December 1982 Collage | March 1987 Collage | See also Steamer Lamascotte Explostion at Neely's Landing in 1886

WRECK OF THE STONEWALL

By Rose Lee Nussbaum

One of the worst tragedies of the Mississippi River occurred on October 27, 1869.  When the passenger and freight steam STONEWALL burned near Neely's Landing, with approximately 300 persons drowned or burned to death.

There are no newspaper stories of the event only the reminiscences of some of the witnesses to the catastrophe written many years later.  One of these was written by Willis Knox of Jackson who, in 1928, was eight years old when he saw the boat pass his father's house at Neelys Landing.  Another report of the wreck was compiled by the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society in 1936 from data supplied by R.W. Harris who also was eight years old when the boat burned not far from Neelys.  Here is their description of the event.

Knox distinctly remembered seeing the boat pass his father's house juts before dark, on that day.  Freight was piled high on the decks, and passengers were seen promenading in front of the cabin.

 The STONEWALL, according to Harris, was headed for New Orleans and heavily loaded.  Because of that the low stage of the river she was running on slow wheels.  The fire started in some hay and other inflammable freight, into which it was believed some deck passenger, smoking, accidentally dropped a spark.  Before the blaze was discovered it had gained considerable headway.

 Attempts to extinguish the fire being futile, the captain ordered a landing at a point just below the mouth of Indian Creek.  In heading the boat toward that formerly was known as Devil's Tea Table (a large protruding rock which was blown out when the Frisco Railroad was built in 1904) an unexpected bar was struck.  The boat gradually turned around and the north wind carried the blaze directly through her.

 Panic stricken passengers were caught like rats on the blazing boat, between which and the Missouri shore was 150 feet or more of swift, icy cold water.

 The leaping flames, lighting the sky for 1 1/2 miles away, soon attracted the neighbors who hurried to the river bank, land owned then by Edward Cotter, a pioneer in Neelys Landing.  While Elam W. Harris, John E. Harris, Sam Morgan, Jim McLaughlin, Matt Hughes, Peter Hughes, Delevan Sheppard and others built a fire of fence rails, four others went out in a skiff to rescue passengers.

 These carsmen were Lowrie Hope, Martin O'Brian, Frank West, and Derry Hays, the latter a Negro.  Their efforts at rescue were hampered because they could not get too near the boat, but they were able to save many.  some of the passengers were seen to walk into the flames.  Others jumped into the river, some forcing horses from the lower deck to swim while they clung to the animals' tails.  The two pilots, forced from the pilot house, jumped into the river.  One was saved, but the other's body was never recovered.  The engineer, who stayed at his post almost to the last, finally was rescued by the skiff.

Only about 40 passengers were saved, and it was estimated at the time that more than 300 perished either in the flames or by drowning, Knox stated in the paper.

Whiskey and coffee were given to the survivors on the shore, and they were later taken to nearby homes and cared for until they were able to continue on their way.  Steamers coming down the river that night and the following several days stopped at the terrible tragedy to give what aid they could to the survivors.  The bodies of those who were found were buried in a long grave on the farm of Edward Cotter, after their accurate description was taken together with their apparent age, items of clothing, jewelry, money and papers, for possible later identification.  These pieces of information and valuables were filed carefully away by the coroner, Judge John R. Henderson.  About 75 bodies (Harris says more than 60) were buried in this grave on the Cotter farm.

When the hull had cooled, what was left of the freight was salvaged and sold.  Mr. Harris recalled that his father bought a firkin of butter from Wisconsin.  One of the horses, scarred from burns, was long owned by Frank Oliver, who called him Stonewall.

When the boat's safe was opened, only paper money, scorched to a crisp, was found, much to the public's disappointment.  The safe had been under day and night guard until it was opened.

Money and valuables taken from the victims were saved and turned over to relatives upon due proof of claim.  the last of these claims was paid out in the May term of the Probate Court in 1894.  John Bonney was county treasurer and public administrator, and a board of appraisers was appointed, including M.W. Williams, W.B. Colyer, and J.M. Reed.

