Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-27
BIG RIVER DISASTER
EXCURSION STEAMER WITH 1900
PASSENGERS, 1000 BEING
IowANs, BURNED.
THREE KNOWN TO BE DEAD
AND MANY OTHERS INJURED
Panic Seized Passengers When Fire
Broke Out and Escape Regarded as
Greatest Miracle in Mississippi River
AnnaIs-Two Of Dead, Possibly
Third, Mere Iowa People.

Anrais-Two Of Dead, Possibly
Third, Nero Iowa People.
: Lansing, Iowa, June 27.-With 1900
,excursionists on board, the Acme
Packet Company's big steamer j. S.
caught fire in the Mississippi river be-
tween Geno and Victory late Saturday
night and was burned to the waters
edge. Three persons are now known
to have lost their lives and one woman
was injured in the mad rush from the
lboat to the island on which it was
beached. ''''
The steamer took 1000 people from
Lansing, Iowa, and 500 from 1ntermedi-
late points to La Crosse Saturday. leav-
ing there on the return trip at 6 o'clock
IN the evening.
The boat caught fire when two miles
above Victory, Wis, opposite Bad Axe
sbend, the blaze breaking out In the
lower part. close to the boiler room.
Putting on full speed, Captain
,Streckfus headed the doat direct for
bad Axe Bend Island in the middle OF
Ithe river, which fortunately was but
short distance away.
Before the general alarm was sound
ed the vessel had grounded on the sand,
and It was but a few minutes work
TO get the people off the boat.
The crew worked valiantly to control
the exc,rsionists altho there was a
great rush to get OFF the boat.
"A few minutes after the steamer had
been cleared Of passengers and crew 1t
broke out in flames and burned to the
fwater's edge.
The excursionists were stranded On
an island 500 feet long and 300 feet
wide, with few launches and row
boats from Victory and nearby ham
lets made slow Roadway in getting the
people to the mainland.
Persons rescued from the steamer
declare they saw women throw children
into the Mississippi river before the
boat could be beached. and jump in af-
ter them. Being in midstream at the
time, it is believed they were drowned.
One woman. Mrs. tombstone Meyer, of
Lansing, was trampled upon, sustain
ing severe injuries. Several others were
less seriously injured.
Three Killed, Many Injured.
A later report Of the disaster, from
Lacrosse, says:
Three persons lost their lives and
almost three score were injured in the
destruction by fire of the Acme Packet
,Company's excursion steamer, J. S.,
5between Victory ands- Genoa, twenty
four miles south Of Lacrosse on the
Mississippi river late Saturday night.
The. dead:
Mrs. Emma Randall. New Afbin, Ia,
drowned
John Plane, waukon. Iowa, burned
to death
Unknown woman drowned.
Seriously injured:
Joseph Coyle, Lansing, Iowa, both
hands burned and severe injuries about
the body.
Mrs. Meyer Lansing. leg broken.
Mrs. John Joseph, De Soto, seriously
injured about the head and shoulders
and possibly internally.
Mrs. Archie Bailey. Victory, ankle
mashed.
Mrs. Gus Kaeppler. Victory, ankle
eprained and severely bruised about the
body.
Fifty are estimated to have received
cuts and bruises of a minor nature.
Regarded as Miraculous.
1 The escape Of all but a handful Of
the 1900 passengers 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 cool headed passengers after the
first alarm was sounded, is all that
prevented hundreds of people from
jumping into the river in nidstrean.
Mrs. Randall was/the only one who
broke thru the guard on the edge Of
Mhe decks and twenty men had arms
outstretched to grasp her when she
plunged from the upper deck into the
water below. Her body has not been
recovered.
brig IN the hold for disorderly con-
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.
It was late sundeS morning before
the last of the stranded .excursionists
were removed from Bad Axe island on
which the boat was beached ten min
utes after the fire broke put.
Norman, Fox, Of Victory, Wis, who
could not be found Saturday and who
was thought to have burned to death
IN the boats jail was located in La
Crosse Sunday. He had missed the
Soat here.
The loss to tho Acme Packet Conn
pany is estimated to be 100000. Prac-
tfcal1y every passenger on the steamer
lost clothing. bundles, money. jewelry
Or other valu2bles, in the mad rush
for land, and It is estimated that this
rombined loss will aggregate $4,000.
It IS still possible that other excurs-
Donists are missing, altho all people
thus far sought by frantic relatives
have been accounted for.
Drunken Man Started Fire.
:. An intoxicated prisoner in the ships
brig Is believeDto have set fire to the
steamer J. S. This man, John Plane
Of waukon. Iowa, was burned to death
with another prisoner whose identity is
not known. These mems bodies lie in
the debris OF the hull, which is sunk
Nm the river.
JUNE BREAKS HEAT RECORD.
ten Days In Which Temperature Ex-