Evening star., 1925-05-09
z SWEPT TO DEATH
IN OvERTURN|NC Of
MISSISSIPPI BOAT
Vessel Careens, Catapults
Passengers Into River Near
Memphis, and Sinks.
EXCURSION is TURNED
TO TRAGEDY BY DISASTER
Dramatic Tales of Heroism Told,
Absence of Panic in Emer-
gency Is Marked.
r, rne Associated Press.


b. tho Associated Press.
AiItMpliIS. Tenn. May 9.--raught
H. Ihc ~Wfrlng muddy current of the
Mississippi River. a. she attempted to
>tagGer ashore. the United states
Government steamer Norman today
lies in - feet of water just below
Goa homa Landing. Tenn. after going
d",vn late Yesterday and causing loss
Of approximately - lives.
Among the so or more men, women
and children who were catapulted in
the turbid stream and who remained
there or were fished out with life eX-
rinct. We're some of the best known
men in the engineering profession of
the South. The trip had been taken
~ a side issue to the first anpuaI con-
Nention of the Midsouth Association
of Engineers just formed here.
List of Dead Compiled.
The list of dead as given out by
Mayor Paine, who worked all night
with members Of the Midsouth AS
sociation OF Engineers, and city Off
cials checking up, follows:
+. II. Bowser. Memphis; c. II. Mil
( +.
Memphis. Mr.. and Mrs. Ralph
Bosard. Memphis: Edgar Bosard,
Memphis; Mrs. Lydia Hidinger,
Memphis: Paul Norcross, Atlanta; G.
J.. Anderson. Memphis; Maj. w. w.
Gardiner. Memphis; Mr.. and Mrs.
Walter kirkpatrick. Oxford. Miss:
William Hamon, Memphis: T. Wal
ters Fox. Paducah. Ky: Mrs. ]. F..
Dorroh, oxford. Miss; Mrs. Caldwell
nd o
mned); Jack Cothran, engineer on
Norman. Memphis: Earl Simonson.
fireman on the Norman, Memphis:
Roy Thompson, StOker on Norman.
Memphis; Will Moore. negro, deck
hand Tom Plunkett, negro. deck
hand.
Missing-Prof Il. H. McNeily.
Nashville.
The Norman today rested bottom
up on the muddy bed of the river ami
efforts we're made to chop away her
hull in the hope that some of the -
listed as dead might be found.
, River Combed by Boats.
A number of small steamers and
motor boats today combed the Ten
nessee and Arkansas banks of the
river, seeking any survivors who
might have safely reached a sand bar.
The Norman showed a sudden list
while making its way back to Mem
phis late yesterday afternoon after an
excursion to Cow Island to view Gov
ernment work there. Within a few
minutes, and before a lifeboat could
he launched, il had turned over. Few
of those aboard had time to adjust
life preServerS.
When the struggle in the water
was about over. George Foster, Mem
rhis engineer, fought his way through
hrambleS. over Sloughs, and finally
managed to get mule and rode to a
plantation several miles distant. There
he got into touch with Memphis and
gave the alarm.
Within a few minutes. it seemed,
the news had filtered throughout the
city. Frantic friends and relatives be-
aie2ed newspa per offices. Doctors and
first aid were sent to the scene in fast
motor boats. Ambulances went by
land. The Choctaw arrived with her
quota OF eXcursionists. Doctors We're
waiting. She landed her passengers
and put out again SO quickly that
some of the physicians arriving a min
ute late had to jump aboard.
Crowds Frantic For News.
For what seemed like hours to
anxious friends and relatives there
was no news. No one could be reached
who had any first-hand information.
Then reporter got his newspaper on
the telephone. The list of those known
tn have been saved came first 1t was
relayed from the telephone booth
and frantic men and women fought for
word as to what it contained. News
paper extras sold as fast as newsboys
could hand them out.
Mayor Rowlett Paine, for an hour
or more believed to have been on the
IN / hn
As soon as the survivors of the Nor
man had been brought to Memphis and
landed from the steamer MiSsisSiDpi a
check of all delegates to the conven.
tiun and their friends was begun, AT
daylight this morning every one had
been accounted for except - who were
dead.
Today the search for the dead and
possible living continues. Up the
la nkS of the stream from Bruins
the Chisca and the Monitor are scour
ing the banks looking for bodies anC
possible living. The United States
Government is planning to send dowr
divers in an effort to penetrate the
sunken cabin in the hope of recover
ing some of the bodies. 1t also was
planned. if necessary, to bore hole
i'm the steel hull of the boat
Disaster Cause Unknown.
The reason for the sinking of the
steamer has not been determined.
l.. l.. Hidinger of Memphis saved
his 5-year-old son, Leroy, jr., but his
aged mother, Mrs. Lydia Hidinger
went down before his eyes. When the
steamer began to sink Mr.. HidingeI
started TO search for his mother anC
son. He could not find them.
AS the boat continued to list. the
starboard hull became completely
submerged and the passengers al
grouped on top of the port hull" sale
Mr.. HidinGer. Il was about to jumI
into the river when | saw my boy
standing quietly by my side. How
he got there through the Jam o
people | do not know--it was g
miracle.
Drifts Mile In Water.
I'VE jumped together and Leroy
held his arms around my neck while
] drifted for about a mile with the
current. 1t was entirely too swift
and powerful for me to attempt tC
swim against it.
LAS we were floating along Leroy
suddenly cried: Daddy, daddy. there: