River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-04-24
STEAMER DESTROYED
City of Pittsburg Burned to the
Waters Edge.
Disaster Near Cairo, HI.-PassenEers
In Awful Panic-Sixty-Five
Persons believed to
Have Persisted.

| 1nll ", ILL., apTli E1.-- AAC SiNS " ~ -
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, H., and "a miles
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.
/ Passengers in Panic.
Most of the passengers were still
| in bed when Second Clerk Oliver
Phillips gave the alarm. The engin-
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
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
fioated 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
role 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
they were 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 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 wom-
en- were taken off About 20 or 80 were
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 child
of Pilot Al Pritchard, and Clay
Breeze and wife and son, and son of
Archie NJ. Allen, of Pittsburg. Capt.
Phillips says 20 or 25 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.
Some of the Victims
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 a
child dressed in night clothes, was
taken from the river at Mound CITY.
Among the first bodies recovered were
those of Capt. Wesley Doss, of Cincin-
natl, and Miss Marie Tissim, of Camel
ton, Ind. The fire was discovered at
1905 a. m. There were 20 passengers
and 20 all told in the crew. The fire
started ir the forward hatch, lar
board, and burned fiercely. When the
steamer ran ashore escapes were made
over the cabin railing. Very few pas
sengers or the crew were aware of fire
until it was too late. The captain and
clerk claim in all so persons have been
accounted for, leaving eopeople lost or
unaccounted for The steamer Maud
Kilgore, Capt. Cole, brought the sur
vivors to this place at six p. m. and
several societies of this city rendered
all assistance in the way of clothing,
etc.
Wants FiIipinos Summoned.
Boston, April 21.-Senor Lopez has
written an open letter to Henry Cabot
Lodge, chairman of the senate commit
tee on the Philippines, suggesting that
representative Filipinos be called be-
fore the committee to give their views
as to legislation.