per-
sons Are Missing.
Many Passengers cIuns to the Burn.
ing Beat Until Overcome BY the
Fire or Water They Sank
Down to Death.

burned TO the waters edge at Ogden's
Landing. p miles up the Ohio, az 4.O5
O. m. Passengers 20. crew 70.
Partial list saved: James Neville.
Dayton, Ky. boat carpenter; Emma
Smith. Paducah. passenger: Ardue NJ.
Allen and wife, Pittsburg. L. H. Nc
Grsw. Louisville. KY; Mrs Judge wal
key. Metropolis. Ill: Arthur shelby.
BuckneT. KY. watchman: Mrs. Tun.
nymyer. Point Pleasant. W. Va. badly
burned. an daughter: Margaret
Bridges. Louisville, Ky; Jennie Bes.
sick. Lexington. Ky; c. X. staliens
and wife. Careysviile. 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 stokors. 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. Owensboro. Ky. bound
for Morehouse. Mo; Joe Kidding. Bud
Jones. striker engineers. Cincinnati:
Wm. Bolllnger. steward. Cincinnati:
little girl named Sweeney. OF Owens
boro; l. L. Hunter. Litinu. Pa: two
cooks. two chamhermalds and most OF
the deckhands.
The fre started ia the forward
hatch. larboard. and burned aercely.
The vessel was run ashore and es.
capes we're made over the cabin rail.
ing Very few OF the passengers OF
crew were aware Of the FIRE until too
late. The captain and clerk claim IN
all 50 persons were lost. leaving co
people lost OF unaccounted for.
The steamer Maud Kilgore. Capt
Cole. brought the survivors TO this
place az G 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 tho
scene OF the disaster. the flames could
be plainly seen and the shouts OF the
passengers heard. and the people put
out in skiIs 20 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.
ed about the head Mrs. Fennimore. OF
Arbuckle. W. Va. who was burned
about the hanos and face. and Mrs,
Fannie McCullum. OF Leavenworth.
Ind. who was burned about the breast.
Many passengers clung by finger
d a a..
submerged until. overcome by FIRE OF
water. they sank 20 death. Wesley
Neeiey. a fisherman. rescued two from
the wheel house. One was a man and
the other a woman. The latter clung
10 the boat until her hands were
burned.
Capt Wesley Doss who lost his life.
had been at work for some time on
history OF notable river disasters.
The scene. with the steambOatmen
! fighting the fastgrowiag IRE and the
passengers. blanched with fear. seek.
ing means OF escape. was. indeed. hor.
/ rifying Men, losing sels-control In
I the moment Of terror ran hither and
thither in their mad attempt to fee
from the burning craft Women
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 well as their elders.
that death confronted them and clung
to their mothers as though they clone
could save them.
Lifeboats were manned and every
effort was made TO save the passen-
gers from the floating furnace OF
flames. Sturdy boatmea rowed as
they never rowed before IN their he
roie work OF rescue.
From the river banks the sparks
from the burning craft and the dense
clouds OF smoke. tinged with tongues
of fame from the vicious bed OF Are.
made a most impressive. yet weird.
j spectacle.
Boats were sent from the shore 20
help in the work OF rescue. but the
flames were only too surely consum-
mating their work OF destruction TO
save all from the veritable inferno.
Boats, laden 70 their limit with pas,
sengers in the scant attire they were
able to gather. were landed at the riv-
er banks. As fast as one boat could
be emptied II returned 70 the Inflated
steamer. the heroic rescuers not wait
ing 20 catch breath OF rest.
The Psttsburg was built az the Ma
fietfa (O) ways in 1899. and was val
ued at 5000. She Is partly insured.
The craft was geo feet long and 50
feet wide. over all. and considered
the finest craft on the river,
4 she was OF modern equipment ID
every way. and her furnishings were
elaborate
Y she was owned Jointly BY John NJ
Phtllips and Al Brahm. OF Pitssbure
and Dana Scott. Of GAINESVILLE.