The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-04-01
Go Over
Dam at Lock Is.
show People Have Harrowing Es
cape From Death

The towboat Columbia, towing
e. e. Eisenbarth's Floating Palace,
the largest show boat on the Ohio
was sunk about 6 O'Clock Wednes,
day morning and thu thirty peo-
pie aboard had miraculous escape
from a watery grave.
News of the accident soon reached
this oity, and there we're wild ru,
mors concerning it. The most
sensational was that seventeen of
the people aboard had drowned,
and the least number given was
seven
From Captain Eisenbarth, the
owner of the two boats, and who
was acting as master at the time of
the accident, and from members of
the chow company, the following
details were obtained.
The outfit had been lying in the
Muskingum at Marietta during the
winter, and had just started out for
the spring and summer season,
leaving Marietta early this morn
ing, the intention being to stop at
Parkersburg, and then go on to
Bancroft, on the Big Kanawhe,
where it was the intention of the
company to open the season
As near as could be asoertained.
there were about thirty people on
board the towboat Columbia, in
oluding Csptaiu Eisenbartb, Pilot
Cline, the Drew. the company and
the band, but the members of
Capt. Elssub this family Were on
b ,ard the shs boat, Allthosc on
the towouat sere still asleep in
their state rooms when the boat
reached the dam. where the acoi
dent occurred,
According to the statements OF
come of the Drew there were no
lights to designate the location oi
the look walls. The high stage of
the river caused a swift current
over the dam, making it very dan
perous The towboat Henry Low.
ry, on the way to Pittsburg with a
tow of empties, was lying imme
diately below the dam.
There is some divergence OF
opinion as to the exact cause OF the
accident. Mr.. Cline, the pilot,w
so unnerved and unstrung by his
experience that he was
unable to give a very coherent 40
count of what really did OCCUR, nor
we're the others able to give oleai
account of it The theory is that
the Columbia was caught in the
swift current and was swung
around against the upper end of
the look wall.
The impact was 30 great that the
rear bulkhead was torn out and q
portion of the hull WAS carried
away. The boat began filling rap
idly. so rapidly that the Drew on
the lower deck did not have time
to nan the boats on that deok, but
had to plunge into the river and
swim to shore, which they did With
great difficulty on account of the
swift current. The two boats were
swept over the dam, but the CO.
Iumb sank 30 rapidly that the
lines were snapped and the two
boats drifted apart, The Columbia
listed, and the boilers, it is said,
dropped off into the river.
instantly all was confusion on
the boat. The members of the
company and of the band were
awakened. and all had thrilling
escapes. They had no time to save
anything. In fact, when they
jumped out of their berths the
water was already in the cabin,
and all excep three managed to
get to the stei Ways leading to the
roof.
The three rensining in the cabin
were Louis Carroll, the electrician
with the show, and two of the 40
tresses. When they were aroused,
the water in the cabin WAS waist
deep Carroll saw one of the wo-
men struggling in the water. and
got on top of table, pounded on
the roof, and yelled. hoping to at
tract the attention of those above,
but was unable to do 80 The Ia.
BILE tilted and threw them into the
water. but they got up on it again,
and Carroll then broke out one of
the ventilators along the roof of
the cabin. Those on the outside