The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-04-24
OVER SIXTY LIVES LOST.
Burning Of the Steamer City Of
Pittsburg of Turner's
Landing, Illinois.
PASSENGERS N BED At TINE or ALARM
An indescribahls Panic Enaued On nrard
and Many Lives werr I.o,i hF .i@rnp
inE Overheard. while = Nambrr Arr
Knswn 10 Have Pssisbsa Nisefably lE
the Planes.

and Many Lives View i.oSt hT .faTDts
tina Overheard. y hiIs q NaRb~r AZ,
Known to Have Prslsbsd Niisetably II
the Planes.
Cairo, lll., April si.--Thc sltlc.whcc
stcaa-i City ~ Pi.:sbarg. en- rout,
from Cincinnati to Meiaphis. wal
burned 60 the waters edge early yes
tcrday morning at Turner's Landing
near olmstead, lll., II miles from
Mound city, H., and Is miles from
this city. The early reports ytatct
that o. lives wrre lost, and that many
were badly burned and otherwise in
! jurcd, but the Hist ~ casualties Us moi
yet definitely determined. T=a boat,
and every available craft from thl,
city went 10 thu scene for relief. 81
forts were made to catch the New
South ~ the same line ~ f'aducat
and have here steam blya for relief
but the New South had passed Pa
ducah upward.bound before the telc
/ gram was received.
Most ~ the passengers were s;n! !i
bed when Second Clerk Oliver Phil
| lips gave the alarm. Th~ rnginerr, Ut
once started all " the pumping en-
Rlnrs. while the crew brought all th,
| hose into play
Amid the streams ~ water on ~
sides. the flames from the lower decL
| and dense clouds of smoke. the mas.
NruRcrs rushed from th ir state.
rooms aud o frightful panic cnsurd
The appcrls 81 Che officers and crew
I could not nppcRse the tcrrur-=triclscr
| crowd that interfcred with those
throwing water on THE flames a. wei
~ those working with the iifeboats
Few could adjust life prcScryers or dc
anything else for themt-elyeS. Tho
smoke was sitting Great clouds
foated through the burning steamer
choking the passengers. adding to the
terror. Children cried pitinusly anu
begging that they be- saved. The,
knew as well NJ their elders that
death confronted them. and cInng e.
their mothers aS though they alone
could savc them.
The lifeboais were manned and ey
cry effort was made 10 save the pas
sengers from the floating furnace nj
flames. Sturdy hoatmen rnwcd A.
they never rowcd before in the heroic
work of rescue.
From ihe river hanks the sparks
from the burning craft and the dcns,
clouds of smoke, tingrd S.ith tongues
"t aamcs frssa ;h- ,icious bed ~ fist
made q most impressive, yet weird
spectacle.
Boats were sent from the shore "a
work In the rescue. but the hnmrs
were only too surely r0nSumIuatiug
their work ~ destruction to save an
from the inferno. Boats laden T.
their limit with passengers IN such
Seant attire as they were able "a
gather. were landed at the river
banks. A. fast as one boat could be
empticd II rcturhed t. the in. fated
steamer. heroic rrvcucrs not waiting
to catch breath of rest.
The burning steamer WAS quickly
headed io the bank, hut BaSsrpprrg
had to jump off the stern and irving
{" swim ashore through the swift
current many we're drowned.
Many also perished in the flames
Only one yawi was saved witho,e
oars, and the women were taken ofF
About twenty ar thirty were taken
on In the yawi The rest were pickcd
up out of the water. Helm. eScept
from people liging near by. did not
arrive until $3.50 p. M. and pasScn-
gern with only nightclothcx aud with.
on, food suffered terribly.
The fire started in the forward
hatch. larbourd. and burned Rerce,y.
When the steamer run ashore ewcapes
were made over the cabin railing.
Very few Of the passengers or the
crew were aware ~ the fire until
1t was too late. The captain and
clerk c!aim in oil 10 persons hnve
been accounted for. The steamer
Maud kiigore. Capt. Cole. brought
the survivors to this place at 6 d. m.
anu the several societies of tine eity
rendered all assistance In the way af
clothing, etc.
just prior to the boats departure
from Cincinnati she underwent her
annual inspection by United States
Inspectors Dnmeron aud Fearn, aud
was granted iirst-class papers.
". T. Gardner. Of fOranspart, Ind.
rr'stes his experiences as follows;
about five o'clock was awakened
by the electric bells and the screams
of passengers. Ny siateromm WAS
halfway back. put on life pre-
server and my clothes and went ont
and jumped overheard. was almost
caught under the wheel. and saw one
man drowned who Sas carried Under
the boat by the swift current. was
badly bruised about the limbs. s:.,s
am good swimmer and managed 10