The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-22
SEVENTY-FIVE DEAD
OF $50 ON BOARD HALF ARE MISS
ING.
MANY OF DEAD UNKNOWN.
CAIRO NEWSPAPER MEN MAKE
REPORT.

and Passenger List, Which IncIud-
ed &C Men, Women and Children.
Fire Was Discovered at 4:O5 "a. m.
and Vessel Was Soon in Flames.
Pilot Remained at His Post UntiE
Vessel Struck the Bank-GOOd Res
cue Work Done by Mate Shriver
and Sailor Holly.
Cairo, H.. April 21.-After searching
two days the death roll of the burned
steamer City of Pittsburg has not been
reduced at all from the first reports.
OF the las people on the boat when it
burned about one-half are still missing
and tonight no further hope for them
is expressed. The books and valuables
of the boat, crew and passengers are
still in the ruins. The wreck is above
water and still smoldering tonight
Owing to the heated condition of the
hull, search for those cremated in it
has not been begun and very few of the
bodies of those who are drowned have
been recovered owing to the swift cur
rent at the scene of the disaster.
At the coroner's inquest to-day over
the bodies of Capt. Sylvester Doss and
Miss Maria Tissim, verdict
was rendered that the former
came to death from exhaustion,
and the latter from inhaling smoke.
and nothing was developed as to the
original cause or responsibility for the
disaster. Capt. Phillips testified that
he could not account for the origin of
hn Rt.a rrf,1a al tai, l.,
started it. He stated that so far as he
knew fifty-six lives were lost The cor
oner was advised of other bodies hav-
ing been recovered at distances from
this city. but none of them has been
identified.
Sensational reports have been cir
culated about an alleged quarantine
between the officers of the steamer and
the roustabouts, and that the fire may
have been of incendiary origin. But
no credence is given to these reports.
The victims are from points along the
Ohio Valley, and they have left a trail
of bereavement from Pittsburg to the
Mississippi.
Cairo, ILL.,. April 21.-Although no
complete list of either the victims or
of the survivors is yet obtainable. in
vestigation to-day indicated that al
most one-half of the $50 people aon the
City of Pittsburg were lost when that
Inflated steamer was burned yester-
day at Osden's Landing, between this
city and Paducah. Many of those
who were brought to this city are suf-
fering from injuries, exposure and
fright. The number aboard were
about equally divided between passen-
gers and crew, the latter suffering the
greater loss in casualties. The names
of many of the roustabouts were not
known and the number drowned or
burned is not likely to ever be ascer-
tanned.
C. NJ. Ellis and Fred Cornell, two
newspaper men of this place who
were the first on the scene from Cairo
yesterday and sent to Mayor Wright
for aid. have been investigating the
disaster and report as follows:
"The City of Pittsburg with a crew
of seventy-nine and a passenger list
which included sc men, women and
children, was on her way from Cincin-
natl to Memphis. At 4:05 a. m. at
DOlHl lIlIGG HlliGS dDONG
ing, fire was discovered in the forward
matches. This was apparently seen
about the same instant by the engineer
on watch and the first mate, Arthur
Shriver The former directed a deck
hand to open valve which would turn
on the water for the purpose of food
ing the hold The deck hand exclaimed
that the valve was red hot, Indicating
that it's connection below was in con-
tact with the flames.
The story of the Mate.
Mate Shriver was just going on
watch. Seeing the flames he rushed to
the roof and shouted to Pilot Harry
Doss that the boat was on fire and to
run to shore with all speed. Then he
hurried back to the cabin and aided in
arousing the sleeping passengers. The
big bell was rung four times in quick
succession and then with one continu-
Gus clang. By this time, brief though
it was, the forward part of the boat
was in flames. Pilot Doss remained
bravely at his post until the bow of the
boat struck the bank. Then he rang
the bell for the engines to stop. The
Texas beneath him was blazing and
he was enveloped in smoke. He leaped
into the river and swan ashore. Wes-
ley Doss, his aged father, and an old
time pilot, who was making a trip for
pleasure, also sprang into the river
and, despite his 81 years, swan ashore
in safety, but died a few minutes later
from exhaustion and excitement. His
body was brought to Cairo.
1.-The flames spread with such rapid
ity that passengers had no time to
dress, but they rushed to the guards
and while many sprang overheard to
take their chances between death by
drowning, or death by burning, others
were assisted into a yawl by Mate
Shriver and Sailor Ed b. Holly. The
latter had climbed one of the supports
that kept the yawl suspended, cut the
ropes and dropped the boat into the
river, when it was filled with women
and children and hurriedly taken
ashore fourteen persons at a time
Several trips were made, but finally it
became impossible to approach the
burning steamer, and the two men set
themselves to saving those who were
anoat. Quite a number were rescued |
a mile or two below the wreck"
How Few Escaped.
Capt. ]. NJ Phillips, master Of the
boat, cannot give any explanation of |
the fire. but thinks it possible the in
sulation of one of the electric wires |
may have been cut and the wire ex-
posed. Capt. Phillips fioated ashore on !
feed trough. his limbs having become |
cramped rendering swimming mpos- !
sible DR.. W. 7. Daugherty. with his |
wife and baby, were en- route from |
Marion, Ky, to Charleston, Mo. He /
placed a life preserver around his wife, |
another on himself and taking his /
4 LIE n 90