The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-03-28
The Alice Brown and w. w.
0'Neil Lose AZ Boats.
They We're Caught Ia the Wind Down
About Memphis and
Wrecked.
STEAMERS NOT DAMAGED.

In the grounding of the tow carried
by the Alice Brown at point near
Luxora she was reported to have lost
all the way from 10 to ls coal boats;
bat su investigation discovered that
the disaster was not quite so extern
sive. The Alice Brown was out Of
Cairo aud had rounded below Luxora,
when the wind struck her and turned
the head of the tow into IA point of
rock on the shore. Before anything
could be done to prevent the calamity
the tow had struck with surprising
violence and ten of the coal boats were
lost. The Brown tied up after the
loss of her coal boats and weathered
the remainder Of the storm without
experiencing further damage. When
safe to proceed she again started on
her way and reached the Pittsburg
Coal Company's feet at Memphis yes
terday evening. where 1t is reported
she will remain until the appearance
OF the W. W. O'Neil.
The O'Neil's experience was even
worse than that OF the Alice Brown,
She was caught ia mid stream by the
fury OF the wind. Her tow, consist
ing Of thirty -one coal boats and three
fuel barges, was wrepched from the
fastening, and with the exception Of
Ave coal boats and the fuel barges, was
scattered in every direction. River
men say that the O'Neil must have
been caught uupr eparcd, or that some
of the coal boat fastenipgs were, per
hsps weak. At any rate twenty six
of these boats, loaded with their val
liable cargo. we're blown about at will
on the surface Of the river, then. " hen
the wind had used them to its hearts
content, the waves took them to the
bottom.
II is possible that some Of the Alice
Browns tow may be recovered, but
the coal boats lost from the O'Neil
will first have to be located before any
report at all can DO made as to the pos
sibility Of recovery.
The extent OF the loss In these two
disasters can be better appreciated
when IL is known that the ordinary
load OF one coal boat 10 about 26. 900
bushels, or in round numbers 1000
tons.
In the two wrecks there were lost
forty-two boats. Each boat cost
about $3.50 and the average citizen
can figure out we'll enough what loss
there is in AZ. 900 tons of coal.
The loss of the property falls on the
Monongahela River Consolidated Goal
& Coke company. This is big con-
cern--a combine, or trust Of all the
coal properties in Pittsburg. Cincin'
natl and Louisville, and virtually the
owner Of ell the coal interests along
the two rivers from Pittsburg to New
Orleans.
The boats lost were coal boats in
distinction 10 coal barges. The coal
boat is rakcd only at enc end. and its
life is only some three or four trips.
The barge 10 better built, raked at both
ends and has longer life rs tow,
but it's capacity is some 10000 bush
els less than that of the coal boat.
The barge 10 seldom used in the long
hauls, these days, and while they cost
more than the boat the larger cspaci-
ty of the latter causes n greater loss
than would have been the case had the
sunken crafts been barges.
When the O'Neil reaches Memphis
she will turn over what remains OF
her tow to the Brown aud return to
Pittsburg, or the Brown will return
> and the O'Neil finish the trip. Meth
or steamer is reported damaged and II
/ is not supposed that anything more
than q trifiing harm could have 90.
CURED to them, as they are particu
8 larry strong and built to stand much
more severe shocks than they received
on these occasions.