1883 — Apr 11, Steamer Geo. W. Wylly hits pier/sinks, Chattahoochee Riv., Fort Gaines, GA–13

–13 Daily Enquirer-Sun, Columbus, GA. “More About the Wreck.” 4-14-1883, p. 4, col. 2.
–10 crew
— 3 passengers
–13 Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (US). Annual Report…1883. 1883, p. 17.
–10 crew
— 3 passengers
— 6 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “A Steamer Sunk and Lives Lost.” 4-12-1883, p. 7, col. 1.

Narrative Information

Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (US): “April 11. – The steamer ‘Geo. W. Wylly’ struck the pier at Fort Gaines bridge and sank, whereby three passengers and ten of her crew were drowned.” (Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels (U.S.)…for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1883. 1883, p. 17.)

Newspapers

April 12: “A Steamer Sunk and Lives Lost.” Columbus, Ga., April 12.

“The steamer Wylly, of the Central line of steamers, while on her down trip at 10 o’clock last night, truck the bridge across the river at Fort Gaines, carrying away her cabin. She then struck the pier and sank immediately. The first and second clerk, a negro child and three deck hands are missing. She had a miscellaneous cargo. The boat and cargo will be a total loss.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “A Steamer Sunk and Lives Lost.” 4-12-1883, p. 7, col. 1.)

April 14: “The disaster caused by the sinking of the steamer George W. Wylly, at Fort Gaines, on Wednesday night, was the theme of general conversation again yesterday….

The Fatality.

“Captain [Tom J.] Whiteside tells us that the following is a correct list of these who are missing and who are supposed, or known, to have been lost: [We break paragraph into separate lines.]

H. L. Palmer, purser;
W. J. Rivers, second clerk;
Press Cummings, colored, fireman;
Charley Nunn,
Tom Everett,
Dave Brooks,
Nebon McKay,
Lucius McClary,
Charley Pitts and
Green Singler, all colored and deck hands.

Of the passengers there were:

Harriet Roberts’ little daughter…
A colored woman and
A man whose name is unknown….”

What The Officers Say….Capt. Tom. J. Whiteside

“He was master and in command of the boat at the time the disaster occurred. When the steamer struck the pier of the bridge he was on the roof. In speaking of the disaster, he makes the following statement:

The steamer George W Wylly left Columbus at 10 o’clock Wednesday morning and arrived at Eufaula bout 5 o’clock in the afternoon. After discharging the freights for Eufaula, I ordered the smoke-stacks lowered in order to pass under the bridge. At 8 o’clock the steamer passed under the bridge without difficulty, and at 10:30 the whistle was sounded for Fort Gaines. Just before the whistle was sounded the chimneys were again lowered in order to go under the Fort Gaines bridge. The boat was running slowly for this purpose. I told the pilot all was ready and he then asked me if I wanted to go below the bridge and round to before making the landing. I answered ‘yes,’ and he then said he would go down between the two middle peers, round to, and come up to the landing. I sat down on the rail on the roof, Mr. Goodlet was sitting on the pilot house. The next thing I noticed was the stern of the boat swinging and I remarked ‘I don’t think she will come out and that she is going to strike the pier.’ The cause of this was the boil of water which caught her and threw her against the pier. I went to the edge of the roof and looking down, said to the pilot that I only thought the guard was torn off and then went down to see….I then went to the side where the hole was and found the whole side knocked in at the aft end of the boiler….”

(Daily Enquirer-Sun, Columbus, GA. “More About the Wreck.” 4-14-1883, p. 4, col. 2.)

Sources

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “A Steamer Sunk and Lives Lost.” 4-12-1883, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 1-25-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-apr-12-1883-p-7/

Daily Enquirer-Sun, Columbus, GA. “More About the Wreck. The Thirteen Unfortunate Victims Still Beneath the Waters.” 4-14-1883, p. 4, col. 2. Accessed 1-25-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/columbus-sunday-enquirer-apr-14-1883-p-4/

Shepherd, Jno. W. (State Reporter). “Central Railroad & Banking Company c. Smith,” pp. 573-585 in: Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Alabama, During The December Term, 1884 (Vol. LXXVI). Montgomery, Ala.” Published by Joel White, 1885. Accessed 1-25-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=fS40AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&vq=Ship:+Geo.+W.+Wylly,+1882#v=onepage&q&f=false

Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels (U.S.) to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1883 (dated 10-9-1883). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1883. Accessed 1-22-2021 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu09189980&view=1up&seq=169&q1=vernon