The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-04-25
STEAMBOAT DISASTER.
Burning of the City of Pittsburg ana
Loss of Nearly a Hundred Lives.

steamer, City of Pittsburg, the yes
sci burning this morning almost
without warning.
The disaster occurred early this
morning at Turner'S Landing near
Olnstead, Ill, eleven miles from
Mound City. ILL.,, and twenty-four
miles from this city, the lire being
discovered at 4.05 clock.
Most OF the passengers were still
in bed when Second Clerk Oliver
Phillips gave the alarm, The en-
eineers 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 state
rooms and frightful panic ensued,
The appeals of the officers and crew
could not appease the terror-strick-
en- crowds that interfered with the
hose throwing water on the names,
as we'll as those working with the
lifeboats. Few could adjust life
preservers or do anything else for
themselves. The smoke was st1-
fling. Great clouds floated through
the blazing steamer, choking the
passengers and adding to the ter
ror. Children cried p1tifully, beg
cling that they be saved.
L1feboats were manned and every
effort was made to save the passen-
gers from the furnace of flames.
Sturdy boatmen rowed desperately
in their heroic work of rescue.
From the river banks the sparks
from the burning craft and the
dense clouds OF smoke, tinged with
tongues of flame, made a most I'M
pressive yet weird spectacle. Boats
were sent from the shore to do what
thew could in the work of rescue.
Boats laden to their limit with pas
sengers in the scant attire they
were able to gather, were landed at
the river banks. AS fast as one
boat could be emptied 1t returned
to the Inflated steamer, tue rescuers
not waiting to catch a breath OF
rest.
The burning steamer was quickly
headed to the bank, but passengers
had to Jump off the stern, and try
ing to swim ashore through the
swift current many were drowned.
Many also persisted in the flames.
The steamer was wiped out by
fire. and half of the 145 souls on
board persisted.
The experience OF the passengers
was very much the same. One OF
them was Mrs, Mulkey, wife OF
Judge Mulkey of Metropolis. She
said to your correspondent:
A SAMPLE EXPERIENCE ...
II got on the boat at Metropolis
to take passage to Cairo. All OF
the passengers were asleep when L
went aboard, and l at once went to
my stateroom and lay down with
my clothing on. 1t must have been
an hour or more when | noticed a
bright light shining into my state
room and Immediately got up and
opened The door and saw that the
front cabin was on FIRE. At that
moment the electric light went omt.
l got a Iife-preserver and put it ON
and managed to grope my way by
the Pickering light of the flames to
a door opposite. 1t was the ber-
bershop. Then / CROPPED farther
down to another door, which opened
out onto the guards. But few of
the passengers were around at the
time, and | with others climbed oat
over the guards and down the rabR-
ing, hand over hand, over the life
boat, which war right below me.
hung suspended by my arms for a
while and was caught by man
who was seated in the boat.
.CROwDING A LIFE BOAT.
by this time others crowded in
to the boat and filled it to overflow
ing, but, as it providentially, tbs
flames reached the ropes that hello
the lifeboat and we dropped into
the river before others could pusl
their way into the boat. We would
have all been drowned if others hac
pushed into the boat The lifeboa
commenced to drift back TOWARD
the burning steamer and we though
we were to die after all. We hat