Evening star., 1909-08-21
PERIL CAUSES PANIC
Illinois River Steamer Totally
Destroyed by Fire.
PASSENGERS ALL RESCUED
Burning vessel Beached at Avery
vile, Suburb of Peoria.
SWIMMERS SAVE CHILDREN
Fire Discovered in Stateroom by
Cabin Girl-Rapid Work
of the Flames.

PEORIA. H.. August 21.-The steamer
Fred Swain, Capt. Verne Swain. of the
Peoria and La Sale Packet Company,
with twenty-five passengers and fifteen
sailors aboard burned to the last deck
yesterday after the flaming craft had
been piloted into four feet of water and
the occupants had escaped to the bank of
the Illinois river, up which the steamer
was bound when it caught fire.
No lives were lost, but Joseph Casrider,
the engineer, was burned about the face
and body. and Charles Recheberger of
Peoria suffered broken arm. The loss
Is $4,000. Several of the passengers
lost their belongings.
The escape from the burning vessel of
the passengers, most of whom were wom-
en- and children, was exciting. At one
time, when flames were discovered issuing
panic reigned. Fears were partly calmed
as the burning steamer drew nearer to
the shore and scores of rowboats were
seen hurriedly putting out to the rescue.
The gangplank was lowered to the
waters edge when the steamer had been
beached and one rowboat after another
took off load of passengers and sailors.
After two boats had loaded and started
ior shore the gangplank caught fire and
fell away from the steamer, letting fifteen
children, into the water.
Thomas Powers of Peoria, and e. A.
Caron of Worcester, Mass, who were on
the plank when it fell, each saved the
lives of two children, half carrying and
half swimming with the tots on their
back and shoulders to old tree stumps to
await the arrival of rescuers.
In Perilous Position.
The others who were thrown into the
water by the collapse of the gangplank
were taken in boats to safety. Those
still aboard the steamer managed to get
out new gangway at a place farther
from the flames which were rapidly creep
ing over the boat.
The fire was discovered in a stateroom
by Miss Furbish, cabin girl. She spread
the alarm. but all efforts to subdue the
flames proved fruitless. the fire spreading
rapidly. Capt. Swain. realizing that the
vessel was doomed, ordered Pilot Martin
Huston to beach the boat and instructed
his crew to deal out life preservers.
Engineer Casrider, after attending to
the boilers to guard against an explosion,
went to the pumps, remaining there until
the flames licked his face. Severely burn
ed and almost blind, he turned to escape
only to find that a rowboat which had
been left for him had caught afire. He
got into the boat. however, and. beating
the flames from him and rowing hard
reached shore. He was taken to hos
pital.
Passengers Statement.
William Bittle, a hardware merchant of
Peoria. who. with his young son, Harold,
was rescued by motor boat, said:
Il, with my son. was sitting on the
front end of the second deck when
heard little girl remark to her mother:
Mamma. look at the fire. The woman
turned O. her chair and on sighting the
flames shrieked: The boats afire.' In
stantly a panic ensued, all making
rush to the lower deck. The gang plank
was lowered after the bow was sent into
the willow trees and stumps near the
bank, and all scrambled on it and all
were plunged into the water when the
cables were parted by the flames. l
grabbed my boy and for a while thought
surely we would both be lost, but 1 man
aged to cling to small willow tree with
the boy until rescued
Miss Furbish who discovered the fire.
said:
II was at work busting and cleaning
stateroom in which the fire started. The
whole room was in flames, the smoke
binding me. l gave the alarm and
rushed to inform Capt Swain. l do not
know how the fire started unless 1t origi-
mated through sparks from the engine
ROOM"
Captain Last to Seek Safety.
D. M. Swain of Saltwater. Mimi, owner
of the burned steamer. was in the Avery
Manufacturing Company plant at Avery
vile. a suburb of Peoria, near which the
steamer caught fire, and he aided in res
cuing the passengers and crew. His son,
Verne, captain of the vessel, was the last
to leave for the shore.
Futile efforts were made by the Peoria
and Averyville fire departments to save
the hull of the boat.
The steamer Fred Swain was built at
Clearwater, Wis. nine years ago, and
r,f fha oLof- Lii