River and marine

-- Steamboatmen report a rise of about twenty feet in the river up to Wednesday morning last, and Thursday morning, according to further intelligence, it was still rising, and some of the low lands are being overflowed.

-- The H. B. Wright, a new government steamer, recently built at Fayetteville, and commanded by Capt. Flowers, arrived here Friday night. She will be engaged on the various improvements of the Cape Fear and tributary streams, and left yesterday on a surveying expedition on the Black River.

Yesterday afternoon shortly after 3 o’clock, a heavy explosion shook the offices and other buildings about the wharfs and created widespread alarm for a few moments, as no one knew what to make of it. Some thought the deadly dynamite had begun its work in their midst. There were some, however, who were witnesses to the sad cause of the terrible concussion, and soon it was known that the steamer Wave, on the line between this city and Fayetteville, had exploded her boiler and almost immediately sunk. She was lying at the time of the accident near Mr. A. A. Willard’s wharf, on the west side of the river, nearly opposite Messrs. Worth & Worth’s wharf, and soon tugs, yawls and other small craft were taking excited crowds to the scene of the disaster. Crowds also lined the wharves and eagerly awaited tidings from the wreck, and as one and another of the boats would return to this side of the river the persons on board would be quickly interviewed.

First along it was reported that all hands on board had gone down with the boat, but later information places the loss of life at only three. They were Neill Jessup, a stevedore; Jim Stedman, an employee; and Kitty Harvey, the cook—all colored. The injured were Perry Cotton, pilot, and Dave McPherson, a deck hand—both colored. They were both badly scalded; both of them were taken to the Marine Hospital. All the killed and wounded were residents of Fayetteville, except Cotton, who is said to live here at present.

Mr. J. D. L. Smith, engineer of the boat, says he had just come from the boiler, and was sitting in the engine room when the explosion occurred. He says there was plenty of water in the boiler and not too much steam, the pressure being only eighty pounds. He saw the three persons drown whose names are given. A boy named Turner had one of his ears blown off, and received several gashes about the head. The flue of the boiler was found after the accident on top of a warehouse several hundred feet distant.

The boat was taking on fertilizers and there were about four hundred and fifty bags on board, which all went down with the wreck. The bags had been wheeled across a flat to the boat, and at the time of the accident the flat was being loaded.

Mr. J. G Wright, shipping clerk for Messrs. G. W. Williams & Co., was on the boat, and he and the engineer sprang on the flat. Mr. Wright was slightly hurt. Mr. Smith had to feel his way out of the room, which was quickly filled with a dense smoke.

Part of the boiler in its upward flight struck the top mast of the schooner Nellie Potter, lying close to the boat, and broke it off. The smoke stack was blown to atoms. The furniture went down with the boat, but a good deal of it was subsequently fished out. The boat went down in almost one minute after the explosion. Several persons jumped into the river besides those that were drowned.

Mr. L. B. Love, assistant engineer, got jammed between the cabin of the boat and a schooner and made a narrow escape from being carried down with the wreck. One of his hands was pretty badly bruised.

At the time of the accident Capt. Jeff Robeson was on this side of the river, attending to some business.

The boat is a complete wreck, the hull, it is thought, being broken in twain. She was owned principally by Capts. W. A. and J. D. Robeson, but Smith, the engineer also owned an interest in her. She was valued at from $8,000 to $10,000, and was insured for $5,000. Much sympathy is felt among the many friends of the owners on account of their loss, and much regret is felt at the loss of live. {LIFE?}

Mr. Robert Sweet, of Mr. Willard’s establishment, was on the boat at the time and was blown into the water, from which he was rescued, as he could not swim.

The schooners Nellie Potter and Alice Hearn were in the immediate vicinity of the boat and Capt. Pennswell, of the former, says he was badly shaken up. He rushed from the cabin as soon as he thought safety would admit of it and saw the three persons drown—Wilmington Star.

There were no new developments yesterday in regard to the ill-fated steamer Wave, which was wrecked by a boiler explosion on Thursday afternoon. None of the bodies had been recovered up to yesterday evening, and as the boat had on no freight except guano at the time of the accident, the wreck has been disturbed by no efforts to save cargo. The two men at the Marine Hospital—Perry Cotton, the pilot, and Dave McPherson, deck hand—were reported as doing as well as could be expected. It is now quite certain that only the three persons named in yesterday’s report perished by the accident.

Nothing thus far has been seen or heard of the bodies of the three unfortunate colored people who lost their lives by the explosion on the steamer Wave, which took place on Thursday, the 5^th inst., if we may except a rumor to the effect that some fishermen had found some mangled portions of the remains of a man some miles below the city, and that there were some marks by which they were known to be those of Neill Jessup. This rumor, which was being circulated some two or three days ago, could not be traced to a responsible source. It has been ascertained to a certainty that the three persons mentioned were the only ones that lost their lives. No attempt to raise the wreck has yet been made.

