Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1881 — A STEAMER SMASHED. [ARTICLE]

A STEAMER SMASHED.

Tlic War Eagle Kuns Against a Bridge at Keokuk and Breaks It Into Fragments. Keokuk, lowa, Nov. 5. At 7 o’clock last evening shrill and continued whistling at the Keokuk and Hamilton bridge, followed by the ringing of fire bells, drew hundreds of people to the levee to find that a steamboat load of passengers had miraculously escaped death. The palatial passengerpacket War Eagle in attempting to pass through the draw was completely baffled by the eddies and cross currents and swung around against the bridge, breaking out one span and entailing a loss of $150,000 to the bridge. Several Jives were lost, but the names cannot at present bo learned. The head clerk of the War Eagle makes the following statement: Capt. Jerry Wood was in command. Hiram Beadle and William 'Jibbles were the pilots, and both were in the pilot-house, though it was Beadle’s watch. I had just eaten supper and went back into the cabin to talk to some ladies I knew. I heard the whistle blow for the bridge and the bells ring to check headway. Knowing that it was customary co drop inside the long pier, I felt no uneasiness until the alarm whistle blew twice, which meant to back her round. About that time William Holmes, third clerk, came through the cabin, in which there were only ten or twelve ladies, the remnant being on the outside at the bridge. He threw up his hand and passed out the starboard gangway. I paid no attention to him, knowing he was easily alarmed in emergencies, but in a few minutes he returned and signaled me. I then excused myself hurriedly and went to him. He said : “ She’s gone this time.” I ran out the larboard gangwayon to the larboard guard forward of the bar-ber-shop, and saw that we were broadside to the bridge and that the boat was backing strong. I instantly rushed into the cabin and gave the alarm. I caught hold of one lady and cried out to the rest to follow me, as the boat was going to strike the bridge. We all passed out the after-door on to the starboard guard, reaching there just as the crash came. I kept calling to the passengers, who seemed bewildered, to get on the hurricane deck. They not seeming to understand I led the way, and they followed. As soon as the boat struck the bridge the span gave way with a fearful crash, and I felt considerably relieved, knowing that the chances for saving life would now be much better. I looked forward and saw that the boat was leaning on the west pier, her stem having cleared the east pier where the break in the bridge occurred, and that the people were climbing from the boat onto the bridge. I took one ladv and ran forward on the larboard side down the steps abreast of the smokestacks, and assisted in passing the passengers out upon the bridge until the boat swung off. One lady refused to go. Seeing that a greater part of the passengers had escaped and were safe, the second clerk, Alex. Robinson, and mvself determined to stay with the boat. In* short time she swung clear of the bridge, and we went down on the lower deck to see if she was making water or not.' Some one had been in the hold and reported that she was, but not very fast. I ran up stairs and quieted the fears of the few remaining ladies on the boat, and got all forward, so that in case we went down we could * get off without much trouble. The boat then floated with the current with her bead down stream to a point a few hundred yards below the elevator, where, with the aid of one .Wheel and the assistance of parties who came in a skiff and took a line ashore, she was made fast resting on the railroad track, which is covered with water, the river on the outside being about fifteen feet deep. The dredge-boat W. D. Smith came down and held her stern in until she was securely fastened.

No line in England carries the number of passengers, or carries them so cheaply and pays so large a dividend, as the underground railroad of London. The passengers numbered 110,000,000. Several of the underground aud overground railways carry workmen twelve miles a day for 2 cents, thus enabling them to enjoy cheap houses ans country air,