Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-27
THREE EDEATHSTOLL
Of STEAMER FIRE
Escape of Nearly 1900 Persons
from Doomed Mississippi
River Boat Miraculous
ASSOCIATED Pressl


LA CROSSE, Wis, June 26.-Three
persons lost their lives and almost
three-score were injured in the de-
struction by fire of the Acme Packet
company's excursion steamer ]. s., be-
tween Victory and Genoa, tweDty-four
miles south of La Crosse on the Mis-
sissippi river, late last night. The
dead are:
MRS. EMMA RANDALL, New AL
bion, Iowa; drowned.
JOHN PLANE, Waukon, Iowa;
burned to death.
Unidentified woman, drowned.
The seriously injured are: Joseph
Coyle, Lansing, Iowa, both hands
burned and severe injuries about body;
Mrs. Meyer, Lansing, leg broken; Mrs.
Gohn Joseph, Desoto, seriously injured
about head and shoulders and possibly
internally injured; Archie Bailey, Vic
tory, ankle mashed; Mrs. Gus Kaep-
pier, Victory, ankle sprained, severe
bruises about body; fifty persons re-
ceived cuts and bruises of minor
character.
ESCAPES MIRACULOUS
The escape of all but a handful of
the 1900 persons who thronged the
decks of the big boat when the fire
broke out is regarded as the greatest
miracle in the annals of the upper
Mississippi Prompt work by the crew
and by cool-headed passengers in con-
trolling the frantic passengers Is all
that prevented hundreds of people from
jumping into the river in midstream.
Mrs. Randall was the only one who
broke through the guard on the edge
of the decks, and twenty men had arms
outstretched to grasp her Wnen she
plunged into the water. Her body has
not vet been recovered.
LOCKED IN HOLD
John Plane was locked in the hold
for disorderly conduct, and in the ex-
citement no one thought to release
him. His body is undoubtedly in the
river bottom with the steamer, which
sank after burning to the waters edge.
1t was late this morning before the
last of the stranded eXcursionists were
removed from Bad Axe island on which
the boat was beaehed ten minutes after
the fire broke out.
Norman Fox of Victory, Wis, who
was thought to have been burned in
the boats Jail, was located in La
Crosse today. He had missed the boat
here.
The loss to the Acme Packet COM
pany is estimated at 100000. All pas
sengers on the steamer lost clothing,
money, jewelry or other valuables, and
it is estimated that this combined loss
will aggregate $4,000.
1t is still possible that other excur-
sionists are missing, although all pas
sengers thus far sought by relatives
have been accounted for.
Unusual circumstances marked the
injuries received by those who were
most seriously. hurt.
Joseph Coyle of Lansing, Iowa, was
badly burned about the hands by slid
ing down the burning stanchion from
an upper deck.
Mrs. DR.. Meyer of Lansing and Mrs.
Kaeppler of Victory, whose ankle was
sprained, were hurt in the rush OF
women when the fire was first dis
covered.
Mrs. John Joseph of Desoto was in
jured in a strange manner. She had
Jumped into the shallow water from
the second deck and just as she started
to wade ashore a heavy woman jump
ing from the third deck struck her
head and shoulders. Mrs. Joseph, it is
feared, is internally injured.
Mrs. Archie Bailey caught her foot in
the gang plank and the crowd, push
ing to escape, threw her down, break
ing the ankle.