Robert Mitchell
The Daily Commonwealth, Saturday, May 15, 1880, page 4
Pilot House of the Robert Mitchell Burned
At 11 o'clock this forenoon as a reporter for the COMMONWEALTH was crossing the Suspension Bridge, he saw flames just bursting through the widows of the pilot house on the Robert Mitchell, which was laying on the wharf loading for New Orleans, to depart this evening.
Two small streams of water were soon turned on from some steamboat hose, apparently but with little effect. In a few minutes several of the city steam fire engines arrived and two or three large streams from these subdued the flames, and the boat was saved with the loss of the pilot house only-not even the texas being damaged and no water leaked into it or the cabin. No on in walking thru the latter would discover that anything unusual had occurred.
It is said that the boat will proceed on her trip tonight as advertised.