The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-31
TRAINMEN TELL
OF RIVER fire;
BESTEAMER
Saw Blaze at Waters Edge
at Devils Island S Miles
North of Cape.
STACKER LEE, LEFT
CAPE HOUR BEFORE
Confirmation Lacking of Vessels
Destruction and May be
Straw Stack.

A fire that is believed to have de-
stroyed steamboat near the Illinois
side of the river and opposite the mile
post on the Fisco five miles north of
the Cape, last night was reported in
the Cape by the train crew of the
Chaffee Accommodation as they pass
ed through the Cape.
Although up to an early hour this
morning no definite advices could be
obtained, it was believed the flames
might have destroyed either the
steamer Stacker Lee, a packet running
between st. Louis, or a quarter boat
of the Government fleet which is lying
near Devils Island about four miles
upstream from the Cape.
Attempts by The Tribune and Irwin
Albert, boat agent, to get telephone
communication with anyone living in
the vicinity of the reported fire and on
the Missouri side of the river, early
this morning were Intellectual. Mr.. AL
bert declared he felt confident that had
boat been fired, he would have been
advised even from the other side of the
river by midnight.
The steamer Stacker Lee left the
Cape, bound for st. Louis, at 8 o'clock
last night. The Chaffee AccOmmoda-
ton passed opposite DEVILS Island at
about 1925, which it is estimated
would have given the Stacker Lee time
to get that far upstream.
The firemen of the accommodation
declared when he arrived in the Cape,
that he had not seen any other boat
on the river all the way down from
Grand Tower. AS his train approach
ed the 126-mile post, which is bat five
miles out of the Cape, he said he no
ticed what appeared to him to be a
small blaze burning across the river.
| He called the attention of his engl-
neer to the fire and as the train pulled
abreast the fire, they declared the
flames rolled upward in large volume
and lighted the river for many yards
around.
The fire seemed to be on boat, they
said, the exact description of which
thew were unable to make out, and the
boat seemed to be hugging the shore
on the opposite side. They said they
knew the fire was on the river by rea'
son of the fact that they could see the
reflection of the blaze on the surface Of
the water.
They watched it after the train haC
= passed the point and on their arriva
: in the Cape they reported it to rail
road and express officials here.
At the same time, many persons ol
the riverfront in the Cape saw larg
fire burning, which they believed to b
a straw or hay stack acoss the river
The flames made a light that wa
= easily seen from the Frisco depot an
the fire seemed to be northeast OF tn
, Cape. which would locate it in abou
tho location given by the train ereV
Conductor Riggs of the Memphl
- tain, on his arrival here this mornln
q at 1:15 a. M, declared that he sat pe
y side a window on the river side OF tn
+ tain and gazed out the window frol
II above Grand Towers He said that L
a did not remember having seen
a steamboat on the river all the wa
down till he had arrived few mllt
% from the Cape.
is The train then passed steamer g
q ing northward, which was the CAP
! Girardeau that left the Cape aft'
e. midnight.
~ He said hit did not see any fire
n the 126-mile post. The fireman
+o Riggs train declared that he saw b1
n one steamboat on the river, the ol
passed a few minutes before Il
h trains arrival in the Cape.