The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-11-11
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LOSS OF THE BRITISH STEAM
BOAT ROYAL TAR.

WIN Aac tuaauNMk NaiAN1AHe VI AAS t@rs
Of the above vessel. obtained from one of
The passengers
The steamboat ROYAL Tar. Thomas
Reed. master. IL and frnm g. Johns. N.
b. far Portland. lefs on FRIDAY. 2lst inst.
wilh about 90 TO 100 passengers. includ-
Ing crew. On deck were an elephant.
two camels. several hnrses, and . nun.
Der Of Gagged animals, comprising ira
yelling Caravan.
On Tuesday. 25sh. when crossing Pc
nobsco, Bay. aud within about two miles
Of the entrance Of Fox Island lhornugh
fare. il was Sound iha, the wafer was out
Of the boiler. aud as the Wind VAS blow
Ing very heavy gale from n. W. Al the
time. the boat was anchored for the pur.
pose Of Sling the boilers; anu 10 sb"nl an
hour after labOul tao p. NJ she was
discovered n be on iire.
The engineer with fifteen other per-
SINS immediately jumped iGt" the largest
boat. and made Tor The nearest land TO
leea ard. winch they reached IN safety 10
about luur hours. Captain Reed prompt.
Is took possession Of the only remaining
bpai. and took aPosllion al a short dis.
lance To the windward. Three gentle
men passengers. good swimmers. com
NIT q themselves i0 the water, and were
taken up ny Captain Reed.
The cable was slipped anil sail made
IN The boat with the hope of reaching
The shore. bat the flames spread 50 "a.
pidly from ai' to forward. that her main.
mast vas consumed in few minutes.
and her liller ropes being burnt away.
she dnfled hroadside to the wind. direeI.
" out Ia sea.
A signal IL distress had been made. and
IL Vas fortunately discovered by the Re
venue Gutter. slalnned Al Cssune. then
about fur or i've miles 10 Sindward. and
she promptly bore up To her relief Cap
tain Reed put on board 1T her the persons
in his bna', and then immediately COM
menced taking of those remaining on
board the RIVAL Tar.
Al this mme she was a mass Of flames
nearly from stem Ia stern; a small space
forward which had not yet taken fire.
with The bnwspri., bobsiay. &c. was
| crowded with the survivors. Those on
The quanrr deck were driven overheard
by the flames. and such as survived we're
hanging 10 the dayn tackles, chains and
ropes attached to the rudder.
Many were suspended BY ropes. secur
| ed on deck. but 40 the fire reached them,
were precipilsted into the sea aud drown
ed. The cutter unfortunately had no
boat Of sufficient size 90 render any
assistance IN taking off the sufferers, and
having gunpowder on board. Lieu, Dyer.
in command. did not deem i, prudent TO
approach very near the wreck-so that
the work Of rescue was unavoidsbly very
tedious. -
Capt. Reed. however, firmly and
resoluteIy peIsevered with his boat,
/ though It was with some difficulty that
he could obtain an efficient boats crew
tn approach The wreck, fearing the ele.
&, phant would go overheard and destroy
the boat.
| The last boat left the wreck a little
before sunset. with .ope solitary frantic
female. the las, on board. whose sister and
child had both persisted before her eyes.
Tue lnss Of lives is estimated at from 20
to 80. there being some small children on
board which bad not been inserted on
Capt. Reds passenger llsi-the precise
number cannot be ascertalned.
The prumpt and praiseworthv decision
Of Capt. Reed. in securing the boat. as
the only means by which the life Of an
individual could have. been saved. The
elephant. camels and horses Jumped
overheard, and all the animals in the ca
ges we're burnt
None Of the passengers or crews bag.
gage was saved. Many of the trunks,
&c. were thrown overheard in the hope
they might be picked up.
The cutter landed the survivors ahnu,
$ p VI. at the Isle Of Hunt. where they
received the most hospilable treatment
from the inhabitants. We learn there
was large amount Of specie on board the
Royal Far.
| The elephant. which was on board oi
the steam bo4t Royal Tar, when i, took
FIRE. and was supposed to have been
drowned. il seems contriyed to save him.
self. A letter writer states. that after the
fire began 70 reach the poor animal, il
jumped overheard and swan two or three
miles to al islaud-went into barn
yard, and after frightening the cattle there
out of their wits, was taken care of by the
proprietor Of The farm. One of the me.