Scott County IA Archives News.....Sinking of the Steamer Jennie Gilchrist November 2, 1881
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Kenneth Stacy klstacyfamily@aol.com November 11, 2006, 3:25 am

The Huntsville Weekly Democrat (AL) November 2, 1881
Terrible Calamity
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NEW YORK. Oct. 21. – A special to the Herald from Davenport, Iowa, furnishes 
the following:
  The steamer Gilchrist left this point last night, apparently in good trim 
and condition, bound for all points up the river, and loaded with a large and 
valuable cargo of miscellaneous freight, and carrying in her cabin a full list 
of passengers. – When the steamer had passed under the Government bridge, 
spanning the Mississippi and connecting the cities of Davenport and Rock 
Island, the connecting rods of the engine suddenly gave way, causing the 
engine machinery to become unmanageable and useless.  The river was very high, 
owing to recent floods, and the current unusually rapid.  So, when the 
Gilchrist had no longer her machinery to keep her bow up, the stream of the 
swiftly running river carried the helpless vessel down the stream at a rapid 
and appalling rate.  Being so near the bridge, the steamer was thrown with 
tremendous and resistless force against one of the abutments.  As the 
Gilchrist came in collision with the enormous mass of stone, she careened, 
causing the weights on the safety-valves of the steam chests to break from the 
fastenings and slide off, the valves no longer holding a check on the steam in 
the boilers.  It poured out in huge volumes, and enveloped the hopeless crew 
and passengers, who were wholly endeavoring to secure life preservers in the 
main saloon, and scalded many of them in an awful manner.  No sooner had the 
steamer rebounded from the shock of the collision, that she began sinking, in 
which condition she was carried past the city – the shrieks and cries for help 
uttered by the frenzied victims being distinctly audible to a large crowd of 
citizens, who soon thronged the banks, but they could send no assistance, as 
the steamer hurled past their eyes by the turbulent river.  All of the small 
boats and skiffs, usually numerous on the river, had been drawn ashore and 
laid away for the Winter, to escape the floods which have prevailed all along 
the course of the Mississippi river for nearly a fortnight.  So there was no 
means of speedily reaching the sinking steamer.  Other steamers, lying at the 
bank, immediately went to her assistance, and are actively at work searching 
for the survivors. I learn that there were on board twenty-three passengers, 
four of whom were female, and a crew of 15.  Only eight persons have been 
saved so far, and one of these is very badly scalded.  Three lady passengers 
are known to have been killed or scalded to death.  The city is in great 
excitement and everything possible is being done to relieve the unfortunates.  
There is very little hope of any more being saved.
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   ROCKLAND, ILL., Oct. 28. – Further intelligence, from the scene of the 
steamer Jennie Gilchrist, is to the effect that seventeen persons in all were 
lost and seventeen saved.  Other passengers might have been saved, if they had 
yielded to the entreaties of the more cool headed who went among them before 
the steamer struck the pier and urged them to get on board a barge.  The 
latter even tried to drag them from the cabin, but they were so terror 
stricken and powerless that they could make no effort to save themselves.  The 
steamer had in tow a barge and one flat boat.  The latter was being pushed at 
the bow of the steamer, while the barge was fastened to the port side.  There 
seems to be no doubt that the steamer was totally unfit for the work expected 
from her.  She was heavily laden and most of the crew were drunk.  
Furthermore, she was not licensed to carry passengers.  The accident was 
entirely due to carelessness and liquor.  There was a good deal of whiskey in 
the cargo and some of it was tapped before the steamer left the wharf.

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