Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-12-05
DOMESTIC NEWS.
From the Buffalo Commercial.
THRILLING INCIDENT.

Aoona the perilous scenes Of the heavy
cole which caused such wide spread DIS
aster TO our lake shipping, fortnight
SINCE. one has come to our knowledge e
oualzing in interest the most highiy
yroupht tale Of fiction. In that fearful
,;gb, the steam boat Constitution, Capt.
Appleby, was out amidst the terrors OF Inc
gale. BY the glimpses caught al inter
walls. when the ftful storm for moment
broke away, the anxious and watchiu'
commander was made aware OF the crlti-
cal situation Of his boat, which was rap
idlv drifting in-under the hurricane pow
or of the gale, which blew almost directly
across the lake-toward dangerous reel,
from which escape would have been I'M
nossibIe. He went directly to the engl.
neer. and ordered on more steam.
The reply Of the engineer was that there
was already as much on as the boiler
would safely bear.
Again did the captain seek the deck, to
see if his laboring boat was making heao
way, and again returned to the engine
room He explained TO the engineer their
hazardous situation, and told Nun that an
hone was lost, if no more Roadway could
he pained-but lea the engineer TO act
his discretion in the crisis. A moment
of reflection, and his decision was made.
Life or death hung on the issue. Certain
destruction awaited the boat and her de-
voted crew, in few brief minutes, If she
did not gain upon the driving Storm
This might be averted If the boilers-al-
ready crowded to fearful pressure
could yet bear heavier strain, and ne
Determined 10 try. True the awful hor-
rors of an explosion were wildly before
bim-the mangled limbs, the scorched
and ifeless bodies, the death shrieks and
the groans OF the hapless victims, were
before his eyes, and on his ear-the al
tentative was fearful one, yet it must
be resorted TO.
He cooly directed the heads of two
barrels Of oil to be broken in, and the fur.
naces were rapidly fed with wood dipped
in the highly ipHammable liquid, while
two men with ladies' dashed the oil INTO
the flames. The intense heat which these
combustibles created. generated steam
with the rapidly of lightning, and soon
the rcsistless vapour forced up the safety
valve, and issued forth with tremendous
violence, its sharp kissing heard above the
wild uproar Of the waters and the storm.
With desperate and determined cour-
age, which cqualled the most daring he
roism that the page of history has ever
recorded, the engineer sat down upon ne
lever of the safety raie, to confine and
raise the steam to the necessary power
required TO propel the boat against the
drifting waves In this awful situation
he calmly remained, until the prodlglous
efforts of The engine had forced the Con-
stituiion sufficiently off shore to be beyond
the threatened danger.
This intrepid act was not rash and VAN
glorious attempt to gain the applause OF u
multitude by fool-hardy exposure ofllle,
in some racing excursion-it was not the
deed Of a drunken or reckless man ,
wlckedly needless of the safety Of those
whose lives were perilled-but it was the
self.possessed and determined courage oil
one whose frmness is worthy OF all ad-
miration. We give it as it was told TO
US. as one oflhose frequent scenes of real
life, whose actual realities are indeed
stranger than felton,. :"
II she will, she will
You may depend ont,