Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-08-22
Steamer J. Frank Hicks En- countered Storm But Tied
 Up in Safety at Bank.
VISIONS OF HORROR
Mothers Line Shore at Landing and Await Return of the EX.
 cnrsiOniSts.

The brilliant and long continued electrical display last night lighted a scents of revelry on the Arkansas riv- CT. Frequent flashes and ominous looking forks of lightning furnished illumination for the dancers on the barge of the Steamer J. Frank Hicks. which was chartered for an excursion by the Catholic ladies. When the storm of rain and wind broke the boat tied up to the north bank for protection, the curtains of the barge were pulled down and most of the ex- cursionlsts managed to keep dry in the downpour that followed.
 Notwithstanding the fierceness of the storm and the vivivdness of the heavenly display there was little ex- citement among the pleasure seekers who crowded the barge to it's utmost capacity Practically everyone re- mained calm and the dancing continu- ed as though it were the balmiest sum- mer evening with only zephyr now and then to ripple the surface of the great brown water.
 Not so on shore. When a lull came in the storm about midnight the river bank back of the court house
 was quickly lined with anxious watch- l CTS. Gray-haired mothers, hastily and scanti!y clad hurried to the scene l for tidngs of their loved ones whose
 predicament they imagined to be simi-
 liar 10 that of the passengers of the ill-fated Titantic. It was thought by the cooler heads among the watchers
 that the boat had simply been dis
 abled and could not be brought to the
 landing.
 The fact that the curtains were
 down, rendering the lights invisible
 to those on the bank most of the
 time, gave color to the theory that
 the power was off and the boat
 couldn't move. Each flash of light
 ming showed the position of the
 steamer and its consort to be near
 the north bank across from the big
 sand bar just opposite the court
 house. No sound came across the
 water as the wind was off shore. AS
 the minutes dragged by with sicken- ing dread to those who stood help- lessly by it seemed more and more
 certain that the boat was disabled, at
 least stalled, and possibly not to he
 moved until daybreak.
 | When tais conclusion was reached and the strain could no longer be stood arrangements were made by 1.-two members of the Graphic staff to i'put off in launch and establish coni- munication with several hundred peo- pie who were thought to be in peril. Just as the final preparations were being made lights appeared on the steamer and lightning flash disclos- ed the fact that the steamer with the barge ahead of it was slowly turning around and heading down stream tn cross to the south side below the bar 1 which stretches it's length to point l opposite Tennessee street.
 l Very little delay was made in ef- fecting landing at the stage back 1 of the court house and in minute
 more the weary, bedraggled, but hap py crowd was climbing the steps. thankful to be again on terra firma. q am not surprised that some Of.
 those on shore were worried" aaid
 Capt. Hicks, of the little steamer. ! when informed of the anxious ones l who watched the boat from the rear
 of the court house. but as far IT
 the boat and it's human cargo befnE
 in danger such an idea was absurd.
 When we left the landing the moon
 was shining and though I noticed theS lightning in the northwest I thought
 the storn was going in another dis frection. After having proceeded up
 the river about five miles realixed
 that the storm was almost upon us ! and picked out little cove and pso5 Iceeded to tie up. The curtains on t1S tI tIbaree were lowered and eYaz