Southern telegraph., 1837-05-23


.uf ihe shernoi had loaied with ana been
borne down several miles by tie current,
agd were scattered fir anil wide over The
surface Of the rivor struggling with death,
and calling ana shHisking in every diree-
Inn, lor assistance and relief, the steamboat
Alton, lCapt. Doughery) came down sud
vas haiied by he COiumbas, whom she
stopped her engine, and was informed by
the Captain of the Columbus Of the disas-
truas occurrence, aud that a great number
.of persons were then strug cling in the river,
aud drowning, and was requested BY him to
save all be could: bat 10 The eternal dis
grace and moriiieaiian Of Immunity, this
monster 10 human shape, surrounded on al
sides by human beings, begging aud ion
rio lngasslstance, and assailed from every
a lar rer By the plleWls shrioks and cries of
the dsing, passes unhcejingIy on his WY,
amidst tho distressing scene, running his
boat over miny, and drowning others by
the waves created on his passage.
Your C Immitico would further report, thlt
atthe time Inc Sherrol took FIRE, the hands
IN duty were in state of inloxicatian, hav-
ing access at alltinos tn barrel Of whis-
key, pllced InrwlrI Of tho boiler deck fr
their userand that the engineer then on dl-
ty was equally culpable, having furnished
ihe tieencn with large quantities of brandy
OF other spirits, as an mlucement to keep
up excessive freDwith the Wow Of ovortak.
lng the Prairie, then ahead of them.
Yoar committee also report that the Capt.
ot the Bon SherrOd, was on the above oc-
currence, guilty Of groat indiscrelion and
nogIectut duty, ,and mrnilested great dis
regard for the safety of his passengers, in
permitting such curse ol'conduct among
his officers and crew.
Your committee also report that the Cap
tain and crew of tho steamboat Statesman,
passing the scene of the fatal Catastrophe.
some hours after its occurrence, stopped
and took on boarda number of the sufferers,
and rendered every assistance in their pow
or to alleviate their condition.
From all the facts your committee have
elected IN the course of the examinations
they have made, they are of opinion that
not less than the fearful number of one hun
dred and fifty human beings perishod in
this disaster; and whilst they are gratifed
10 beRble TO state that a number more who
would otherwise have beon-inevitabIy lost,
were saved by the humane and p?aisewor-
thy exertlons ofthe officers of the steam
boat Columbus, they regret, for the sake of
the honor of their species, 10 find the cyi-
dence starIllngIy plain, that many more Of
these unfortunate sufferers might have been
saved, II the Captain AMI officers of the
steamboat Alton had shewn themselves
possessed Of oao generous emotion or one
singc spark Of feeling OF humanity.
Having submitted the foregoing as the
facts Of the mournful event, your committee
would offer the accompanying affi lavits of
John NJ. Davis, Henry Keyer, Rossin P.
Andruss, Asa s. Smith, Erastus Springs.
D. W. Johnston and John Boyles, (passen-
gers on board the Ben Sherrod) as confirm
ltory thereof. AAidayits omitted
On motion Of Judge Rawlings the above
report was unanimously accepted. The
chairman of the committee here read to the
meeting the duly attested afTidavits Of SIX
,fthe surviving passengers of the Ben Shcr
'od.
The committee then submitted the fol-
owing preamble and resolutions, which
we're adopted, the resolutions being put
separately to the meeting.
WHEREAS the sympathy and alarm of his
community have been excited, f ON time to
ime, by the intelligence of the most appaI-
ing and heart-rending disasters occurring
m the Mississippi river, through accidents
to steamboats, engaged in its
rade, by which disasters large amount of
umaD life is continually sacrificed and the
ives of the many thousands travelling these
waters are every moment put in jeopardy.
md whereas this commonly hive observed
hat these destructive accidents, instead of
cing less frequent and less fatal than for
leHy, have within the last twelve months
eeome and are every day becoming more
ommon occurrences, thereby rendering the J
avigation of the Mississippi continued
recession of perils and caamities. And
Whereas, the facts attending these disasters :
ave invariably proved that they were occa !
oned either by negligence on the part of E
le commander of the boat, or bv acts of :
rashncss or ignorance on the =
lrt of said officer Or the other officers on q
is boat, it is the opinion of this Community !.
at the full period of time has arrived to
III up the active exertions of all persons :,
terestcd in the safety of traversing the u
Iissssippi riverto produce achange ia this = =
'stem, as thorough and effective as the J
sses arising from it heretofore have been : ;,
we're and appalling. And Whereas it ap- :,
ears from various acts Of reckIcssncss and =
lrbariiy recently perpetraied by steamboat :, "
lptains, and their officers, that the moral :
nse of the community is held by them in u
ter Disregard, and that any course of u
gulations by which the immense trade y y
ID concourse of travel on the Mississippi = =
ny be rendered safe, must come with all :,
e force and authority of legislative en-. : :
tment; therefore. 7,