The attention of our readers is directed to an “ad” in this issue of the new Steamboat Excelsior, which will run in the place of the ill-fated Wave. May better success attend it than its predecessor. Mr. James DeL. Smith is an experienced boatman, and we sincerely hope that success may attend the Excelsior.

Leave Fayetteville on Wednesday and Satur-days. The customers of the Wave and all who have freight is solicited. Cheap rate from Wilmington to Bennettsville.

For freight and passage apply to

J. DeL. Smith.

P. O. Box 44, Fayetteville, N. C.

March 26, 1885. 111-2tpd

The steamer Excelsior, which has for a week or two past been on the dry dock in Wilmington undergoing repairs, on last Wednesday the 22^nd, the boat was relaunched and at about 1 p.m. commenced her journey to Fayetteville. She proceeded only a short distance on her journey, and had arrived opposite Point Peter when the dreadful cry of fire! fire!! Rang out from every side and the flames were rushing through the hatch. The vessel having been on the dry hock {dock – misspelled} was almost like tinder, all efforts to stay the wild career of the fire proved futile. {futile – misspelled} The Murchison and the tug Alpha came to her assistance and rescued the crew, but were unable to save the boat from the devouring elements.

The crew were able to save only a small portion of their own baggage. In one hour from the time the cry of fire rang out, the vessel had sank. No lives were lost and no one suffered any serious hurt. The Excelsior was building up quite a handsome trade and its prospects were bright. Its owner, officers and crew have our sympathy in this hour of disaster. The damage to the boat was estimated at $2,500, to the cargo at $200.
[The Sun – Fayetteville, N.C. – April 29, 1885]
Local Twinklings

The Wilmington Star speaks of the large cargo carried into that port last Friday evening by the steamer D. Murchison - 500 bales of cotton.

The River Queen is a new steamer which will soon ply the Cape Fear River and present its claims to public patronage as a carrier of passengers and freight. Capt. A. H. Worth will command the handsome craft.--an officer well known from many years of hard service and ripe experience.

We learn that Capt. A. H. Worth with the River Queen will soon be running regularly on the Cape Fear River. May the River Queen's every trip carry a full complement of passengers, whose ride the genial commander will always make pleasant and agreeable, and a cargo of freights which will swell the profits every week.

Capt. R. P. Paddison and Mr. A. H. Paddison have gone to Florida to remain during the winter, we understand. Capt. Paddison has bought the steamer North State, that formerly ran on the Cape Fear river between Wilmington and Fayetteville, and will run her on Lake Eustis, for the orange and trucking trade.

CAPT. A. H. WORTH, WILL LEAVE WIL-

de’10tf

Capt. A. H. Worth, a steamboat captain of many years’ experience on the Cape Fear, gives us a graphic picture of the pains and perils of river navigation last week.  At Harrison’s Creek, last Thursday, his steamer, the River Queen, became as completely ice-bound as ever was Dr. Kane in the frozen regions of the North Pole.  The water seemed to be solid almost to the bed of the river,

The drift ice made a clean sweep of everything in its way in the lower part of the Cape Fear River Thursday night.  It carried away the light-house built on piles of Drum shoals, just above New Inlet and the Drum shoals buoy.  No. 7 buoy, in the Horse Shoe, and the buoy in the lower part of Snow’s Marsh channel were also carried away, besides the piling along the channel.  Some of the fields of ice were half a mile square or more and four to five inches thick.  At Smithville the pilot boat Oriental, Capt. Newton, was dragged from her moorings and carried out about a mile before she could be freed from the ice.  The copper on her sides was cut through in places.  The schooner Ware, used as a lighter, was jammed on Battery Island shoals, where a hole was cut in her side and she filled and sank to the water’s edge.  She was loaded with rosin for the barque Richard, lying at Smithville.  Pilots say that all the marks at the mouth of the river are now gone, and until they are replaced navigation will be difficult, especially in thick weather.

Capt. T. J. Green has sold his interest in the steamer Bladen, and we are informed will retire altogether from the river, devoting his whole time hereafter to other business pursuits. Capt. Jeff D. Robeson will succeed Capt. Green in command of the Bladen.

   We learn that Capt. Jeff. D. Robeson, popular young river captain, is to take command of the steamer Bladen, Capt. T. J. Green designing to retire from the boating business and devote himself to other pursuits.  Whatever field Capt. Green may choose for his labors, he will doubtless find as many friends as he has on the Cape Fear, where he has been known and esteemed for so many years.

Miss Annie Erambert, of Richmond, has been visiting the family of Mr. M. A. Baker of this town.

-- The steam-tug Alpha is on the marine railway at Capt. Skinner’s shipyard, for repairs.

