Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-30
STEAMER ! WRECK
TO Be P ROBBED.
TO INVESTIGATE
ACCIDENT ON UPPER MIS-
SlsSIPPi RIVER.

La Crosse, June 29.-United States
government authorities have been or
dered to take charge Of a thorough IN
vestigation of the burning during the
night OF the big excursion steamer j..
81 in which fifteen hundred were
miraculously rescued, at least one ana
probably four were killed and the ex-
cursion boat, the largest on the upper
Mississippi was left mass OF twisted
iron and charred Wreckage two ana
one-half miles north Of Victory, Wis,
twenty-five miles below here. That
three drunken men were locked up in
the hold under the forward hatch
where was stored large quantities OF
oil, turpentine and other inflamable
materials, and that the fire was start
ed when they struck matches to try
to find their way, out of the dark dun
geon. is the open charge made by
many aboard the boat, and relatives Of
the missing men. U. S. Inspector
Knapp has taken charge of the wreck
and the government snag boat has
been ordered to allow no one to in
terfere with the sunken hulk until it
has been thoroughly inspected by gov
ernment agents. .
Old time steamboat men profess to
see in the burning of the big excurs-
ion boat j. S., another illustration OF
the adage that disasters always come
in threes on the river. To bear this
statement out they point to the wreck
OF the City Of Saltillo below st. Louis
and the accident to the Uncle Sam on
the Missouri, all occurring this season.
! It appears that the members Of Cap
tain Streckfus' family were with him
on the ]. S. at the time it was de-
stroyed. The first authentic interview
of any length with Captain Streckfus
since the disaster is given below:
FLAMES were discovered in the hold
OF the boat about midships, where the
brig "a ships jaiD is located" Cap
tain Streckfus said. "The matches
were battered down and the boat was
run on the beach at Bad Axe island.
The passengers were advised that the
boat was on fire and that they must
leave 1t, but were warned not to lose
their heads, as there was no occasion
for hurry. Nevertheless many of them
did lose their heads, and small panic
resulted as they marched off the gang
plank to the island and safety. When
all were off the boat was cut loose and
fioated to deep water. where orders
were given the crew to scuttle it. II
this had been possible the fire would
have been extinguished at once and
the boat could have been raised again
at a nominal expense The inside OF
the hull was 80 intensely hot, however,
that none Of the crew was hardy
enough to do the work Of scuttling
the boat, and 1t remained afloat.
Finally, about two hours after the dis
coyery of the fire, the flames appeared
on deck, after having eaten their way
through and then it was but short
time until the whole ship was one
mass or flames. 1t burned to the
waters edge, and the burned and
blackened hull sank
Captain Streckfus said that the big
craft cost $4,000 and that insurance
to the amount of $4,000 was carried,
The stockholders of the company held
q meeting at Rock Island Monday and
decided to secure another boat as soon
as possible. 1t is hoped to charter a
boat to fill the remaining excursion
dates Of the J. 8. during the balance
of the season.