The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-05-25
And Goes Down Fifteen Miles
Above Paducah.
All the Passengers Were Saved-goat
Became Unmanageable at
Big Chain.
BOAT AND CARGO TOTAL LOSS

The steamer Chattanooga, plying be-
tween Paducah and Chattanooga,
Tenn, ran onto the rocks at Big
Chain, is miles above Paducsh in
Tennessee river this morning at
o o'clock and will be total loss. She
carried q cargo of miscellaneous
freight aggregating $4,000 which is
thought to also be total loss. There
were about 81 passengers on the boat
who were all sleep when the crash
came. and were hurled out of bed and
thrown into frantic state of excite
ment for a short time. BY hard work
the officers of the boat succeeded IN
quieting them and landed the passen-
gers safely on the shore by means of
the yawls.
The passengers all had retired when
Big Chain was reached and when the
shock came some were hurled out of
bed and thrown on tho floor of their
state room and dazed for time.
There was q wild scramble for the
deck of the craft and the officers of
the boat Immediately began the work
Of restoring order. A hasty investiga-
tion revealed the fact that the boat
had run upon the rocks and careened
to one side, settling into deep water.
The channel Is only eight feet deep,
but where the boat broke in two is
about twice that depth, it Is thought.
The boat after striking was stopped
and every means possible adopted to
get her into the shore. A line was run
out to the bank, short distance from
the boat, and the passengers landed in
boats. She sank last night up to the
deck but did not 60 completely under
until this morning at aybreak. when
she broke in two aud settled down In
deep water nearly over her upper
onoiu. Luz poW hus hoio III ~ nv
least Sx1O feet and the hull filed rap
idly after striking.
The boat was in charge of Pilot
Harry Brazelton, of Paducah, when
she ran onto the rocks. He was not
seen by Captain Carroll but stated to
passengers and members of the crew it
is understood, that the boat simply
got away from him end; that it be-
came unmanageable and he could not
prevent the accident.
This morning Captain James Roger,
agent for the boat here. received the
first news of the disaster over the
phone from Captain Carroll, who went
to Calvert City, a distance of three
miles from the accident, and gave the
bare facts of the case.
The Voolfolk was Immediately dis
patched to the scene of the accident
with every apparatus necessary to as
sist the crew of the ill.fated craft in
saving all the cargo possible. Captain
Carroll came to Paducah and fled .
protest in the federal court, neces-
sity in securing insurance after disss-
tiers. The crew remained at the boat
but the greater portion of the passen-
gers came back to the city over the I.
o. road from Calvert City.
There were 81 passengers aboard.
eight being ladies. There were III
round "trip passengers and many in
hurrying of the boat waded to the
shore when the yawls got near enough
to insure safety from deep water.
Captain Carroll stated this morning
that the boat was total wreck and in
his opinion if the owners attempted
to raise her it would be waste OF
time, money and energy. She is
resting on q rock, her bow projecting
little out Of the water, but her stern
is at the bottom, the boat having
broken in two this morning.
The cargo is submerged and only
the glass jars can be saved, il is
thought. The machinery may be
saved If the work is done quickly, but
this will be but small item in the
general loss. The boat had 81 new
fiues nut in here Monday and was in