Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-11-03
BURNING OF THE ROYAL TAR.

habitants. We learn there was large
amount Of specie on board the Royal Tar.
BURNING OF THE ROYAL TAR.
The Salem Register of Monday gives ad-
ditonal particulars of this dreadful disaster
No account, or even conjecture, is given Ct
the actual and proximate cause Of this terri
BILE calamity, but its extent seems to have
been aggravated by the cupablc negligence
of the engineer; perhaps it were no injustice
to use harsher expression and say his wilfu
misc onduct. He suffered the boiler to be-
come exhausted of water, which may possibly
have caused the fire, and it is reported that
when warmed by boy, instead of seeing to
the deficiency, he harshly told the boy to
mind his own business and paid no attention
to the warning.
His subsequent conduct was still more rep
rehensible. He did not give the alarm, il is
said, until he and his fifteen associates had
got into the long boat and removed so far
from the steamer as to prevent others from
joining thera; and then they made ut once for
the shore, instead of lending what assistance
they could, in saving the lives of others.
The number Of passengers on board was
SIS, of whom "a were drowned, and one, an
aged Irish woman, persisted in the flames
Four also Of the crew were drowned, making
80 in ALL Among the "a passengers drown
ed were four men attached to the menugerie.
The Royal Tar was fine boat Of four
hundred tons.
The loss in money is supposed to be from
$50, 900 to 100000. One gentleman lost
ten thousand dollars in bills and drafts.
One of the passengers, Capt. Waite OF
Portland, held by rope until it was burnt,
l. a. Sb ipfo
the chain, and there held on for an hour and
half, sustaining lady and gentleman
Another trusted himself to O plank, having a
considerable quantity of specie about him,
the weight Of which proved fatal to him.
The whole loss is estimated at two hundred
thousand dollars.
Joseph r. Sherwood Esq. British consul at
Portland, was a passenger on board, and
saved himself by swimming to the boat. He
was also passenger on board the steam brig
New York, when she was burnt, about thir-
teen years ago, and at nearly the same place
From the Salem Register.
Il While lying off Fox Island about two o.
clock in the afternoon, she was discovered to
be on fire in or near the coal room. The
/, boilers, at the time, were without water
The passengers were assembled in the cabin
l.
announced to them that the boat was on fire!
This fact had already been known to the crew
some time, and they had been engaged in
unavailing efforts to extinguish it, without
giving the alarm! Had it sooner been made
known to the passengers, some Of whom were
experienced men, the fire might possibly
have been extinguished, or the destruction OF
the boat been attended with less loss Of life
As it was, all efforts to extinguish the flames
seemed useless, and the only hope Of escape
seemed to be to run the boat OIL shore. With
this view the anchor was slipped. The FORE
sail having already became prey to the de-
vouring element, jib, the only available sail
was hoisted; but the flames blew into it, ant
burnt it Immediately. 1t blowing a gale of
shore, the boat, loosed from her mornings
without steam or sail, began to drift to sea-
The captain, with few of the passengers
secured their own safety by taking to one o
the boats.
1t should be remembered, that one or two
Of the steamers boats had been left at st
Johns, to make room on the deck for thu
caravan. The passengers were thus deprived
) of part Of the usual means of escape in cast
Of disaster. An effort was made 10 put over
board large omnibus, upon which to escape
but it's great weight, being nearly two tons
prevented its being done. Our informan
then, with several other passengers, took tc
the only remaining boat The remaining
! passengers, among whom were a number o
women and children, were driven overboart
by the flames. The scene at that time, il
need hardly be said, was truly terrific. Wo.
men threw their infants owe verboard, and leapet
after them. Other passengers, both male and
| female, secured ropes to the vessel, and
lowered themselves over the eide. This pre-.
caution was rendered unavailng to many o
them by the ropes being burnt off. One man
having secured quantity Of silver dollars tC
his person, lowered himself to the water
edge, with the intention of seizing spar, bu
no sooner let go his hold, than owing to tn,
weight Of his silver, lie sank to rise no more
Six horses belonging to the caravan wer
backed overheard; three Of them instinctivel
swan toward the nearest land; the other tire
swan round the boat until they sank exhaus
ted.
A large elephant belonging to the mena
gerie having retreated to u part Of the boa
which the fire had not reached, mounted hi
fore feet upon the rail, in which position h
remained I'LL about a O'Clock, apparently cal
culating, with the characteristic sagacity O
the animal, the prospects Of escape, when
. oeSohc too hot ioI bIii', dnu ne Ieapeu over
board, carrying with him as he slid down tn
vessels side, several Of the passengers VIII
> were still clinging there. Ills immense
weight probably carried him to the bottom
ere he rose, ss he reappeared after some Tim
at a considerable distance. This animal ais
instinctivcly swnm toward the nearest land
but as the boat was by this time drftcd fou
or FIVE miles out to sea, he must have per
, ished. The rest Of the menagerie, consisting
Of lions, tigers, &c. were allowed to becom
prey to the flames, as, on account Of thei
terociiy, it was deemed dangerous to loos