The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-01-12


the Paducah wnarfboat caused the
north end of the boat to sink last
might. until the timbers holding the
heavy gangways, were under water.
and in a short while the hull of the
boat was several feet deep in water.
The presence of the steamer Ken
lucky probably is all that saved the
boat from sinking with its cargo of
accumulated freight worth between
$4,000 and $4,000.
AT 1890 o'clock John Street,
night wharfmaster, while on one of
his rounds of inspection he makes
every night to see that all is well,
discovered that the floats which be-
long under the gangway at the
north end of the boat, to help sup
port it were nearly submerged. He
tried vainly for while to pump
them out with a hand pump, wnen
the sound of water entering the
wharfboat in a large stream, made
him go down into the hull of the
wharfboat 20 investigate.
Entering the hull at the extreme
south end several hundred feet
from the leak. he advanced through
the dark passage, but before he had
gone many steps he found himself
up to mis- knees in water, and could
hear the water rushing into the
hull.
By this time the floats supporting
the gangwGy. had filled and drifted
out from under it. throwing the
whole weight of the heavy steel and
wood gangway onto the edge of the
wharfboat where the leak was. The
wharfboat sank until the edge of the
narrow platform which surrounds 1t
was touching the river.
The first mate on the Kentucky,
which was lying at the wharfboat,
was reused by the commotion and
Immediately routed out the rousters,
setting them to work moving the pea
nuts from the side of the wharfboat
which was sagging, to the Kentucky.
This lightened the boat somewhat
The towboat Fannie Wallace had
been notified by this time to come
to the assistance of the wharfboat,
but the storm which was at its
height then, swept the Fannie Wal
lace out into the river, and it could
not be headed around before 1t had
been carried to Brookport, not re-
turning to the city until this morn
ing.
II there had not been a syphon
pump on the Kentucky, nothing
could have saved the wharfboat. This
was procured, a hole knocked
through the floor OF the wharfboat
where it was saggIng the most, and
the banked fire which is kept at
night under the wharfboat boilers
was stirred up.
The pumping started at $3.50
o'clock last night and continued un-
til z O'Clock this morning, wnen
sufficient water had been pumped
out to allow the boat to right itself.
It was then discovered that the wa
ter had not entered through the
seams of the boat, but through the
large cracks caused by the big tim
bers supporting the gangway, being
pulled out of place by the strain.
The strain was caused by 20 or 80
hogsheads of tobacco Weighing two
thousand pounds each being placed
in one part of the wharfboat, with
out any counteracting weight on the
other side. On top of the tobacco, l.
400 sacks OF peanuts were placed
yesterday afternoon increasing the
weight 20 tons II was too much
weight on one side and the boat was
pressed down until the edge touched
the river. There were nearly 100
tons Of freight on the one spot.
The steamer Dick Fowler was at
the wharf at the time but the rous-
tiers went up the hill without any