Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1886 — PERISHED IN THE FLAMES. [ARTICLE]

PERISHED IN THE FLAMES.

Many Lives Lost in a Burning Stumer on the Mississippi River. The J. M. White, Destroyed Near Bayou Sara, La.—Thrilling Scenes and Incidents. [New Orleans special.] The steamer J. M. White, on her dowr trip from Vicksburg, caught fire at 10:30 o’clock on Tuesday night while at St. Maurice Landing, in Pointe Coupee Parish, four miles above Bayou Sara, and was entirely destroyed in a few minutes. The fire originated near the boilers, and spread with such rapidity that the flames enveloped the boat before warning of their dagger could be given the passengers and crew. One of the mates was the nrst to see the fire from the river bank, and by the time he reached the cabin the-smoke was so dense that he could only awaken the occupants of a few of the staterooms in front and escape with the rest of the officers to a place of safety. All the books and papers in the clerk’s office w’ere destroyed. Capt. Muse was sick in kis room at the time, and was notified just in time to save his lite. All the passengers in the forward cabin were saved, with one exception. Those in the ladies’ cabin were shut off from retreat by the flames, and were burned in their rooms or were forced to jump into the river, where only three were rescued. Washington Floyd, Captain of the Will S. Hays of Louisville, was aroused in time to save himself, but rushed back into the ladies’ cabin to save the occupants, and was himself destroyed. J he following is a partial list of the lost: t Mr. Spafford, Superintendent of the Natchez and Vidalia Bailroad, wife, and child. Captain Wash Floyd of the Will S. Hays. Miss Agnes McCaleb of West Feliciana. Two women, names not known. Two white men from the West. There were twenty-one colored, including several of the boat hands, and two negro preachers, who were also killed. Chief. Engineer McGreevy says: “There were four kegs of powder in the magazine, and the moment the fire reached them the flames shot up about one hundred feet high. The sight was the most heartrending one ever witnessed by a human being. The shrieking of women and children for help was awful. I saw the superintendent of the Vidalia route railroad standing outside the ladies’ cabin, throwi' g his two little daughters into the water. He stood there and burned to death with his wife. There w’ere in the cabin nine lady passengers and about eight men. At New Texas twenty deck hands were taken on board. All are supposed to be lost.” The J. M. White was built in 1878, at a cost of $225,000, and was regarded by many as the finest and fastest boat ever run on the Mississippi River. The boat was owned by Capt. John W. Tobin. She carried a cargo consisting of 2,100 bales of cotton and 6,000 sacks of seed. She was valued at $100,000; the cargo at $90,000. The insurance on the boat is $29,000; the cargo is doubtless fully covered by insurance.