The rest of the information for this article was taken from the original papers of Judge John R. Henderson, Justice of Peace, Shawnee township.  Judge Henderson was appointed acting Coroner and had the responsibility of summoning juries, making records and taking care of the legal aspects of the wreck.

 One of Judge Henderson's first tasks was to summon coroners juries to view the bodies to determine the cause of death and record their various possessions.  One body, identified as that of Francis Brennan, had $55.00, one $5.00 bill badly torn, one gold watch and finger ring, bunch of keys and pocket knife.  There were 61 bodies listed, 22 of these evidently having nothing in their possession.  Some of the items found on the bodies were as follows:  No. 2 one silver watch No. 80395 and $40.65; No. 7, 20 cents; No. 21, $3.90 in currency, two ten and five twenty franc French gold coins, two forty-five Italian coins, 3 two lire and 1 lire Italian coins, 25 cents in American silver and 2 finger rings; No. 25 one revolvers and 30 cents and forty-two dollars in silver; and No. 50, sixty dollars and a certificate of deposit for $300.00 dated October 6, 1869 on National Union Bank by Michael O'Toole.  Other items found on the bodies were 3 revolvers, gold and silver coins, rings, watches, and foreign currency.

The stories mention a horse found after the wreck.  But one of the papers is a sworn statement by Daniel Morgan that he took up after the tragedy, a mule.  this was dated October 29, 1869 and signed by Judge Henderson.  Such papers were necessary at that time because a horse thief often met with an untimely end; also, a good mule was worth $75.00 then -- quite a sum of money.

One of the most interest papers is the list of expenses accrued from the accident.  Judge Henderson spent twenty-five days working at $8.00 a day for a total of $160.00.  Thos. L. Frank received $4.00 for summoning three juries and $150.00 for five days work.  Jurors paid were:  Delevan Sheppard, V.M. Dempsey, James McLaughlin, Charley Markert, B. Swallow, R.D. West, E. Cotter, Solomon Oguin, Roland Childs, A.G. McNeely, James E. Harris, John Whittaker, Daniel Morgan, Charles Neely, R.F. Woods and G.W. Franks.  They received varying amounts of money ranging from $19.00 to $1.00.  Some of the local people hired to work were:  R.H. Abernathy, John Medlock, Wm. Starret, Jason Grammer, Frank Crabb, Joseph Acre, Monroe Trickey, Charles Grammer, Wm. Stiff, Spencer Daughety, John Caldwell, John Anderson, Andrew Knight, Isaac Akman, Jacob Hamilton, George Vastine, Rueben Vingate, Casper Grundy, Eliza Voght, Thomas Childs, William Franks, Robert Franks, Henry Anderson, William Reese, John Slayton, Layfate Franks, James C. Smith, Daniel Morgan, James Powell, Spence Grundy, Rueben Mobry, M.M. Williamson, John Martin, E.W. Harris, George Wilson, Troy Oguin, John Black, J.T. Jackson, R.J. Mullenax, Derry Hays, Thomas Trickey, Thomas McCain, Grundy Leaper, Robert Bolen, Henry Extel, M. Rhyne, Solum Uenberg, Alexander Starret, Alexander Uenberg, Thomas Robins, Silas Martin, Abner McNeely, R.W. Harris, Sidney Penny and John Whittaker.  They were paid from $2.00 to $8.00 each.  The total bill to the county was $620.55.

Most of the remaining papers saved by Judge Henderson consisted of Jury summons and affidavits as to the identity of the bodies.  One paper also answers the mystery of what was in the safe--according to the sworn statement of R.W. Harris, John E. Harris and James Hull (sp)--and I quote, "The contents of the safe consisted of thirty cents in nickels and a lot of cinders, supposed to be burnt books, papers and one bundle supposed to have been 'Green Backs' and we do appraise the said safe and contents at the value of ten dollars."