The residence of Hon. George Davis on Second street was ignited by sparks before the flames in their steady progress had reached Front street. The Front Street Methodist church took fire in the belfry from sparks before buildings on the opposite side of Front street had encountered the flames. Every building on the square bounded by Front, Mulberry, Second and Red Cross was reduced to ashes except the Methodist parsonage which stands on the corner of Second and Mulberry streets. About 7 o’clock the fire attacked the former residence of Mr. Henry Nutt on the northwestern corner of Second and Red Cross streets. This was consumed and here the work of destruction in this part of the city ceased. We should have noted the total destruction of the steamer Bladen and her cargo of some 125 bales of cotton, the burning of the steamer River Queen, and of the three-masted schooner Lillie Holmes, of New Bedford, Mass., the last named valued at $30,000.

While the fire we have described was raging, over in Brooklyn, a suburb of the city, something like a mile away from the great disaster, the sparks had caught the steeple of St. Barnabas school-house in the charge of St. Mark’s colored Episcopal church. It was consumed as also Trinity Methodist church (colored) and a large number of dwelling houses occupied by white and colored families. Some nineteen buildings were consumed in this part of the city. The loss of property falls heavily on many who are little able to bear it, and on none more heavily than those who suffered in Brooklyn and some of whom have no places of shelter.

The total loss is variously estimated, some rating it at one million dollars, none lower, we think than $500,000. The amount of insurance on property destroyed is about $400,000, and as none of the railroad property, it is understood, was insured, and there was much other property in the same category, it seems not unreasonable to estimate the loss total as at least $700,000.

We ought not to close without bearing testimony to the self-sacrificing members of the Fire Department and to the trying services of the Wilmington Light Infantry, who spent the night under arms guarding the property which had been saved from the general wreck.

The Goldsboro engine was telegraphed for, but could not reach us on account of the blocking of the railroad track. The Florence fire engine came through and did efficient service. Both these companies received the thanks of a public meeting of citizens assembled on Monday. At the meeting just referred to measures were taken looking to the relief of distress among the sufferers by the fire, and a generous response will no doubt be made.

The loss of the steamer Bladen, briefly mentioned in the account of the fire at Wilmington on Sunday morning last, was caused by fire which occurred when the steamer was within 150 yards of her wharf. The most strenuous efforts immediately became necessary to save the lives of the passengers and crew, as the flames increased with fearful rapidity, and the Bladen was run in at the shed of the New York steamers, where the passengers were with difficulty landed in safety from small boats, but with the loss of all their baggage.

-- The steamer Excelsior, Capt. J. L. Thornton, will take the place of the burned steamer Bladen on the river between Wilmington and Fayetteville. The Excelsior has accommodations for a few passengers and is of about two hundred barrels capacity.

-- The steamer River Queen will be rebuilt as soon as Messrs. Bagley and Stewart, the owners, can make the necessary arrangements to this end. One of the steamer’s engines was raised yesterday by divers and found to be in good condition. The boat was insured for only $1,000, and was valued at about $5,500. Her cargo was fully covered by $3,000 insurance.
[Wilmington Morning Star - Thur. Feb. 25, 1886]

The freight steamer River Queen, which ran between Wilmington and Fayetteville, and from which Capt. A. H. Worth had only a few days since

retired as commander, was burned at her wharf in Wilmington during the big fire of Sunday last. The River Queen was owned by Mr. Bagley, and was

partially insured.

… --We learn from Capt. Green that the Bladen Steamboat Co had to pay Sprunt & Son for the 112 bales of cotton shipped by Mr. R. M. Nimocks on her late trip when she was burned. The Bladen Steamboat Company had the loss to pay yesterday which was promptly done to the amount of $4,150. Captain Green says that after collecting the insurance on the steamer and on the cargo combined there will be only $2,000 left to the stockholders. Therefore, our readers will observe that the stockholders lost about $7,000.

The River Queen is to be rebuilt at an early day. One of her engines has been raised and is found to be in good condition.

-- The steamer D. Murchison, from Fayetteville, arrived last night with a flat in tow, and large freights of cotton and naval stores.

-- The Bladen Steamboat Company will have a steamer here shortly from Newbern to take the place of the steamer Bladen between Wilmington and Fayetteville.

-- Steamers Murchison and Hurt, from Fayetteville yesterday, brought large freights. The Murchison is not {NOW??} running her regular schedule, heavy freights making it necessary to tow lighters both to and from Fayetteville.

-- The steamer Trent, Capt. Dickson, from Newbern, N. C., arrived in this port yesterday. The Trent is owned by the Neuse & Trent River Steamboat Company of Newbern, and has been chartered to run between Wilmington and Fayetteville in place of the burned steamer Bladen. She will make her first trip up the river to-day under command of Capt. R. H. Tomlinson. The Trent draws about three feet of water, is a propeller, and has a carrying capacity of about 650 barrels of rosin. She has limited accommodations for passengers which it is proposed to enlarge.