Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-14
From the N.w York Atlas
BURNING OF THE SHIP FAME,
AND ESCAPE OF PASSENGERS.


We omit other extracts Tor the present. to give
place 10 VIVID sketch OF th;s remarkable event.
Tie happy escape ofthose whose lives were expose
IN the calamity relieved OF s most rlgntfu attri-
DUDES, bur the oss-to science and learning which it
occasoned will never to be deplorcd.
We embarked on th second and sailed at day
Iight for England, from tn. East lndes with every
prospec; of quick and conl;or table passage. The
ship was every thing could wish; and having clo-
ecd my charge here much 10 my satisfo ction, we
wore, perhaps, too happy; for in the evening came
cad reverse. Sophia had just gone to bed and had
thrown Oh all my cloths, when cry fire. fire, rou
sed Us from orr CAIN content and in five minutes the
whole snip was IN fiames l ran quickly TO examine
Shence ne names seemed principally to issue. and
found thai he iirc had ITS origin Tmediately under
our Cabin. Down with the boats. Where is SophlaS
Hero The cnildTeni Here. rope to the SIDE
Lower Lady Raf1es Give her TO me. says cne.
III take her says the Captain. Throw the gun
po"dr overheard II cannot be got at; it IS in
the magazine, Close to the fire. Stand clear off
the powder Shuttle the water casks. Water.
Water. Where's Sir Sanford! Come into th,
boaI, Nilsson! Nilsson come into the boat Push
or, push OIL Stand clear OF the after part Of the
SHp
al this passed mucn quicker than can write 4,
We pushedon and a. We d'd 60, the fumes burst out
CT our cabin windp ~ .ad the whole after part of tne
~shiP was m Times The n1ssts and sails not taking
Ere, we moved To dis once sufficient TO avoid the
u1nedIste explosion; bu; the flames we're coming out
O. the rain haichway und, seeing the rest Of the
crew, with the captain still on board pulled to
her under The bows be more distant from the
powder As We approached, perceived tina, the
people on board were getting IN another boat on
the opposite side. She pushed of we hailed her;
have you all on board! Yes, all, save one Who is
her Johnson, sick IN his cot Can we save him.
DO; impossible. The fumes issuing from the
haich~ay a; this moment, the pour fellow scorch-
cd, imagine by the flames, roared out most Justify
having upon the deck. will go for him. saws the
captain The two boats then came together, and we
toca out some OF the persons from the captains boat,
which was overladen He then pulled uSder the
eowsprlt Of the ship, and picked the poor fellow up
cafe Thank God! Pull off from the ship. Keep
your eye on the star, Sir Stanford There is ono
scarcely visible.
We then hauled close to each other, and found tho
captain fortunately had a compass, but we had no
light except from the ship. Our distance from Ben.
coolen, we estimated TO be about y miles, in sou,
west direction There being no landing place to the
eouthward of Boncooen, our only chance wos 10 70.
gain that part. The captain then undertook TO lead
and we to follow ina N N E course, as well as we
could; no chance no possibility being left that we
could again approach the ship; for she was now ono
appended Dame, fore and aft, and alo her masts and
sails IN blaze. and rocking and fro, threatening
70 fall IN ON instant There goes her mizen mast;
pull away my boys; there goes the gunpowder. Thank
God! thank God
You may judge Of our situation without any fur.
thcr particulars The alarm was given at abou,
twenty minutes past eight and in less than ten mi
nuies she was in flames. There was not a soul ON
board at half past and in less than ten minutes az
'o' wo'"e She was one grand mass OF fire.
My only apprehension was the want of boats "a
hold the people, there was no time TO have cot oui
the long boat, or to make rot All we had TO rely
upon were two small quarter boats which fortunate.
ly were lowered without accident and these twe
small open boats; without drop Of water or urnin n
Sfood or rag Of covering, except wha, we happened
" the moment To have our backs we embarked or
the ocean, thankful to God for his merc,cs. Poo
sophia, having been taken out of her bed had no
thing on but her wrapper; neither shoes nor stock
ings The children just as taken out of bed. wbenc,
one had been snatched aft the fam had at,acke,
IL: In short, there was time for any one 10 tbinl
OF more than two things. Can the ship be- saycdp-
No. Let US save ourselves then All eisr VIVA svvol
lowed up IN grand ruin.
10 make the best Of our misfortune we ooa,..,
ourselves OF The light from the ship 10 steer ,oor
ably good course towards the shore. She continuc,
TO burn till about midnight, when he re- which
she had oh board took fire, and sent 10 one of IN.
most splendid aud brilliant flames shat ever tons an
ILLUMINATING the horizon in every direction 10 nm ey
TEN OF not less than fifty miles, and casting tina, k,nt
OF blue light over us, winch is OF ali Others most nor
Iibie She burnt and continued ~ narns in this at III,
Tor abont an hour two. when we lost sight of the
o iect IN clouds Of smoke. WV
Neither Nilsson nor Mr. Bell our medical friend
who lad accompanied us. had saved Their cna,s. hv
The al OF NINE with a pocket handkerchief scrvc.
70 Keep Sopha's feet warm. and W. made breecbe,
FOR the children with OUT neck cloths Ram nou
came on, bot fortunately Il was not of long contin
uance. sud ~ got dry ngaIn The nipbt became
ss'sne and star light We were new csr.aln Of oul