The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-18
Tornado Strikes the Olive and Sinks Her in ChOwan
 River
RESCUED PASSENGERS
 ARE IN PITIFUL PLIGHT
With the Captain They Had to Stand In Water Waist Deep Throughout the Nlaht-one Boat
 Still Missing.

Norfolk, Va, February 1s-A tornaao struck the passenger steamer Olive which plies between Franklin, Va. and Eden | ton, N. C.. last night, and sent her to the bottom of the Chowan river between Mt Pleasant and Divers wharf.
 Seventeen people are known to have been drowned, and others who were res- cued are in a serious condition.
 The whirlwind caused the Olive to go over on her beams end, and when she righted, 1t was only to sink on account of the water she had taken. majority of the passengers and crew were below at the time and had no opportunity to reach the pilot house of the vessel This point was the only portion left above water, and in it, standing waist deep from the time of the accident until o'clock in the morning, Capt B. Withey and five others were saved. No complete list of the dead has been obtained, but it is known the following perished:
 Jake Lassiter, white, aged 25, Rich Square, IN. C., salesman for Carlin & | Fulton, Baltimore hardware dealers.
 Mrs. Bennett, Franklin, Va.
 Twelve-year- daughter or Mrs. Ben nett.
 Mrs. Vaughan, Franklin, Va. l Frank Hunter
 George Butt
 W, H, Fdwaydak
 i Andrew sNauf 'neiis colored hand.
 Abraham Cooper.
 Prescott Scott, colored fireman.
 Esther Williams, colored, cook.
 John Cooper, colored, porter George White, colored, preacher. |
 Captain Withey reached Norfolk this afternoon in company with Martha Bar rett, colored, stewardess of the steamer.
 Captain Witheys Statement.
 To the Associated Press reporter he made the following statement
 We left F'ranlSlin on our regular trip to Edenton yesterday morning at Il o'clock. A heavy southwest wind was | blowing, but along the Chowan river We l did not mind it. Al 3 o'clock last night 1 we passed Hollies wharf and headed for 1 Edenton bay. The weather became so heavy that I would not risk the open water and put the boat about to return up l the river for safety. It was just about 2 o'clock when everything became inky black and terrible roaring broke out l of the night. I was alone in the pilot house and most of those below had turn ed in. In a secon something struck the boat on her port beam and turned her over on her starboard side.
 .I thought she would never right her. self and monste< wave dashed over us. It flooded the hold and smashed every ] window around ns With the rush of water into her hold the Olive slowly , righted and in less than two minutes after having struck, shesyas resting on the bot tom with only the, pilot house above the river. Two life boats were swept away and one was left Into this the engineer, assistant engineer. purser and one white and two colored passengers climbed and | put off in hope of catching up with d ! tow boat that could be seen ahead of us. never saw them after they left our side Their going left the stewardess, and one white and two eolored passengers on 1 board with me. We stood in water waist | deep until o'clock in the morning, when a Norfolk and Southern steamer hove in l sight took us off and landed us at 1 Edenton, where we took the train for Norfolk The boat sunk so quickly after being struck that none below had a i chance to reach tn deck and all must have drowned in their births"
 life boat loaded with Engineer Com way, Assistant J. P Morphy, Purser John Bell, one white ana two colored passen- gers unknown, and two colored deck | hands, which left the steamer in hopes of reaching a vessel whose lights could | be seen in- the distance, is yet unheard from If these have been drowned, the death list will reach twenty-five.
 Boat Crew Picked Up.
 Norfolk, Va. February IA special to the Virginia Pilot from Suffolk, says | that the crew of eight, who embarked in life boats were picked up after rowing four hours by the tug Gaselle. and landed at Tunis. It was learned tonight that white man named Wilber, of Coli erain, N. C., is also among the drowned, making the eighteenth victim. Work will be started tomorrow to recover the dead bodies and if possible raise the steamer