Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-10-23
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE

The Editor Of the Northampton Courier has
been furnished, by gentleman Of that town who
was on board the steam boat New. England when
her boilers burst, with the following particulars
in relation to that terrible accident
The boat left New York for Hartford, with
about eighty passengers, on Tuesday afternoon
at 4 O'Clock, IN company with two others, one for
Providence and the other for Norwich, Conn.,
1t was evident to the passengers at starting, from
the number Of spectators or shore aud the feeling
Of some individuals on board the boats, that some
thing was attached to their departure Of more
than ordinary interest The sequel proved salts.
factory enough to all. that heavy bets rsre pend.
ing on the arrUa and relatiUe speed Of the Boats,
tor, between the Hartford and Providence lines
there has always been spirit OF rivalship for
speed and pOwer. These Boats continued rae.
ing for some hours, each pressing their speed to
fearful and hazardous rapdity, but the New.
England finally went ahead aud at dark was
some miles in advance Of the others, going, as
some intelligent passengers stated, without the
aid of tide or current, seventeen knots an hour!
Early in the evening, the passengers generally
retired to their berths, the ladies to their cabin
on the upper deck on a line with the boilers and
the gentlemen to theirs below it. Our informant
relates, that the first sensation he experienced at.
ter some hours sleep, was two successive explo-
sions, which seemed enough to shiVer the boat in.
TO atoms aud tear up the very foundations OF the
great deep. 1t was awful. appallingly awful.
Immediately the most terrific, heartrending,
asonizing screams and groaus followed, telling
but too plainly that the boilers had burst, aud
spread death and devastation among the Passen-
gers. The Boat reeled aud shuddered under the
force of the shock, and il seemed from the
grating sounds below, that for the moment, the
force of the explosion had driven her against the
bottom Of the River. Our informant states as soon
as he could gain CONSCIOUSNESS enough. he sprang
from his berth, having most Of his clothes previ-
ouslv on, and found the carpeted cabin floor
alive with burning cinders from the furnaces and
hot water from the boilers. Every thing was
confused and terrifying. He CROPPED his way in
the dark among the ruins Of the staircase and
soon found himself on the deck. What scene
Of horror and CONSERVATION presented ITSELF
| The night was dark and tempestuous, and the
deck Of the boat. seen BY one dim light present.
ed confused mass Of ruins. The wheel houses
we re torn of, the boilers and machinery scat
tered in fragments, and the ladies' cabin brok.
en- and blasted almost 10 pieces! Around him
| Law nearly thirty men, women and children.
burnt, iacerated and scalded, covered with blood
and black as negroes, some uttering the most
| piercing shrieks and heart rendering cries Tor
assistance, and others in the noiseless but
convulsive throes and agonies Of death! All
was confusion and dismav among the passengers,
who could reader but little assistance to the poor
surviving sufferers.
| TWAS nov about o'clock and a. daylight
came the horrors Of the scene more fully develo.
ped themselves. The deck was literally scene
of blood and carnage. The unfortunate females
suffered terribly. The whole force OF the explo'
sion, fragments Of the boilers, steam and hot wa
ter, all seemed to have expended themselves on
the inmates of the ladies' cabin. When their
clothes were carefully removed, the skin and even
flesh followed. and it was torturing to humanity
even attempting to soften or relieve their suffer
ings. Some were terribly bruised and had theiI
limbs broken, while others were so burnt and
scalded that death must ensue. Two or three
hideous, black looking objects, whom reason had
left, were seen wrthing about on the deck, in the
last agonies Of dissolution. These poor afflicted
remnants Of humanity expired soon after, so dis
figured as scarcely to recognized BY any body
Four died that morning and five more during ths
day. Expresses were sent in all directions aftei
medical assistance, and every thing was done tt
relieve the tortures and suferings Of these poor
victims Of steam boat racing. which kindness
could dictate or humanity devise.