The only item from the boat itself was one ticket issued to F. Brennan for an Upper Berth Room 24.

The scene of the tragedy was thereafter known as the "Stonewall Bar" and at the time of Mr. Knox's paper (1928) evidences of the wreck could still be seen.  From the June 29, 1937, Southeast Missourian we find that there was still interest in the wreck.  The Cape Girardeau County Historical society anual meeting was held near by and after the meeting was adjourned some of the members of the Society visited the Cotter Cemetery near Neelys Landing.  Near this cemetery are also located the graves of sixty-three victims of the steamboat STONEWALL disaster.

Recently my husband, daughter and I spent an enjoyable afternoon visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schenimann, lifelong residents of Neelys Landing.  Mr. Schenimann is literally a treasure chest of river history.  The eighty-one year old octogenarian recalled many stories that he had heard when a young lad about the wreck of the STONEWALL; the worst catastrophe to ever happen at Neelys.  The bodies--or floaters as he called them--were buried in a long grave on a ridge north of the mouth of Indian Creek on land that belong to a Cotter.  This land has changed owners down through the years belonging to a Mrs. Bray, Frank Oliver, Kranawetter, and August Litzelfelner.  Approximately 65 years ago the land belonged to the Healey Quarry Company.  At that time, according to Mr. Schenimann, a man by the name of A.C. McGilvery lived on the farm and he removed the stones from the grave and piled them in an unused area.  Whether or not the stones are still somewhere about is unknown.  The land presently belongs to Proctor and Gamble Paper Products Company.

----- From March 1987 College below

WRECK OF THE "STONEWALL"

by M. E. Nussbaum Hildebrandt

 It was 6:15 p.m., October 27, 1869, when the Stonewall steamed past Neely's Landing.

The steamboat had left St. Louis on the previous evening and now, after making several stops, was on her way to New Orleans heavily laden with passengers and freight. It was here at Neely's Landing (about 120 miles south of St. Louis) that the first shouts of "fire" were heard. An hour and a half later, the steamboat had burned to the waterline and 209 people were dead.

 The era of the steamboat in Missouri is an era that has been romanticized forever in the works of Mark Twain. All can see the wise pilot guiding the boat, the strong stoker feeding the fire, and the wicked gambler working the tables below. But the real era of the steamboat was something entirely different. Steamboating was a profession full of danger and profiteering.

 The average lifetime of a steamboat on the Missouri/Mississippi River System was less than five years. Snags were responsible for the sinking of most, fire took others, explosions some, and ice a few. Steam2°ats were expensive items to build in 1860s ranging from 10,000 to 60,000 dollars. This coupled with the short life span created an environment of overloaded, overcrowded steamboats. Only in later years would laws be passed (not necessarily enforced) that would limit passengers and freight, but by that time steamboats had lost out to the trains.

 The Steamboat Stonewall

The Stonewall was a fairly new boat having been built in 1866 by the Howard Ship Yards, Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was a large boat measuring 224 by 42.5 by 6.8 feet and was 879 tons. The owners were Captain John Shaw and Dennis Long of Louisville, Kentucky. The captain of the boat on its last voyage was Thomas Scott due to Captain Shaw's absence. The boat was normally operated out of St. Louis but records show that she traversed from Fort Benton in the Dakota Territory to New Orleans. (A cargo list of one Fort Benton run in 1866 showed 1000,000 in gold dust and 260 bundles of robes. 4)

 October 17, 1869

The Steamboat Stonewall left St. Louis on October 26, 1869 at 6:00 o'Clock. On it were 35 cabin passengers, 165 deck passengers, and 75 crew members. The boat was loaded " ... about 5000 barrels of flour, 500 sacks of oats, about 150 bales of hay and a large quantity of bacon and pork. There was also some petroleum on board. There were 900 or 1000 tons of freight. The boat was not freighted to its full capacity. There were about 150 mules on it." 6)

 At the Chester stop, 800 barrels of flour were loaded onto the boat and at Grand Tower, 800 to 1000 bushels of coal were taken on board. The boat was by this time heavily loaded. This, coupled with the low stage of the river, caused progress to be slow and dangerous.

