Steamboat Adelle
Kentucky Post, Monday, 25 January 1904, page 1
Surprised by an ice onrush of water as they lay in their bunks, exhausted by their long watching against the threatening river conditions, three men went down to death at an early hour Monday, when the Pittsburg Coal Combine's powerful harbor towboat Adelle, suddenly sank at Browns coal harbor on the Kentucky side, opposite Columbia.
The three men who lost their lives are Capt. Frank Mooar, 357 Berry Avenue, Bellevue Ky; Casper Adrian, a well known river man, who lived in Newport and John Hancock, fireman, who lived on Third Street, Cincinnati. The ice which bore down upon the boat was from the gorge at Sistersville. It came down without warning and the Adelle was quickly cut down. A big hole was smashed into the side, was torn from her fastenings and carried from shore. The men jumped for their lives but were crushed and submerged by the weight of ice.
Supt. Charles Mengis, the Pittsburg Coal Company harbor master, said Monday; "Capt. Mooar was one of the oldest and most reliable harbor captains on the Ohio River."
Adrian leaves a wife and two sons and two daughters. Capt. Mooar leaves a wife and seven children. A Post reporter who carried word of the fatal accident to the family transformed a household preparing for a wedding into one of mourning. In two weeks the wedding of Margaret Mooar, the oldest child, is set to take place and when she heard of her father's death she was sewing for that event.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 1 February 1904, page 8
No attempt could be made Monday to recover the bodies of Capt. Frank Mooar, Casper Adrian and "Happy Jack" Hancock, who went down with the towboat Adelle at Browns coal harbor. Heavy ice is packed around the ice breakers where the bodies are supposed to be lodged.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 6 February 1904, page 5
The Bellevue Lodge of elks will repeat their minstrel show next Wednesday night at Balke Opera House for the benefit of the widow and family of Capt. Frank Mooar, who lost his life when the towboat Adelle was sunk.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 25 February 1904, page 1
To a secluded place on the river, between Newport and Bellevue,
where huge blocks of ice have been left by the receding waters, many persons
have been attracted by the whining of several dogs in the neighborhood.
An investigation was made and at the foot of Patchen Avenue, Bellevue, hundreds of sea gulls were found circling in the air. A peculiar odor was noticed and it is thought that, encased in the huge iceberg, is one of the bodies of the three men drowned on the towboat Adelle, which sunk at Coal Haven some time ago.
The city officials of Bellevue were notified and all day Wednesday and Thursday men worked cutting and breaking the iceberg. Captain Frank Mooar, of Bellevue, was one of the men drowned and recently a minstrel entertainment was given under the auspices of the Bellevue Lodge of Elks for his widow's benefit.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 26 February 1904, page 1
The Monongahela Coal Company will be asked to send a force of men to assist in cutting through the iceberg at the foot of Patchen Street, Bellevue, where it is believed that one or more of the victims of the steamer Adelle lie buried under the ice. Capt. Mooar and other men who lost their lives were old employees of the Monongahela Coal Company and for this reason it is believe that the company will furnish men to tear away the iceberg.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 27 February 1904, page 5
The work of searching for the bodies of Capt. Frank Mooar and the crew of the ill fated steamer Adelle, in the iceberg at the foot of Patchen, has been discontinued for the time being.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 1 March 1904, page 5
The search for the bodies believe to be encased in the icebergs along the Bellevue Sandbar continues. The city officials believe that one or more of the three victims of the steamer, Adelle, which was sunk by an ice floe at Coal Haven some time ago will be found.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 3 June 1904, page 5
A tragedy at Coal Haven above Dayton Ky. Jan 24 was recalled Thursday afternoon when the body of John Hancock, fireman of the ill fated towboat Adelle was recovered at the foot of Clay st. Dayton. Hancock, with Capt. Frank Moore and Casper Adrian, cook, lost his life when the boat was cut down by ice.
Joseph D Englebert, father in law of Casper Adrian, viewed the remains. Joseph Dokes, watchman of the fleet where the Adelle was tied up identified the body. He took a pocket book, knife and keys to the widow of Hancock and she identified them as belonging to her husband. The body was taken to Costigan's Morgue for burial. Hancock was 22 and resided at Second and Ludlow sts. Cincinnati where the funeral will take place.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 6 June 1904, page 5
A badly decomposed body was found in the Ohio River, on the Kentucky shore at Stewart's Landing, above Dayton Ky. Sunday by employees of the coal fleet. The body was in such shape it was impossible to tell if the body is either that of Capt. Mooar or Casper Adrian, of the ill fated Adelle, which was cut down by the ice last January, but the body was found higher up than where the accident occurred.
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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 22 June 1904, page 5
A relic of the wreck of the steamer Adelle near Dayton Ky. and the death of the three men on board it, was found on a trot line by fisherman Andrew Ketterer, Tuesday. A valise, the property of Capt. Frank Mooar, of Bellevue, was caught on the line. The valise contained two shirts, 15 handkerchiefs and a revolver, which were identified as the property of the lost Captain. There were some letters to Capt. Mooar giving details of another steamboat disaster. It will be turned over to Mrs. Mooar.