The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-04-24
OYER SIXTY DEAD
EXACT Loss OF LIFE BY CITY
OF PITTsRURG DISASTER
NOT KNOWN.
HALF ON BOARD Persisted

HALF ON BOARD Persisted
Crew Numbered Seventy-nine and the
Passenger List Contained the Names
of Sixty-six Persons-Fire Spread
With Such Rapidity That It Was I'M
possible to Arouse Many of the
Sleeping People.
Cairo. Ills, April 22.-Although no
complete list of either the victims
or OF the survivors is yet obtainable
investigation indicates that almost
one-half of the $50 people on the City
of Pittsburg were lost when that ill
fated steamer was burned at Ogdens
Landing, between this city and Padu-
cab. Many of those who were brought
to this city are suffering from injuries,
exposure and fright. The number
aboard was about equally divided be-
tween passengers 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 ever
to be ascertained.
| The fire started in the lower part of
the steamer, in the freight material Or
| possibly in the engineroom, and shut
off the means of escape there while
passengers jumped overheard from the
upper decks. Within 10 minutes of the
discovery of fire at 4 a. m survivors
say the upper decks were swept by
! flames and passengers were penned in
on all sides, even the life preservers
being cut off by the flames. The panic
that followed caused a greater loss of
life than would have ensued if the Of
ficers could have controlled the terror
stricken people. Some rushed through
the flames and persisted; others faint
| ed and sank down to be cremated.
Many in their night robes, some afre,
| jumped overheard and were drowned.
Those that got into the boats saw 9TH
ers drowning as their overcrowded
craft pulled to shore. The barely clad
| survivors on the shore not only wit
messed horrifying scenes around the
charred hull, but also suffered from
early morning till relief came in the
| afternoon. The captain says there
were Sc passengers, not including
dozen babies. There were as many
! women as men in the cabin and the in
dications are that the greater percent
age of losses was among the women
| and children. AS the register with all
other records was burned and the sur
vivors scattered in every direction
there is great difficulty in getting a list
of the survivors. 1t is thought that
many charred bodies will be found in
the hull of the burned steamer when
| the mass of embers ceases burning so
| that the search for the remains can be
| made.
| Flames Spread Rapidly.
The City of Pittsburg, with crew of
70 and passenger list which included
| &c men, women and children, was on
her way from Cincinnati to Memphis.
At 4:05 a. m, at point three miles
| above Turner'S Landing, fire was dis
covered 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 deck hand to open
valve which would turn on the water
| for the purpose of flooding the hold
when he exclaimed that the valve was
| red hot, indicating that it's connection
| below was in contact with the flames.
Mate Shriver was just going on watch,
| accompanied by his wife, who had got
ten up early to keep him company.
Seeing the flames and realizing the
gravity of the situation he rushed to
the roof and shouted to Pilot Harry
Doss that the boat was on fire and to
| run to the nearest shore with all speed
| Then he hurried back to the cabin and
aided in arousing the sleeping passen-
| gers.
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 bells for
the engines to stop. The deck beneath
him was blazing and he was enveloped
in smoke. He leaped from the pilot
| house to the deck, thence to the roof,
made his way to the wheelhouse, leap
ed in the river and swan ashore.
| 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
i ropes and let the craft into the water,
where women and children were plac-
| ed in it until full and hurriedly taken
ashore, Ia persons at a time. Several
| trips were made at the immediate risk
/ of their lives until it was too late to
aid further in the rescue from the