 It was just below Neely's Landing, about 120 miles below St. Louis, at 6:15 that the first cries of "fire" were heard. The fire started in a stack of hay located on the foredeck. How it started is not known, some sources say a careless smoker, others blamed card players, and one officer said he believed it was a deck passenger hunting for a lost possession. The fire quickly spread beyond control in the short space of minutes. The pilot, in a standard procedure, attempted to ground the boat on the riverbank allowing the passengers to escape, but ran onto a gravel bar (lump) and grounded about 100 yards some say 200 yards) from shore. The current of the river then slowly turned the boat around, allowing the flames to be fanned by the north wind over the entire boat. Within a short time the entire boat was blazing. The cargo (bacon, coal oil, and hay) rapidly caught fire and proceeded to burn intensely.

 The passengers were trapped upon the boat. It was over one hundred yards from the shore and the water was cold and icy. Most passengers of this time could not swim. Upon the ship were seventy-five life preservers located two per stateroom and tied to the steamer, one yawl. Only one man secured a life-preserver, thereby saving his own life. (It must be mentioned that there were only 35 cabin passengers and therefore really only 35 of the passengers had knowledge of and access to the life preservers.) Chaos prevailed. Many of the deck passengers were foreign, understanding little English.

People panicked with many jumping into the water, while some were pushed into the water by the press: others stayed on the steamer and quickly perished in the flames. In among all of this were the mules. The frantic animals quickly broke loose from their ties and: "rushed with the people and jumped into the water with them and on them and over them. Some few started and swam ashore, but most of them swam around the boat in circles, drowning men, women, and helpless children. One mule jumped into the water and by his frantic movements drowned six people." 7)

 The single yawl was quickly seized by some of the deck passengers. There were no paddles with it and they were forced to paddle ashore with their hands.

 People seized anything that they thought would float. The crew grabbed their valises. The passengers used doors, ladders, and even crates of cabbages. But the river was both cold and extremely swift and almost all who jumped into the river drowned.

 On the shore, the local people were quickly attracted by the blaze.8 (Local legend has the flames visible for miles.) Unfortunately they had only one small skiff. Several trips were made to the burning boat with the small skiff saving some lives. The people on shore assisted any survivors that reached shore by taking them into their homes for warmth, food, and a little whiskey. Hypothermia though took its toll and some passengers reached the shore only to die.

 The strong current swept many passengers far down the river. Some survivors were found as far as a mile down river. The strong current was also responsible for the disappearance of many bodies. The river was dragged for several days after the wreck but many bodies were never found.

 The wreck had burned to the water line within an hour and a half but long before that there were no living people on the wreck. The total number dead according to the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Stearn Vessels was 209 with a total of around 66 survivors.

Included in the dead were women and children.

 Submarine No. 13

 The steamboat Submarine No. 13,(Captain John T. Washington) which was following the Stonewall down from St. Louis, passed the burning wreck less than an hour after the fire had started. A large outcry arose over this. Not only could many lives have been saved if the steamer would have stopped but waves created by the steamer aided in the drowning death of several. Captain Washington was soundly condemned by the press, while a Vigilance Committee was formed in Cape Girardeau to lynch him upon his return upriver. The Captain in a letter to the New York Times, November 10, 1869, stated that because the Stonewall was burned so completely it was assumed that it was the Colorado, a much smaller boat, that had burned. He also stated that he saw no survivors and therefore assumed all had reached shore. It should be noted that due to the bad weather and due to a large cargo of hay, to get at all close to the wreck would have endangered the Submarine No. 13 and its drew.

