Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-05-30

ed, and was so Fortunate as 10 procure a
plank, by means ofwhich the lives of all
three were preserved. They were in the
water, however, about Two hours, and drill
ted down the river six miles before they
reached the shore. Mr.. Smith with his la
dy and the child they saved, arrived IN dis
CITY, 10 tell the sad news, last evening.
The New Orleans papers which arrived
here last evening, do not contain an account
Of the awful catastropfe.-.Nobih 9dUeri-
ser.
From the Herald.
One gentleman, Mr.. Cook, hoated down
the river some miles before he was picked
up. He hailed the wreched and despca
bic character who put off in yaNl from
the shore, who begged his assistance. The
infamous scoundrel who was intent only on
picking up boxes, SC. asked with The utmost
sang lroid, How much will you give me =
To the enire8iies Of others individuals for
help, he replied, COB, you are very well off
there Keep cool and you'll come oit COM
/ Portable" Whether he captain of the Al
ton deserves the censuTe that has been heap-
en- upon him we know moi, nor win we pre-
tend 10 say positively until we have seen
! the statement but IL does appear 10 US that
ii the captain Of the Columbus had acted
in a similar manner to that Of i lie Alton,
there would not have been hall dozen 10
tell the tale OF the the calamity.
Poor Davis TIC pilot, who was at The
wheel during the fire, was cOnversng with
friend Of ours just before he lett this city,
about the burning OF the 81. MarInyille,
and The burning OF her liller rope three Or
! four wears since; "liever Pm in a boat that
takes fire (says Davis if don't run her a.
shore, il will be because | lam burn, in her y
Poor fellow his statement has been verifi-
ed he was burnt up in the Ben Sherrod.
Out of the nine ladies' that were on board
only two have been saved, the captain
wife and Mrs Smith of Mobile, their hus-
bands threw hen coops into the river, jump
| ed off the wheel house, the ladies' followed
their Example. and were saved.
One scene was distressing in the extreme ;
young and beautiful lazy, whose name
OF present we cannot learn, OH hearing the
cry OF fire, rushed out OF the ladies' cabin,
in he. loose dress. in search e. her husband,
of The same t'me hol ling her iulant TO her
bosom; in cndeavoring TO 60 forward her
dress caught fire, and was torn from her
back 10 save her l,le; after witnessing her
hus and fall into the flames in the forward
part ol the boat unable TO reach him, she
eaped with her child into the water, seiz-
ed plank and was carried by the current
within 80 yards OF the Columbus; but just
as she had seized rope thrown from the
steamboat, both mother anG child sunk Ia
rise no more
Our limits preclude the possibility of G.
numerating the varipssi. cart fendinG sights
that the caamitous affair Uccasoned. The
captain, for instance, saved his vile, bit
saw his two children perish. Mr.. Smith
saved his vile and one child, and saw tic
nurse rush madly through the flames will
bis daughte- and both perIshed. Mr.
Gamble wife, we understand was burnt &c
dealh; he escaped although badly burnt
one young man who reached The hurricane
deck in safety, heard The cries OF his sister
rushSd back to the cabin, clasped her in biz
arms ami both were burnt To dea th. On,
Of the clerks, one OF The pilots, and the frs
mate were burnt 70 death. a the cham
bermaids and women employed on the boa
persisted. Out Of So negroes HAT Wer,
known 10 have leen on board. only two es.
caped alive. The Ben Sherod had TIC
larges crew Of any boat on !he. river, an,
by reference to the above list OF Dames !
will he seen that ont OF the fifty saved, owe
so belonged % the boat, and out Of The Ct
or &c cabin passengers, there are but 10 o
, 10 left alive. One Of he officers assure.
us, that in addition 70 the cabin passengers
there were st least 60 or mote decl
passengers, al whom scarce six are saved.
, Altogether This tas been one OF the mos
, serious disasters ihat.has happened in TN
( annals Of NJ ISIS s,ippi steamboats,; there be
, ing at least one hundred and fifty idmilie
, deprived by IL Of some dear and helove
= memher-over one hundred beings hurrie
; by il out Of lime into eternity, with scare
= a moments warning. And amongst ihos
+ who are saved, many are said 10 be severe
: ~ burnt; some so much 50, that their re
covery is very doubtful.
We understand that eight different expc
r sions took place ON board the boat Wills
!, burnng-frsl, barrels Of whskey, brandy
: &c., then the boilers blew Up with learu
o explosion, and lastly, 80 hurrclsol gunpow
d der exploded, which strewed The SURFACE q
[ The river with fragments.
e A large quanlitY OF specie was in 81
o boat on It's way 10 the Tennessee banks, %
> this was lost; one gentleman placed hi
o. pocket book containing $3s, 900 under hi
, pillow, ard, though he escaped with lit
r he lost all his money. A great many mon
1 persons on board had very large amou9l
ofmoney with them, the most or all Of whic
in the confusion, was lost
: SLAVE TRADE. We have learned Tia