The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-05-27
STEAM BOAT DISASTER.

The following particulars OF the dreau-
full disaster which happened on board the
steam boat E tina, are copied from the New
York Statesman of Monday week. :, 4,
The centre cabin, in which were all the
ladies'. was the chief scene of death. AZ
the moment of the explosion, several OF .e
male passengers were standing against 'ne
railing near the boat, slung at the s'de' INTO
which they sprung. lowered themselves
into the water, and escaped without ma
teria injury, and from whence they saw ,he
| heads and arms Of two or three females
extended from the cabin windows, crying
piteously for relief in the last agonles OF
| lfe.-The steward, Victor Grasse, jumped
out at the forward cabin window, and was
drowned. Mr.. Charles G. Hollingshed,
passenger from Princeton, and Capt.
Myers, mate of the Etna, also Jumped
overheard, but were both saved by means
of bench, and taken into the small buat.
The lad belonging to the family OF Mr..
Furman, was sleeping, at the moment Of
explosion, on the covering Of the boiler and
was thrown into the air eight or ten teet,
and fell into the vacuum caused by the re-
moval of the machinery. and escaped with.
out injury
! 1t was supposed to be three or four
minutes before the explosion spent Its
force. and nearly fifteen minutes before
the steam had cleared away SO as to admit
of entering the cabin, where a scene Of
death and terror was presented which may
be imagined. but cannot be described
The bulk head of the cabin, chairs, tables.
and the bodies Of the dead and dying,
were driven into one mass at the extremity
of the cabin. Capt. Robinson and Mr..
Messerole first entered, the latter ex-
claiming. "my wife my wife p as he
caught her, and run upon deck, onl J in
time for her to expire in his arms. He
had been married but about six weeks,
when his wife was thus torn from him, in
the bloom of life and the spring-time OF
hope. The wife of Mr.. Job Furman, his
sister, and his niece, were dead when
brought from the cabin. and also Miss
Mary Bates. daughter Of Cap. Andrew
Bates. The others where all severely
scaded, and several have since died.
The four females of Mr. Furman's
family, were taken to his house and buried
from thence yesterday afternoon. The
funeral ceremonies, which were peculiarly
solemn and impressive, drew together
many thousands of sympathizng friends
and spectators. Rev. Mr.. Baldwin made
brief address to the mourners and the
audience and offered fervent prayer
The bodies were placed upon four hearses,
and followed to the Presbyterian burying
ground in Christe-street by an immense
concourse, where they were all deposited
in one grave. The circumstances of this
melancholy dspensation in the family o
MIR. Furman, are of a most striking charac
ter, fitted to impress deeply upon the minds
Of all the uncertainty Of human life. The
!. flood of sorrow which has thus overwhelm
ed the husband, father and protector
, brings to mind the rapid and accumulated
, affliction of Job and all his patience, for
titude and resignation are required to bea
up under this load Of afFliction. All the
deceased left the city after nine o'clock, OF
Saturday, to attend the funeral in the al
n ternoon, at Elizabethtown, OF Mrs. Price
: niece ofMr. Furman. While they wer
n n at the house of mourning an infant child @
p fAts. IlCc, Clustu ito cJSo '"' tfNij u'
y was placed by the cold bosom of its mothe
q in the same coffin. and deposited in til
same grave. Mr.. Furman was indispose'
and the family we're anxions to return tn
: same evening. The hour when they wei
n expected had gone by. and he was anSlor
= about their safety, and revolving III h
! mind, what could have detained them whe
y the messengers arrived to communicate
him the sad tidings, and were soon ioloN
II. ed by the dead bodies of his wife, daughte
II, sister and niece, who went from him
&c. health in the morning, but who were no
returned TO tarrv few hours on their WA
to the tomb. Thus were six relations
one family consigned to the marrow cell
to which we are all bound. within Il
We space of twenty-four hours.
!" This awful calamity has excited a gre
l T." sensation, and cast gloom over the who
ne cty.-lt is almost impossible to ascerta
IN what was the immediate cause of the di
,,y aster. 1t is said that the lErN A was,
y the time, under an easier pressure Of stea
d" s' than usual, making but eighteen strokes
a'' minute, while twenty-two is her usu
~ guage. We are however inclined to Il
le- opinion that the steam must have be
80, quitehigh from the terrible destruction t
,"' explosion occasiOned. We also heard