Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-13 00:00:00

APPALLING CATASTROPHE

PARTICULARS OF THE BURNING OF THE
STEAMER MONTREAL.

THREE HUNDRED PERSONS SUPPOSED TO
HAVE PERISHED.

C)TTON,
Since the sailing of the Canada we have had a very
fair inquiry for cotton, and prices are well maintained at
the currency of last week, particularly even running
parcels of Middling and Good Middling, which are scarce In our paper of Friday, we mentioned the fact of the
and bring lc above the quotations annexed. The inquiry burning of the steamer Montreal, on the St. Lawrence
has been for the Continent of Europe and France; one or River, by which 200 lives were lost. We are now in
two lots were taken on Saturday for Liverpool, and some possession of full particulars of this sad disaster, with
small purchases have been made during the week by our which we proceed to supply our readers. The Montreal
domestic consumers. The sales since 23rd instant have Herald, of the 29th June, says :
been 6,000 bales, market closing very firm, with an upward ,‘ We give below whatever particulars we have been able
tendency, and a strong disposition on the part of holders to collect connected with the frightful disaster and loss of
to wait for still higher prices. The clearances have been life corsequent on the destruction by fire of the st er eam
for Liverpool, 4,144 bales ; Havre, 2 113 ; Antwerp, 322 ; Montreal, when off Cape Rouge, on her passage from
Hamburg 53. Total export, 6,632 bales. Quebec to this city on Friday afternoon. We feel tha,
COTTON IN TRANsITu.—The sales have been small, and this is no time to speculate or moralise upon the culpeblet
prices without change; there is but a limited amount left it may be the criminal, negligence by which so many of
on hand. our fellow-creatures have lost their lives. Bat we have no
SOUTHERN MARKETS for the week under review have desire to conceal the fact that, with or without justice,
been inactive, as will be seen by reference to the reports the universal cry is, that the Montreal was not, and has
elsewhere. By telegraph we learn that for a week later a not been during this season, in a safe condition, and more
brisk demand, for the season of the year, has been ex- especially, that the precautions against fire were
perienced, and prices have advanced in each of the large so extremely insufficient. It is sad, it is dreadful,
markets. The demand has been chiefly for Spain, France, to contemplate the cruel fate of the poor immi.
and the Continent of Europe. grants who were on board the doomed vessel,
lirew ORLEANS, June 26 h : Receipts for the week, and who only bad reached what they had looked forward
1,400 bales, same week last year 3,620 ; deficit in receipts to as a land of promise to find in it hopeless destruction
at this port, 346,000. Total deficit at all the Southern and sudden death. Words, however, fail to express the
ports, 561,500. Sales for the week, 15,000 ; to-day, 1,500. indignation which must be felt should their terrible fate
diddling 13ie to 14c. Stock on hand, 65,500 bales. be proved, on inquiry, to be the result of the reckless
Freights are dull and nominal at id. 27th June: Sales- negligence, or of the unfeeling, grasping love of gain of
Ii
of Cotton' to-day, 3,000 bales. Market advanced ic to lc those who enticed them onboard the Montreal. A thorough
Middling is quoted at 131 c to 1410. Sterling Exchange' and rigid investigation into the causes of, and all the facts
110* to 110 i per cent. and circumstances connected with this terrible disaster
MOBILE, June 27th : Receipts for the week 300 bales ; will, we take it for granted, be at once instituted by the
same wok last year, 871. Decrease in receipts at this proper authorities; and however dreadful our suspicions
port compared with last year 183,000 bales. Stock on may be as to these causes, until we have the result of that
hand, 23,000. Prices have advanced 1„c to lc per lb. investigation, it is only just and fair towards the owners
Middling, 131 e, market very firm. Freight to Liverpool, of the Montreal to give no decided opinion upon the subject.
13-32 d. On Friday night the Montreal let Quebec at four o'C'Oek,
GROWING CROp : We have had few complaints from with about thirty cabin passengers on board, and some
the South during the past week. The crop is making four hundred and fifty or five hundred emigrants. Among
favourable progress under the influence of dry warm the former was Andrew Hayes, Esq., of St. Joseph street.
weather. Its backwardness is generally admitted, how- Mr. Hayes has furnished us with the following information:
ever, and is proved beyond question by the fact trot no —When the steamer reached about twelve miles from
blooms of moment being yet seen, whereas in ordinarily Quebec, above Mr. Atkinson's place, at Carouge Bay, Mr.
forward seasons blooming has been universal by Bth or 10th Hayes came outside the saloon at the after part of the
June. This year it will be the Ist July before such an steamer, when he observed a smoke rising up from the
event takes place. More than ever are we this year depen- midships of the boat over the saloon. In a very short
dent on the character of the weather during July and I time a number of persons were rushing with jugs of water
August, and upon the date of frost. An early frost, or to extinguish the fire. There was one boat on board the
wet weather in July and August would have a very dis- steamboat en the hurricane deck, and a hand belowaternging. to
estrous influence upon the production this year. the steamer went up to try to get her into the . Mr.
RECEIPTS, &e.: The receipts for the week at all the Hayes did the same thing, and between them they got the
ports only amount to 6,000 bales. The total deficit is now boat over the side, and let go the tackles. He then got
554,000 bales, and this will be still further increased next into her, and in a mnute or two numbers of persons
week and the week after. The crop is in fact entirely crowded in and the bolt sunk. Mr. Hayes then held on
exhausted, and, probably, in no former year, has the ' to the, boat's tackle, and maintained himself in that position
country been so thoroughly gleaned of supply, certainly ‘ Vs: a long time, till the heat from the burning ship became
never before at so early a date. The export during the too great. In the meantime, crowds of persons were con-
past week has been 58,000 bales, of which 38,000 lveve stantly jumping into the water, and climbing down the
been for Great Britain. This will be the last week o',. free , boat's head
get as near the water as possible. At this time the
export to Great Britain for some months, as the week
in
! head was turned towards the north shore, and she ran
the South of late has been for Spain. Freence and the , until she approached the shore to about one hundred and
rcceiP3-.6 of new cotton fifty yards from it, where she appears to have sunk in deep
Continent of Europe. The early
will be required for the same quarters ..
ie. :
addition to the water, or to have struck a rock, as some persons believe.
demands upon it by our own cou'eumers. which will, with At any rate the water was so deep tbeat there was no
the admitted backwardness of ftie crop, forbid the hope of 1 Possibily of reaching the shore otherwise than by swim-
any import of magnitude into Liverpool, prior to Ist Jan., Ming, or in boats. The flames, after the smoke was at first
1858. perceived, did not take mere than ten minutes to envelop
The followipo3 a statement of the movement in Cotton the whole veseel, and in lose hours she was utterly destroyed,