Fires

Accidents

Lost With a Wrecked River Steamer

April 24, 1882, Hannibal, MO.

The tow steamer Little Eagle, while attempting to go through the drawbridge here Sunday afternoon with a raft, was carried against the pier by a strong current and broken in two near the boilers. Joseph Vallam, of La Crosse; Silas Cooper, fireman, of Quincy, and Henry Houseman, of Hannibal, all members of the crew, were drowned. Vallam’s body was recovered, but the bodies of Cooper and Houseman have not yet been found. Nobody else was injured. The wreck of the boat still lies piled up against the pier. The steamer was valued at $9,000 and was insured. She carried no passengers.

Fatal Boiler Explosion

Quincy, Illinois, Feb 19, 1878

A boiler exploded this morning in the steam saw mill of A. W. Shields, at Palmyra, Mo., by which two men were instantly killed and two fatally scalded. Those killed by the explosion were named Ingraham and Triplett. The mill was almost completely destroyed.

2 Children Drowned

Palmyra, Mo., April 6, 1888

A sad accident occurred here today in which a score of school children had a miraculous escape from death. Today was Arbor or Tree Planting Day in Missouri and fully 40 little ones started out with their teacher to dig trees in a neighboring grove and plant them in the school yard. Twenty of the children wandered away from the teacher and began playing around an abandoned well. The rotten planks covering the well gave way and 15 children were precipitated to the bottom. It was 20 feet to the water and there was three feet of water. Two of the children, Arthur Little and May Dolan, were drowned. Seven were dangerously injured. Help was summoned and the little ones were hauled up as fast as possible. Three of the rescued are not expected to live.

 

Floods

Storms

A Great Storm in Missouri

Hannibal, Mo., May 29, 1885

There was a great storm here last night, causing much damage to lumber yards and railroads. The Hannibal and St. Joseph and the St. Louis, Keokuk and Northwestern Railroad bridges were washed away, and the Long Line, Munger, and Sixth street bridges were also demolished. In a few minutes a great washout was caused in the lumber yards of this city. A million feet of lumber was carried away, whole piles being swept down the stream. The lost is about $50,000. The companies suffering from the loss are the Hannibal, Cruikshanks, Duback Company, the Badger State, Herriman & Curd, and the Northwestern.

Quite a number of houses were washed out, and many families narrowly escaped drowning, the rescue being difficult.

Epidemics/Diseases

Other

Terrific Landslide near Hannibal, Mo

Jan 13, 1859

The Hannibal MO Messenger states that a great landslide took place a few days since at Lover’s Leap, near that city. From the top of the bluff, for some four hundred years, the entire mass of earth has slid some forty or fifty feet, carrying in its wake trees, stumps, and everything in fact that offered any impediment to its wild career. It must, indeed, have been a grand sight to witness this awful avalanche of upwards of 100,000 square yards, whirling down the steep descent with the speed of a hurricane, and a rumbling almost to that of thunder. From ten to twelve dirt cars were smashed to pieces, and many of their axles (four inches in diameter, and of solid iron) were snapped like so many reeds, others were bent completely double, and the bodies of the cars scattered hither and yon.