The Cairo bulletin., 1914-03-28
AFTERMATH OF
THE STEAMER
MERRIAM FIRE
Vessel Used as Wharftboat Was Fully
Equipped and Ready for Ser
vice Any Time.
DAN MANNING, ENGINEER
TELLS HIS EXPERIENCE
In Getting Marquand Away From
Burning Boat-Short History
of the Merriam.

The steamboat fire early yesterday
morning was a much more costly fire
than was supposed by those unfa-
miliar with the value of the Mer-
riam The boat originally cost $780,
and was probably worth at least hall
that amount before the fire as she
had only few years ago been thor
oughly repaired and overhauled All
of her machinery was in working or
der and the boat could have been
gotten ready for service within Il
short time. She was used only as a
wharfboat because the company haG
no other place to put her.
The Merriam was originally bull
for the Memphis and Little Rock
railroad long before the Memphis
bridge was built. When the bridg,
was put in service the boat yas
brought here and used by the Iron
Mountain. Later she was sold to
the Virgins Ferry Co., of st. Louis
where she ferried for several years.
She WIS caught in the great storri
at st. Louis and was badly crippled.
Being repaired she was sold to the
Iron Mountain and Used at Gray's
Point and then was brought to Cairo
fcr the Iron Mountain. This boat
was also used while in the transfer
service at Belmont for this road.
In IN interview with Dan Man
ming, the night engineer, who also
acts as night watchman, Mr.. Man
ming stated he had made a round of
inspection of both the steamer AMI
the wharfboat about 1870 o'clock
and at l:40 he made another round
and then saw the fire which had
probably been burning for several
minutes. He and his negro helper
on the Henry Marquand, the only
two persons on either boat, at once
got busy and first blowing the
whistle to give the alarm they
stretched line of hose and tried
to subdue the flames, but the fira
having too big a start they gave il
up, and Manning turned his atten
tion to getting the boat out of reach
of the flames, which were getting
closer every minute to the Marquand.
AS there was no pilot on board to
steer the craft out into the river,
something had to be done and that
quickly.
He ordered Bob Wilson, the negro
deckhand to cut loose the stern line
and next the head line. The Boa
had up good steam and h. looked n
see that the tiller was in the usual
shape the pilot is in the habit OF
leaving il and found that it was
that when he started up the engine
on the port side the boat would be
driven out into the river. Young
John Crehan and Howard Frank who
had gotten aboard the steamer Of
fered their services. Frank was told
to blow the distriss whistle so the tug
would come to their assistance,
which he did "to the queens taste. :"
The people from the levee could
see by the bright light that there
was no one in the pilot house and
that the engineer was taking the
only chance left him--going it alone.
Mr. Manning explained that no one
net familiar with the steering an
paratus could have piloted the boa
as the steering is done by air pres
sure. When the boat got out short
distance in the river and was turn
ing sharply to the right Manning
stopped the port engine and going
over to the starboard engine, which is
quite 4 distance from the other, he
started it and Strengthened the hoat
out then let her float as she was far
out in the river and in no immediate
danger. She was finally brought
back % the bank.
The origin of the fire is not
| known. 1t started in the middle of
the port side of the Merriam. There
had been several stove fires in the
wharfboat but the fires in each of
the stoves had burned out or ncarly
so when Mr.. Manning made his last
round of inspection.
The fire played havoc with the
schedules of both the Mobile & Ohio
(Concluded on Page Six.l