Muscogee County GaArchives Photo Place.....Steamboat Rebecca ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 May 5, 2007, 11:13 pm Source: Sesquicentennial Supplement III, Ledger-Enquirer Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/muscogee/photos/steamboa12721gph.jpg Image file size: 95.9 Kb DAILY ENQUIRER & SUN, COLUMBUS, GA., FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 1884 HORRIBLE HOLOCAUST. THE STEAMER REBECCA EVERINGHAM BURNS TO THE WATER'S EDGE. EIGHT PERSONS PERISH IN THE FLAMES "Over 300 bales of cotton consumed. Passengers flee from the ill-fated steamer in their night dress. Sad Story told." Yesterday afternoon about 3 o'clock, the citizens of this city were alerted and shocked by the report that the steamer Rebecca Everingham had burned. The bewildering intelligence was brought by Captain Tom Whiteside who had just reached the city on the Mobile and Girard freight train. An Enquirer-Sun reporter had an interview with Captain Whiteside and learned from him the following facts: Yesterday morning at 4:45 a.m. just after the Rebecca Everingham had left the D. B. Fitzgerald landing, 40 miles below the city, it was discovered that the cotton on board was on fire. The wind was blowing a gale and the flames spread with such rapidity it was evident the boat and her cargo could not be saved, and their energies were given in saving the lives of the passengers. Col. W. S. Shepherd, who had just come aboard at Florence, went through the cabins arousing the passengers and the pilot on duty, George Lapham, ran the boat against the Georgia side as quickly as possible, which was the work of a moment. As soon as the vessel struck the bank the bewildered passengers in their night clothes rushed from the cabins and jumped ashore. Some of them jumped in the river and succeeded in swimming to the bank. The cotton was very dry and burned almost like powder and even before the vessel sank, the smoke and flames were leaping far above the roof and meeting over the pilot house. As soon as the boat was landed Capt. Whiteside sent for an ax intending to scuttle her, but when it arrived, it was evident that this would do no good as the fire had gained too great headway. During all the confusion and intense excitement, the officers of the boat worked nobly, risking their lives to save those of the passengers on board. In a few minutes the boat was burned to the water's edge, her entire cargo, books and papers being a total loss. "The Missing". As soon as it was possible to collect the passengers and crew together the purser, Mr. Nelson, undertook the work of ascertaining if any lives had been lost. The passenger list had been consumed by the flames, but from memory, assisted by the passengers and crew, it was found that eight persons perished in the flames, two of whom were lady passengers. The following is the list of the missing: Mrs. (Jane Prather Cade *CGT) Aven of Cuthbert; Miss (Mary Valeria *CGT) Simpson of Ft. Gaines; Julia Anderson (colored chambermaid); Richard Coleman (colored pantry man); Ralph Thomas (colored fireman); Az Stevens (colored deck hand); Randolph Singer (colored deck hand); Bob Griffin (colored stevadore). "The Survivors". The following is the list of the surviving passengers: Cabin: Col. W. S. Shepherd, R. W. Ledsinger, L. L. Macon, T. C. Gibson, A. W. McIntosh and wife, D.C. Blackwell and wife, E. H. Cason, W. J. Tilley, T. F. Rodecke, Miss Fanny Hardy, E. D. Williams, Miss Dora Patterson, Miss Laura Spikes, F. C. Slaggs. On deck: Daniel Harris, A. Sutton, Juda Gatrie, Rose Allen, William Green, William Hardeman, Tom Keller, John Barfield, Laura Lewis. "The Injured". Mr. E. D. Williams of Troup County, a passenger, was dangerously burned about the head and shoulders. Capt. George Whiteside, master, was painfully burned on the face and hands. Capt. Tom Whiteside, mate, was burned in the left temple. Mr. Isaac Carey, engineer, wrist burned. "Chilled Through". The weather was very cool, and the passengers who had been landed in the swamp clad only in their night clothes, suffered a great deal from cold. The injured were removed to the residence of D. B. Fitzgerald, who, with noble hospitality, threw open his doors and gave shelter and food free to all. Physicians were summoned from Florence and proper medical attention was given the injured. Capt. Tom Whiteside, Col. Shepherd and Mr. R. W. Ledsinger left Mr. Fitzgerald's yesterday morning for Fort Mitchell, walking part of the way, where they took the train and reached this city at 2:30 p.m. Capt. George Whiteside, other officers and , crew and the surviving passengers were left at Mr. Fitzgerald's home. They are expected to reach the city this morning via the Mobile and Girard passenger train. "The Cargo". The boat's cargo consisted of 305 bales of cotton and a small miscellaneous freight. It is not possible to tell now to whom the latter belonged. 