The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1838-06-29
Office Of the Wilmington Advertiser,
June Il, SIS.
HEAT.RENDlNG CATASTROPHE
Los. OF the steam Packet puia>ki,

VITA a Cfsw OF 81, aud l5U u 100 Passsugprs.
On Thursday The | 18th INST. the Steamer
Pulaski, Capt. Dubois, left Charleston for
Baltimore, with about $50 passengers, Of
whom about 80 were ladies'.
At about | | o'clock on the same night,
while of The North Carolina coast, say 80
miles from land, weather moderate and
night dark-the slarboard boiler exploded
and the vessel was lost, with all the passen
gers aud crew except those whose names
are enumerated among the saved IN the lis,
10 be found below.
We nave gathered the following facts
from the Isl mate, MIR. lhbberd, who had
charge Of the boat at the time. Mr. Hibberd
states that at 10 o'clock at night be Was
called to the command of the boat and that
lie was pacing the promenade deck IN front
the Storage house That he found him.
sell shortly after upon the main deck, lying
between the mas, and side of the boat That
upon the return OF consciousness, he had
confused idea Of having heard an explosion,
something like that OF gunpowder, Imme
diately before be discovered himself IN bis
then situation. He was induced therefore,
TO rise and walk aft, where he discovered
that the boat midships was blown entirely
to pieces that the head OF the starboard
boIier was blown out, and the top torn open
that the llmbers and plank on the star.
board side we're forced asunder, and that
the boat took IN water whenever she rolled
10 that direction. He became immediately
aware Of the horrors OF their situation, and
the danger Of letting the passengers know
that the boat was sinking, before lowering
the small boats. H. proceeded therefore to
DO tuis. Upon dropping tie boat, he was
asked his object, and he replied that il sea.
to pass around the Steamer to ascertain her
condition. Before dong this, however, be
took N couple Of men. He ordered the
other boats 10 be lowered and two were
shortly put into the water, but they leaked
So much IN consequence Of their long expo.
sure to the sun, that one Of them sunk after
a irutlrss attempt to bail her.
lie had "a the interim taken several from
the wafer until the number made ten. In
the other boat atioai there were eleven
W h,le they were making frultloss attempt
TO Dall the small boat, the Pulaski went down
with dreadful crash--ln abou, - minutes
after the explosion. Both boats now insist.
ed upon Mr.. Hibberd's directing their course
to the shore bat he resisted tbei. renonstran.
ces replying that he would not abandon
the spot until day light. At about O'Clock
10 The morning, they started in The nlds. oil
the wallIng Of the bel pIess beings, who were
floating around ~ every direction, UPON
pieces OF the wreck, to seek land which vas
about thirty mules distant. After pulling
about 3 hours, the persons IN both boats
became tired and insisted that Mr.. Hlbberd
should land thus he opposed, thinking II
safest 10 proceed along the coast, AMI To en-
ter some one Of the numerous nlefs. but
he was at length forced 10 yield to the gen.
efal desire, and to attempt landing upon
the beach, a little East d Stump lnIet. He
advised Mr.. Cooper, Of Ga. who had com.
naud Of the other boat, and a cosplo Of Ia.
dies, wiin two children under hls charge, to
wait unti hrs boat had first landed, az he
appreheuded much danger in tho attempt
and shouid tbcy succeed, they might assls,
hlm and the ladies' and children. There
we're eleven persons 10 the mate s boat (hav.
ing taken two black women from Mr.. Coop.
efs') VI these, two passengers, one Of the