Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-09
COTTON CARGO DREADED.
Old Time Steamboat Men Felt Con-
slant Fire Menace.

slant Fire Menace.
"The handling Of cotton was tn,
most ticklish feature Of steamboat
navigation on the Southern rivers in
the old days, writes Edgar White in
the New York Evening Post. 1t re
quired ceaseless vigilance of officers
and crew, for there was never mo-
ment Of the voyage when the boat was
out of danger. River men would rath-
er carry cargo of wild animals than
have their boat loaded with bales of
cotton"
John Scovern, president Of the board
of directors of the State Exchange
bank of Macon, Mo-, said that recently.
Born in town few miles north of
Hannibal, where Mark, Twain spent
his boyhood days, young Scovern sue
cumbed to the lure of the river as Mark
Twain did, and before he was 20 he
had been at the siege Of Vicksburg,
and had made many trips through a
warning section and had voyaged to
Fort Benton and back on a stern
wheeler, six Thousand, miles: Septem-
ber, 1863 found him in Memphis, Ten
nessee. out of "a job and sick to get
back to the old home town of Alexan-
der, Mos 80,
"The Sunny.. Side, a large, fine side
wheel packet, was taking on cotton'at
Memphis for Cincinnati. said Mr.. Sco-
vern. Il struck the steward for job,
and he made me cabin boy for as far
up as Cairo, where I intended taking
another boat for st. Louis, as the Sun
ny Side was going up the Ohio. The
war was at its height. They were
needing cotton for. clothing and the
Sunny Side had orders to take on ev-
cry bale she, could find room for. Four
teen hundred bales of cotton w-re
loaded On before she cleared. There
were nearly 100 passengers and large
crew. KS -.
| Sparks-Rnd Cotton Everywhere.
Cotton is highly imflammable
CARGO. The furnaces and boilers were
welp:to the front of the main deck
Sparks flew out of the tall stacks from
the boilers. The boat was lighted by
oil lamps. When the Sunny Side clear
ed for Cincinnati on a beautiful Sep
tember twilight the stage was all set
for tragedy. OF course, tarpaulins
were thrown over the cotton bales, and
there were guards and watchmen ev-
erywhere, but cotton is cotton, one OF
the most inflammable materials in the
world. .
1.-The boat ran through the night and
next day. Along in the evening some
of the young men of the crew, off duty
got to talking about the cotton and
what they would do if the sparks got
J into it. 1 went to my bunk, but did
not undress.. l couldn't sleep. The
boat plowed steadily upstream, shaker
gently by the churning of the wheels
Under ordinary circumstances boy
would have slept like top, but knew
of the volcano. -
There was a sudden. commotion or
the deck below. recognized the mates
voice,
"'Grab those bales and toss 'en
overboard-lively now!"
Those bales were worth $1O'
apiece. No officer would throw then
overheard except in the face of grea
peril. / rushed out, could see the rec
flames shooting out from below, an'
the roustabouts rolling blazing balct
into the river. The cotton had caught
Then came another cry:
"My Cod men! You can't sav'
her. Rouse the passengers.
Ship Rammed the Reef.
1.-TWO men were at the wheel in TIT
pilot house. They didn't seem to be
bit excited They were steering th
boat between an island and the shore
making for Il reef or cape that CANT
out from the island.
"The flames swept over the forward
deck, while men ran frantically abou
shouting orders. The engines moved
steadily, never missing a throb.
THE bow hit the reef and stuck
:, leaving, the stern swinging out som'
distance from the shore. l jumped