234 bales of the cotton belonged to H. L. Hall & Co. of Eufaula and was insured in the Sea Insurance Co. of Liverpool. Of the remainder, 24 bales was the property of Mr. R. W. Ledsinger of this city, and 47 bales belonged to Mr. A. Hutchins of Howards Landing, neither of whom had any insurance. "The Origin of the Fire". Just how the fire originated, no one can tell. It is supposed that it was caused by a spark from the electric light. It was first discovered in the cotton on the lower deck of the boat and spread with great rapidity, soon enveloping the vessel in flames. The cotton bales were ragged and dry and burned like paper. The passengers who were saved escaped mostly from the bow of the boat. It is supposed that the two ladies who were burned attempted to dress themselves. The negroes who lost their lives were probably asleep in the hold. "Who The Dead Are". Mrs. Aven, the lady from Cuthbert who lost her life, was the mother of J. A. Cade of Columbus and aunt of Mr. Clark Prather. Miss Simpson was a niece of Mrs. Aven and cousin of the above named gentlemen. They were on their way to Columbus to visit relatives here and the news of their sad deaths cast a gloom over the city and everybody had a word of sympathy for the bereaved family. None of the bodies were recovered, and it is supposed they were burned to ashes. "Praise For the Officers". Col. Shepherd and M. Ledsinger are loud in their praise of the conduct of the officers of the boat. Capt. Tom Whiteside was in command at the time, but as soon as the alarm was given, Capt. George came quickly to his assistance. They both did noble work and did not hesitate to place their own lives in jeopardy to save those of the passengers. Mr. George Lapham, the pilot on duty, and Mr. Isaac Carey, the engineer, both remained at their respective posts of duty to the very last and did not leave until they were driven away by the unbearable heat. Mr. Carey was forced to jump into the river to save his life. "The Loss to the Company" The steamer Rebecca Everingham was of the Central Lines and plied between this city and Appalachicola, Florida. She was built at the Columbus Iron Works in this city in 1880, was launched on Aug. 27 of that year and made her first trip on the 15th of November. She was valued at $24,000 and was un-insured. The Everingham was the best steamboat in every respect that was engaged in plying the river, being perfectly seaworthy and elegant in all her departments. Her loss is universely regretted, and it is feared that it will be some time before another boat will be put upon our river that will prove such a favorite with the traveling public. Capt. Samuel J. Whiteside, the general agent of the line, was in the city when the news of the destruction of the boat was received. The burning of the Everingham leaves his line without a boat on the .river, but this will not be allowed to remain the case long. It is very likely that the "Caddo Belle" will be brought from the Sewanne River at once to supply the place of the Everingham. The company is now having a new boat built, which will be ready for service in June or July. "Notes" . The bulletin board of the Enquirer-Sun was surrounded by 100's of people yesterday afternoon, anxious to hear the latest news of the terrible accident. Mr. R. W. Ledsinger says the first information that he had of the fire was given by Capt. Tom Whiteside who he heard give the command to throw out the hose. He next heard Col. Shepherd say, "Wake up the passengers, the boat's on fire." Mr. Ledsinger say, he snatched up his clothes, put them across his arm and made for the shore as rapidly as possible. He says that he would rather take his chance for life in a battle anytime. The ladies in their night clothes were rushing wildly about the boat, and it is a mystery as to how so many escaped with their lives. Out of the 27 passengers only two are known to have been burned to death. Mr. Williams