The Cairo bulletin., 1904-12-26

ID had been transferred 20 a church
steeple. But the Cumberland did have
its Jim Rladso. a negro pilot on the
John Randolph. who died at mis-
wheel
The John Randolph, as he came up
the river on March 10. 1896. took fire
and reached the end of her journey
in a full blaze. Dave craft. her pilot,
slave some say. an eX-slave accord
ing to others, stayed al his posi- and
steered for the wharf The rope,
however. was burned In two after the
wharf was touched, and the vessel
swung on. into the stream and burn
ed In the waters edge Dave Crafts
heroic soul went up in the smoke of
the wreck and two other slaves lost
their lives. The freight abroad,
which was buried, was valued al $500
0ao.
The most notable steamboat disas-
re. however, in connection with Cum
bertrand River navigation was the loss
OF the steamer which was carrying
Marquis Lafayette from Nashville in
1926. The distinguished Frenchman,
after being the guest of Tennessee,
departed by steamer for Cincinnati.
After the vessel reached the ono
She struck a snag and sank. the iirs.
reports reaching Nashville Of the
wreck containing the dreadful news
mat the Marquis had lost his life.
When Il was learned that Lafayette's
life had been saved the fact wa
greeted yi an extraordinary demon
stration
One Of the queerest accidents on
the river was that Detailing me City
Of Huntsville in 1S43 while trying to
make a landing at Huntsville during
high water. The boats PROV hung up
on The bank and before it could be
freed the river went down two feet.
The boat finally slid off the bank and
wen stern foremost straight to the
bottom.
Five or six lives were lost in the
sinking of the City Of Huntsville
while trying TO run the Palmyra
shoals in the early ffties,
On the bank OF the river in the
vicinity Of Harpeth Shoals is cabin
whose chimneys were once the
smokes+aeks of the vessel wrecked
on The shoals. the steamer. according
to tradition, having been the Mary
Stuart
On the Mississippi
The most dreadful disasters which
Cumberland River boats have figured
IN have occurred on the Mississippi,
The Tennessee, Nashville and
New Orleans boat, was sunk in he
lower Mississippi in 1892 and sixty
two persons mostly deck passengers
gere lost. The Belle of Clarksyille
another Nashville boat. went down
near Ola Town Landing in 1874, and
thir.y-three lives were -ost, princip-
ally deckhands In 1876 the steamer
saIadin, with Senator Bate as mud
clerk. collided with and sank the Con
gress AZ Washington Point. Two Tai
Ieyrands, the first and second, were
lost in the Mississippi The Knox
willie blew up in New Orleans in 1881.
many lives being lost The H. r. w
Hin ran into and sank the Grea
Western near Princet n in 1854 the
accident being accompanied with
great loss Of life
Still anoth tragic accident be /.
falling a Nashville packet on the par.
en- stream occurred in 1861 when
The David White, Capt. Dan Kinney
blew up at Greenyille Miss. Many
people were killed in the explosion
among the number being several Off.
GERS of the steamer wh0s> homes
were in Nashville Capt Kinney was
in the cabin over the boilers and was
bloan into he river One Of the Off
GERS on The beat who escaped was
Capt. T. VI. Gallagher's father On
the boa at the time was Capt. Shaw
whose name is AS ociatod with that Of
the heroic scout. Sam Davis, to whose
memory a munumen. is to be erected
on Capitol Hin
With the careful watch which Off
GERS Of the Federal Government keep
on steamboats, and steamboatmen
now and the gigantic efforts which
are constantly going forward toward
Improving the navigable streams ac-
ciden's are becoming le and less in
and importance Only last
year the Cumberland was snaggcl by
the soyernment snagboat from
Burnside TO Paducah, While the open
ing of Lock A aud No. l. which viii
be celebra ga soon, will eliminate
natural obstructions.
Even with this advancement how
ever. wrecks now and then wi oc-
eur as hey have at frequent inter
walls in recent years but no longer.