Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-27


children ashore first, even though the
flames at this time were rapidly lick
ing up the steamer. and TO remain
aboard longer impeTiled their lives.
In the wild panic women rushed to
the rail with babies in their arms. In
mid-stream they were prevented from
throwing the children overheard. Once
the steamer had been beached. and
while confusion reigned these mothers,
unmindful of their own danger, threw
babies and little boys and girls into
the water.
! In all cases, so far as is known, the
children were picked up and brought
/ safely TO shore.
| The list of dead follows:
! MRS. ANNA RANDALL. New Au-
burn, Iowa, jumped overheard in mid
stream at the first cry of fire; drowned.
UNKNOWN WOMAN, who Ieaped
overheard and was drowned.
JAMES PLANE, Waukon, Iowa,
burned to death in the hold Of the
steamer Plane is held by the captain
TO be the cause of the disaster.
UNKNOWN MAN, burned to death
with Plane.
Woman Suffers Broken Leg.
Some of the injured are:
Joseph Coyle, burned.
Mrs John Meyer, Lansing, Iowa,
leg broken. Mrs. Meyer was at first
rarOr+ad fafally injured
Mrs. Arthur Bailey, Victory, Wis,
ankle broken.
Mrs. August Kipler, Victory, ankle
broken.
Cigaret smoking is supposed to have
set the steamer afire.
soon after the trip of the J. S. from
Lacrosse to Lansing was begun late
Saturday afternoon, James Plane and
two other men became unruly. They
created much commotiOn among the
women and children. They were
warned TO behave themselves several |
times.
Finally Captain StTeckfus ordered
the three men confined in the hold in
the forward part of the vessel. In
the hold. il is said. there were large /
quantities of oil. turpentine and other
infammable material. The men are
supposed to have been smoking in the F.
hold.
blaze Starts at Dusk.
The !. s. was returning to Genoa. De /.
Sofa and Lansing with the excursion /.
party that had spent the day in La
Crosse. The river is wide. Darkness !
was just falling.
The smoke was seen curling in tiny /
rings from the lower deck. Some one /
reported TO the captain. He invest! /
gated 1t was found the flames were +.
roaring in the hold. The steamers .
timbers were dry as parchment and /
offered splendid food for the fire.
Captain Strecllfus saw all efforts to /
extinguish the fire would be futile. /
The alarm was not yet spread. Pas /
sengers were laughing and singing
A few minutes later the sharp Clang- |
ing of the fire gong was heard by /
every preson on the boat. Instantly /
there was a rush of passengers. Cries !
of Fire! Fire." resounded throughout .
the steamer.
Everybody put on life preseryers! |
Keep quiet There is no danger. .
Wen get ashore all right" shouted /
CAPTAIN Streckfus.
The cry was taken up by members |
of the crew and by the cool-headed /
passengers.
But pandemonium reigned on the .
boat for a time. Mothers grabbed .
their little ones in their arms, rushed .
TO the rails. and would have thrown .
themselves into the river had they not .
been restrained by stronger hands. .
Some were praying; others were cry /
ing; others held frantically to their /
husbands and brothers and sweet
hearts.
River Lighted by Flames.
The roar of the flames could be |
heard by this time The smoke rolled .
up from the hold in great volume. The .
dark. muddy river was lighted up by .
the glow of the flames.
Captain Streckfus headed his vessel !
for the Iowa shore. With every min
ute the panic increased The noise
of cracking timbers, the shouts OF the
boats crew, striving vainly to check .
the spread of the flames, the changing .
of the bell in the engine room as the
captain urged the engineer TO make
more speed-all these added to the |
terror of the fear-stricken hundreds.
A number of brave men formed
Gordon about the rail of the burning
vessel. There they stood. backs to the
rail. facing the rush of passengers
They restrained hundreds from throw
ing themselves or their little ones
overheard
Logs Prevent Landing.
On the Iowa shore the captain found
that there could be no landing made.
A big raft of logs was in the way. The
list of drowned would have been great !