The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-30
Description Of the Total Destruction
Of the Big Steamer J. S. on
Upper River Last
Saturday.
MAGNIFICENT SIGHT
Great White ship on Fire Presented
Thrilling Picture to Those
Who Saw 1t
Blazing.

At least one-half OF the populatlon
of Keokuk has either ridden on or
seen the ]. S., which was burned up
Saturday night near Lansing, Ia The
La Crosse Tribune of Monday devoted
two pages to the accident and part of
the description of the fire is herewith
reproduced:
Save the passengers, never mind
the boat was the clarion order OF
Captain Streckfus to his crew, and
the men acquitted themselves splen-
didly. The minute the boat touched
and the gangplank was thrown out,
all but the engineers and firemen
plunged into the water and dragged
from the water the victims precipitat-
ed into the rushing torrent from the
doomed boat. The water at the side
of the j. S. was ten feet deep, sloping
rapidly upwards to the shore, and from
this dangerous current hundreds of wo-
men and children were snatched by
the alert employees to whose assist
ance came a score or more OF cool
headed, courageous men passengers.
At least score of babies were
thrown into the river by their parents
from the various decks. JACK" Page
the ships policeman, alone caught six,
and asserted positively that he saw
others catch twice as many more at
the brink of the food.
So rapidly did the landing proceed,
that in twelve minutes all but the
three dead and missing had reached a
place of safety.
Life Preservers as Souvenirs.
| To what extent life preservers
played a part in the rescue cannot be
said, but despite the fact that many
frightened passengers had seized UP
two or three, there were enough for
all who had presence of mind to take
them, and so many were dropped upon
the decks that they amounted to an
obstacle. The boat was provided with
1 2,04S, and hundreds were taken away
Sunday as souvenirs by people visiting
/ the scene of the wreck.
But the troubles OF the refugees
were not over when land was reached.
They were on an uninhabited island,
far from their homes, and with meager
means of getting away. The North
Star could accommodate but 100 at a
time and the Harriet less than half
that number, Their best assistance
was offered by numerous launches
from DeSoto, Genoa, and Victory, and
| in a short time others appeared from
Lansing, from which place the crowd
awaiting the return of the steamer had
seen the flames and OWNED their
meaning. With all these as transports
| it was still huge task, and it was not
until 8 O'Clock in the morning that
the last load of refugees had left the
island
Resent Goulsh Conduct.
There is much resentment along
the river of the goulish conduct OF
unknown persons who INDUCED In
wholesale robbery at the expense OF
the stranded excursionists. Sunday
morning six valises were found upon
the shore, many of them were cut to
ribbons, and all looted of their con
tents. The purse of Mrs. c. S. Mey
ers of Lansing, who suffered a frac
tured limb and other injuries, was
found hanging in tree, minus SIC
which it had contained, and other out
RACES of a similar nature are report
ed.
Fighting the Fire.
While the rescue of the passengers