The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-22 00:00:00

AWFUL STEAM-BOAT 15iS,A.STE

at.

We are indebted to an intelligent gentleman from
Kentucky for the following particulars of a dest.rel
tive explosion on the river Ohio. The steamil?°'
to Pitts,
Motto, Motto, making her first trip from Louisville
burgh, ran on the shoal at the foot of Blennerhassetitt:
Island. In attempting to get off, too great a quantity
of of steam accumulated, and the boiler burst, killing' ea
mediately three persons, and scalding
severely that they died within a few hours, d t'L a
more, it was feared, would survive their injury nn'tYise
few days. The steam-boat Roanoalee came UP to
,:st
Motto some hours after the disaster, and afforded
" fly
relief could be given. The persons who were instano:
eights thers,
ree
i
killed were the engineer, a deck passenger, who
et
blown through the stern of the boat more than 27tOr.tF.
into the river, and a cabin passenger, Mr- in.
Adams, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. e,
lvania. Our L
formant, who was a passenger in the Roanoctic
gathered the following information relative to
Adams, whose fate seemed to have made a greater
,tan
pression on the surviving crew and passengers tin
at
that of the other sufferers. He had just graduateu. _
Augusta College, in Kentucky, and was returning
home to his family with his diploma ; he was stew
s,
to the boat by a large procession of his fellow-studenthe
and the hearty cheers and kindly farewell given to ted
youth by those with whom he had been so longassocia,
of
commended him to the respect and affectionate regarnted
the passengers and crew of the Motto. Young Ada
during most of the passage walked the upper den
ci-
admiration of the scenery, and dwelling on the ati,
pations of home ; his good feelings and the buoys ea
of his spirits had caused him to be particularly none cb
and his numerous inquiries to be immediately ansvrereers
At the moment of the disaster, the cabin passeleir
(and the boat was full) were all in or near t
berths on the upper deck and aft, it being about th0e
hours after dinner—all, excepting young Adams; s
had been on the lower deck, and was just leaving e.
position near the wheel when the explosion took Plac,
His death must have been instantaneous ; ,rwhae
found twisted round the shaft of the wheel• e
trunks of the deceased were returned to the College:
addressed to the President, Dr. Rutter, we Irlibely.
The last of the eleven who died was the calmrP;,°'h.
Our informant says, that though used to re,lo
scenes, his heart was chilled by that presente".,
board the Motto. Never did he witness, never ,10
deed did his imagination conjure up such an aploll,l/10
sight. Some of the passengers in the Motto said To
the line of the safety-valve had become entangled, serebey
the engineer could not let off the excess of steam. en
added also that the engine had, in their opinienl' been
added also that the engine had, in their opinio°' We
badly managed throughout the whole voyage.
have already remarked that Mr. Adams was the nes,
cabin passenger killed. Three deck or steerage l
sengers were among the eleven dead ; and the won°,l
if
alive when our informant left the Motto, belonge'a,
we understand him correctly, to the crew. The gene
tlemen from whom we derived the facts of the eiiin co..
melancholy case informed us that he and anotheregMe
tleman were waiting at Maysville the arrival °I, the
Motto, with a view of taking passage in her ; bn'ieo
boy stationed to look out for the boat and to awa
be
them in season, either slept on his posf, or, aS
asserted, saw so many passengers on board, tit for
thought the gentlemen would do better to watt lly
the next boat. They did wait, and were providentitloa
saved from the destruction that might have come up
/e
them, or were at least spared the shock that must `7l d
been felt by all on board.—Phdade/phia (6111-e
States) Gazette.