Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29


ended, and we often
walked my rounds and
Chatted together until
midnight This time we
to part and SO the Almos
night before the boat
sailed l gave Henry some advice. l said:
head; leave that unwsdon to the passengers
they competent; they'll attend to it. But you
rush for the hurricane deck, and astern to one of
the Efeboats ashed aft the whee1house and obey
the mates orders thus you will be useful When
the boat is launched, give such help as you can
getting the women and children into it, and be
You don try to get into it yourself 1t is
weather the river IS only mile wide, rule, and
YOU can swim that without any trouble
TWO three days afterward the boats boilers ex-
ploded at Ship Island, below Memphis early one
1norning-and what happened afterward l have al
ready told in old Times on the Mississippi" As
related there followed the Pennsy lvania about a
day later on another boat, and we began to get
Of the disaster at every port touched at, and
by the time We reached Memphis knew all
about it.
| found Henry stretched upon mattress the
floor OF great building, along with thirty forty
ether sscalded and wounded persons, and was
promptly informed, by some indiscreet person.
that he had inhaled steam; that his body was badly
scalded; and that he would live but little while
also, was told that the physicians and nurses
giving their whole attention to persons who had
chance of being saved. They We're short handed in
the matter of physicians and nurses; and Henry
and such others considered be fatally hurt
receiving only such attention could be
spared from time to time from the more urgent
cases
But DR.. Peyton, fine and large hearted old
physician of great reputation in the community,
gave me his sympathy and took hold of the
and III about week he had brought Henry
around DR. PeytOn committed himself with
Representations which might not materialize; but
1t eleven O'Clock night he told that Henry
out of danger and would get we'll Then he
aid, AT midnight these poor fellows lying here and
there all over this place will begin to mourn and
nlutter and lament and make outcries and if this
commotion should disturb Henry it will be bad for
him; therefore ask the physician watch to give
him eighth of grain Of morphine; but this is not
to be done unless Henry shall show signs that he is
being disturbed
Oh E.ell never mind the rest of it. The physicians
watch young fellows hardly out of the medi-
cal college, and they made mistake they had no
way of measuring the eighth of grain of morphine
they guessed at it and gave him vast quantity
heaped the end of knife blade and the fatal
effects We're soon apparent. l think he died about
dawn dom remember to that He was carried
to the dead room, and went away for awhile to
citizens house and slept off of my accumu-
lated fatigue-and meantime something hap
penng.
The collins provided for the dead were of un-
painted white pine; but in this instance of the
ledies of Memphis had made up a fund of sixty
dollars and bought metallic case, and when l came
back and entered the dead room Henry lay in that
open and he dressed in suit of my clothing
He had borrowed it without my knowledge during
last sojourn in St. Louis; and l recognized in