Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-28
MISSISSIPPI
RIVER STEAMER
BURNS. 3 DEAD
sa-~ttf sIs'.f
FIFTEEN HUNDRED EXCURSION
lsTs, MANY FROM IOWA IN
PERIL WHEN BOAT TAKES FIRE
THREE SCORE INJURED.

La Crosse, Wis. June 27.-Three
persons lost their lives and almost
three score were injured in the de-
strnctfon by fire Of the Acme Packet
company's excursion steamer, ). -,
between Victory and Genoa, twenty
four miles south of La Crosse on the
Mississippi river late Saturday night
The dead:
MRS. EMMA RANDALL. New Albin
Ia, drowned.
John Plaine, Waukon. Ia, burned
to death.
UNKNOWN WOMAN drowned.
Seriously injured:
Joseph Coyle, Lansing, Ia, botn
/ hands burned and severe Injuries
about the body.
Mrs. Meyer, Lansing, leg broken.
Mrs. John Joseph, De Soto, serious
ly injured about the head and shout
ders and possibly internally.
Mrs. Archie Bailey, Victory, ankle
mashed.
Mrs. Gus Kaeppler, Victory, ankle
sprained and severely bruised ABOUT
the body.
Fifty are estimated to have received
cuts and bruises of a minor nature.
Cool Heads Prevent Loss Of Life.
The escape Of all but handful OF
the / 800 passengers who thronged the
decks OF the big boat when the tlre
broke out, is regarded as the greatest
miracle in the annals of the upper MIS-
sissippi. Prompt work by the crew
and cool headed passengers, In con-
trolling the frantic passengers AFTER
the flrst alarm was sounded, is all tnat
prevented hundreds of people from
jumping into the river in mid stream.
Mrs. Randall was the only one VINO
broke through the guard on the edge
OF the decks and twenty men had
arms .outstret ched to grasp her Whenl y. g
she plunged from the upper deck into
the water below. Her body has not
been recovered.
John Plane was locked In the
boats brig in the hold for disorderly
conduct and In the excitement OF the
panic no one thought to release him.
His charred body is undoubtedly IN
the river bottom with the steamer
which sank after burning to the
waters edge.
Landed on Bad Axe Island.
It was late Sunday morning before
the last of the stranded excursionists
were removed from Bad Axe Island
on which the boat was beacned ten
minutes after the fire broke out.
Norman Fox OF Victory, Wisconsin,
who could not be found Saturday and
who was thought to have burned to
death in the boats Jail was located IN
Ia Crosse Sunday. He had missed the
boat there,
The loss to the Acme Packet COM
pany Is estimated to be $6O,OOO. Prac-
stically every passenger on the steam
er lost clothing, bundles, money,
1ewelry or other valuables, in the mao
rush for land, and it is estimated that
this combined loss will aggre-
gate $4,000.
II is still possible that other excur-
sionists are missing, although all pee
ple thus far sought by frantic rela-
tiyes have been accounted for.
slid Down Burning Stanchions.
Unusual circumstances marked the
Injuries received by those who were
most seriously injured. Joseph Coyle
of Lansing, Ia, was badly burned
about the hands by sliding down the
burning stanchion from an upper deck.
Most Of these were burned in escap-
ing from the upper decks by sliding
down the stanchions, which were
masses of Goals. Mrs. Meyer OF Lans.
,ng. Ia, and Mrs. Gus Kaeppler OF
victory, Wis, whose ankle was spraln-
I'd, were hurt in the rush OF women
when the fire was first discovered
Mrs. John Joseph of DeSoto was IN
iured in strange manner. She had
jumped to the shallow water from the
second deck and just as she started to
wade ashore a heavy woman Jumping
from the third deck struck her mead
and shoulders and Mrs. Joseph, 1t IS
feared, was internally injured.
Mrs. Archie Bailey caught her foot
In the gang plank and the crowd
pushing to escape, threw her aoWn'
breaking the ankle.