The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-25

Boat Ashore-Heroic Efforts of the
Crew to Save the Passengers-Of
the One HUNDRED and Fifty People
aboard Fully Half Perish
Carlo, Ill, April 20.-OEe OF the WORST
disasters in the history of Ohio river
navigation occurred shortly after :
O'Clock this morning near Ogden's land
ing near this city. While almost all
aboard were asleep. the steamer City
of Pittsburg was discovered TO be on
fire, and in a few moments was burned
to the waters edge. The loss of over
ESQ. 600 on the steamer does not include
the cargo. both being total loss The
latest estimates are that $50 persons
were aboard and that not more than
half OF them we're saved, many OF the
latter were burned or injured. AS the
register OF the steame was burned, no
list can be given. either of the victims
or of the survivors. and in the confu-
sion it has been impossible to get COM
plete lists. Capt. Philips admits that
the death list may reach 60.
Cairo, Ill, April 21.-Although no
complete list OF either the victims or of
the survivors IS yet o~btainable, inyes-
tigation today indicates that almost
one-half of the $50 people on the City
OF Pittsburg were lost when that
i'll fated steamer was burned yester-
day at Ogden's landing, between this
city and Paducah. Many OF those who.
were brought to this city are suffering
from injuries, exposure and fright The
number aboard was about equally di-l
vided between passengers and crew,
the latter suffering the greater loss in
casualties. The names of many of the
'~rOustabouts we're not known and the
number drowned or burned is not like
~ ever to be a5certained.
G.. NJ. Ellis and Fred Connell. two
newspaper men OF this place, who were
the first on the scene from Cairo yes
terday and sent to Mayor Wright for
aid, have been investigating the dis
aster report as follows:
The City of Pittsburg with a crew
OF seventy-nine and a passenger list
which included ~sixty-siX men, women
and children, was on her way from
Cincinnati to Memphis. At 4:05 a. m,
at a point three miles above Turner's
landing, fire was discovered in the for
ward matches. This was apparently
seen about the same instant by the en-
gineer on watch and the first mate,
Arthur Shriver. The former directed a
deck hand to open a valve which would
turn on the water for the purpose Of
flooding the hold. The deck hand eX-
claimed that the valve was red hot.
Indicating that it's connection below
was in contact with the flames.
Mate Shrive- was just going on
watch. Seeing the flames he rushed to
the roof and shouted to Pilot Harry
Doss that the noat 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 vas rung four times in
quick succession and then with one
continuous clang.
BY this time brief though it was,
the forward part Of the boat was in
flames. Pilot Dcss remained bravelyI
at his post until the bow Of the boat
struck the bank. Then he ran the
bells for the engineer to stop. tt
deck beneath Kim was , blazing and
he was envelOpcd in smoke. He leaped
into the river and SWAN ashore
Wesley Doss, his aged father and an
old time pilot, who was making q 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.
The flames spread with such rapidity
that passengers had no time to dress.
but they rushed to the guards and
while many sprang overheard to take
their chances between death and
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 10
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
afloat. Quite = number were rescued
4 mile or two below the wreck.
Captain ]. 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 hav been cut and the wire ex-
posed. Captain Phillips f1oated ashore
on a feed trough. his limbs having be-
come cramped, rendering swimming
impossible.
DR.. w. T. Daughtery, with his wife
and baby, were en- route from Marion.
KY. to Charleston, Mo. He placed
a life preservar around his wife, an
other on himself and taking his baby
I'm his arms, lowered himself to the wa
ter by a rope. Then he held on until
his wife followed. with their baby
clinging with her arms about his neck,
they started to swim for shore. but the
swift current carried them down hear
ly two miles before they were rescued
by people on the bank. The child had
in the meantime become exhausted
with cold and was unconscious. Her
grasp relaxed. but her father grasped
her night dress in his teeth and held
he'd out of the water. When they were
recued, he too, was nearly exhausted
The child was resuscitated and viii
live.