 A committee later found that:

"Captain Washington committed a grave error, ... in failing to land his boat, as he could have undoubtedly have rendered great assistance to those in the water and others who had succeeded in getting ashore." 9)

 It is uncertain exactly who this committee was but they were probably part of the Federal Steam Boat Inspectors.

 The Belle Memphis

 The Belle Memphis Steamboat came up the river around three hours later and rendered what assistance they could. The steamboat took the passengers that could travel back to St. Louis. It is from these passengers that most of the news reports came.

 The Afterward

 It was the duty of Justice of the-Peace John R. Henderson of Shawnee Township to take care of the various legal duties of the wreck. He was appointed acting Coroner. The first duty that Judge Henderson assumed was that of arranging for the river to be dragged for bodies. He was also responsible for calling several coroner juries to view the bodies for determining the cause of death and to record the various possessions. Possessions were cataloged from 61 unidentified bodies and one body identified as Francis Brennan. They ranged from 20 cents on one body, to small pocket pistols, to French francs and Italian lira, to $259.00 dollars on another body.

 Judge Henderson was also responsible for the care and disposal of what remained of the freight. Most of the freight was sold by the company but a mule found by one farmer was acknowledged to be from the wreck and the man was allowed to keep it. (He named it "Stonewall and it lived a long productive life.)

 The safe was taken from the wreck almost immediately. Judge Henderson had guards placed upon it until it could be opened.  Anticlimactically, upon opening it contained: "thirty cents in nickels, and a lot of cinders, supposed to be burnt books, papers, and one bundle supposed to have been 'Green Backs' and we do appraise the said safe and contents at the value of ten dollars."

 Judge Henderson called a total of 16 jurors and hired over 50 local people to work. He himself worked 25 days and his assistant 5 days. The total bill to the county was $620.55.

 The hull was recovered and converted into a wharf boat at St. Louis. In 1871, the night watchman said that Stonewall's mate lost in the accident was a frequently ghostly visitor. 12)

 Report of the Supervising Inspectors of Steam Vessels

 An investigation in the wreck of the Stonewall was conducted by the Supervising Investigators and was published in their 1870 proceedings. In it, the fact was brought forth that there were half again as many deck passengers on board as were legally allowed. Escape was also believed hampered by the overloading of freight. The Steamboat Act of 1871 provided for more effective means of escape from the lower deck, prescribing permanent stairways to the upper decks and that all passageways be kept clear of freight. 13)

 Concluding Remarks

 The Stonewall was a large boat and the number that died was one of the largest for a single boat accident. But the Stonewall was just one of many steamboats that sank on the Mississippi-Missouri River systems and the 209 people who died were only a part of the many who died on the river steamboats. It is, though, the small things that make this wreck stand out in the mind of the author: the lira and the francs, the people on the shore forced to watch and able to do so little, or the letter found on the body of Francis Brennan from his wife telling of her joy upon hearing of his return and telling news about the son he had never seen.

 Footnotes

1 Louis C. Hunter, Steamboats on the western rivers,(1969,0ctogon Books, New York) p.101

2 Hunter, p.103

3 Frederick Way, Way's Packet Director 1848-1983: Passenger steamboats of the Mississippi River System, (1983) p. 434

4 William E. Lass, A History of Steamboating on the Upper Missouri River, (1962,University of Nebraska Press)

5 The story of the wreck is mainly compiled from the New York Times Oct. 29, 0ct. 30, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2, 1869

6New York Times, Nov. 1, 1869, 1-4

7 New York Times, Nov. 1, 1869, 1-5

8 Southeast Missourian, Feb.29, 1928.(0ccurs in interview of Willis Knox who as a small boy watched the boat burn.)

9 New York Times, Nov. 21, 1869, 1-6

10 This part of the report is taken from the personal papers of Judge J. R. Henderson.

The papers are now in the possession of Mrs. Roselee Nussbaum

11 Affidavit of safe contents, signed by R. Harris, J. Harris, and J. Hull, written

by Judge Henderson

12 Way, p. 434

13 Hunter, p.440