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Show FROM FIliEASI) WATER Passengers on the Steamer T. P. Leathers Leath-ers Compelled to Jump for Their Lives FIVE PERSONS WERE DROWNED The Flames Spread with Awful Rapidity and the Decks Became Red Hot-Crew Hot-Crew Panic-Etricken. Nkw Orleans. Nov. 28. A telephone message from ltayou Sara gives the following fol-lowing particulars of the loss of the steamer T. I'. Leathers yesterday : The (ire was first discovered midships, on tho starboard side, in a pile of sucks of seed, surrounded by tiers of cotton bales. Tho boat was in mid stream uuiler way. The lire got such a hold upon the inllamahle material that to extinguish ex-tinguish it was out of the question. Tho captain ordered the boat headed for the landing. The passengers and crew ran about the burning vessel crazed with terror. The people gathered gath-ered on the front deck to be as near tho shore as possible. They waited there as long as possible while the steamer was being driven in under full steam. As tho boat reared the bank those of the rousters who could swim, began to jump into the river and before tho boat was within a hundred yards of the bank, tho water around her was black wilh struggling men. The ollicers of the boat stood to their posts and did all they cou'd to prevent the frightened passengers from jumping into the river. When the boat got within a few hundred hun-dred feet of tho bank, even tho fore-deck fore-deck became so hot that it was impossible impossi-ble to stay there. All on board were compelled to jump for their lives. Most of them were prepared to jump for their lives. Most of them were provided pro-vided with life preservers ami it is believed be-lieved all these who waited until the last iniuute to jump got safely to tho shore. Lucy Hill, first chambermaid, jumped from the cabin deck and broke her leg. Those known to have been drowned are Ike MeN'orris, steward; tho tirst cook, named Walker; a Texas tender named Hamilton Jones and a teamster named Wright, all colored, and a white deck passenger whose name is not known. |