of LaGrange, who it is said was fatally burned, went to Florida only about a week ago for the benefit of his health. He was accompanied by Mr. W. H. Newsome, formerly of this city, who got off the boat at Florence just before she was burned. A special to Enquirer-Sun, received from Eufaula yesterday afternoon, stated that 13 lives were lost, but Capt. Whiteside is confident that 8 is the total number. The burning of the Rebecca Everingham recalls to the minds of many the sinking of the "Wylie" which occured on the 12th of April last year and caused so much sorrow in the city. The "Wylie" was also the property of the Central Line, upon which the loss of 2 steamers within 12 months falls very heavily. No one, however, attaches any blame to the officers of the Rebecca Everingham. THE ENQUIRER-SUN, COLUMBUS, GA., SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1884 "THE STEAM BOA T DISASTER". "Two more lives known to be lost¬¬¬---Officers and crew reach this city." The burning of the elegant steamer Rebecca Everingham, a full account of which was published in the Enquirer-Sun yesterday morning, was the general topic of conversation yesterday. The officers and crew reached this city yesterday. Messrs. C. A. Nelson, purser; H. F. Summerkamp, 2nd clerk; George Lapham, and Charlie Wingate, pilots; Hiram Goolet and Isaac Carey, engineers; Frank H. Lapham and the surviving deck hands, accompanied by Mr. T. O. Gibson and Miss Laura Spikes of Appalachicola, reached the city on the Mobile and Girard passenger train. Mr. D. B. Fitzgerald sent them to Florence; from there they floated down the river in bateau to Eufaula, where they took the train for this city. Capt. George Whiteside went to Ft. Mitchell by private conveyance where he took the Mobile & Girard freight train, reaching this city at 2:00 p.m. His hands and face are quite badly burned, though not dangerously. There was a large crowd of negroes at the depot to meet the passenger train, and many of them were loud in their lamentations as the news of the loss of a relative or friend was confirmed. The officers state that two more lives are known to have been lost besides those reported yesterday morning. They are Mr. J. C. Hightower, a sewing machine agent of Eufaula; and a child of Rosa Allen, colored, of this city. Mr. Nelson, the purser, says that Mr. W. L. Kennedy of Spring Hill, Ala., who reported as lost in some of the dispatches, got off the boat at a landing before the fire was discovered. Mr. J. B. Yates of Bainbridge, was also reported as among the missing in the dispatches sent from Eufaula, but Capt. William Whiteside says he is confident he saw him walking along the road with a valise in his hand after the boat had burned. Ten lives are, all that the officers know to have been lost, but it is possible that others may have burned, as the register was destroyed and no one can remember that was on board. It is said that a Mrs. Thompson of Eufaula was among the missing, but the officers have no recollection of such a lady being on board at the time of the fire. Capt. George Whiteside reports that Mr. E. D. Williams of LaGrange, who was so badly burned, was doing very well yesterday morning. His wife has gone to Mr. Fitzgerald's to administer to the wants of her afflicted husband. The accounts of the fire given by the officers and passengers all agree with that published yesterday. No one knows how the fire originated, unless it caught from an electric spark. The officers and crew all worked nobly to save the lives of the passengers, each doing all that was within his power. Messrs. J. A. Cade and Clark Prather left for the scene of the disaster yesterday to search for the remains of Mrs. Aven and Miss Simpson, but it is thought their trip will be in vain. The boat was burned to the water's edge, the fire leaving only a part of the hull which was doubtless sunk to the bottom of the river before this time. Capt. Samuel J. Whiteside, General Agent of Central Line, has not yet fully decided whether to order the "Caddo Belle" to the river or to buy another boat; but in either event, the place of the Rebecca Everingham will be supplied in a few days. Picture from Special Sesquicentennial Supplement III Ledger-Enquirer, Sunday, April 30, 1978, pages S-18 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/muscogee/photos/steamboa12721gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 14.3 Kb