The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-03-10
Bic Boat That Passed PaduCal
a Total Loss.
Fire Started From a Lamp Explosion
sengers We're Saved
CARGO ENTIRELY BURNED..-IM

The big Cincinnati and Memphis
steamer Sunshine burned at the wharf
at Tiptonville, Tenn, this morning
between and O'Clock and is total
loss.
The handsome steamer, with her
entire cargo. was destroyed, but no
lives were lost. The boat was near
enough to the bank for the passengers
to all get off, but some of the crew are
reported slightly injured in their
efforts to land the boat and save some
of the cargo.
AS near as could be learned the fire
was caused by the explosion of lamp
about the after lockers. It spread
rapidly, and once under Roadway there
was no hope of saving the boat.
Two or three efforts were made to
land her at the wharf at Tiptonville,
but each time the line broke and she
drifted out into the stream, the fire
gaining in fury with each moment OF
delay. Hundreds Of people gathered on
the banks to see the unusual sight of
magnificent steamer on fire, but all
were helpless to DO anything towards
rendering assistance. Nothing on
earth could have stopped for a moment
the awful destruction of the burning
boat. The flames seemed to spread to
every part ct once, and added to the
crackle of the flames, the roaring Of
the seething furnace that came to-
wards the bank only to miss and drift
away again, were the agonizing cries
Of 40 or more mules that were being
shipped to Memphis.
Meanwhile the boat was near enough
to the bank for the passengers to dis
embark and they all got of and went
to shore, many Of them losing their
clothing, with the exception of that
they wore.
Few of the crew were injured, and
these not seriously so. They attempt
ed in vain to make the stout lines
hold. Some had cut and bleeding
hands, while others were blistered
trying to save the passengers and the
dying animals in the rear Of the lower
deck.
According to reports. which reached
paducah this morning not . piece of
cargo was saved. The flames required
very little time to convert the elegant
boat into smoking hulk.
All day long hundreds of people for
miles around have gone to the scene
to see the wreck. Telephone messages
state that the steamer is total loss.
The fire is one Of the most complete
in the history of river disasters, and II
is very fortunate that most of the pas
sengers, if not all, were up, and not
in bed as were those on the Inflated
City OF Pittsburg who persisted in the
burning of that boat several miles be-
low Joppa nearly two years ago.
The captain and crew of the boat
did magnificent work, and to their
efforts was due largely the safety of
the entire list of passengers and the
crew.
The Sunshine, loaded even to her
cabin. passed Paduoah yesterday
morning and was ut the Paducah
wharf for several hours. 1t was her
first trip down since early in the win.
ter. Her cargo was immense, and
most of it was billed through. The tor
decks were loaded with every conceiv
able thing, and nearly every foot o.
her boiler and other decks was GOV
cred with the cargo, valued ut many
thousands dollars. She took on very
little freight here, but pat of consid
cradle. She did not have as many
passengers as usual, owing to the sea
SON of the year, when there is littl
travel.