Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-06-23
DIlRNING OF- THE WASHINGTON.

Garetsville, Portage CO., Ohio, and may
be relied on as correct. r
CONFEDERATION OF THE STEAMSHIP GRoRGR
WAsHINGToN.---T Washington left Glove
land on her down passage from Detroit, OH
June "A, at o A. M. She proceeded on her
way safely, until Saturday, at O'Clock, A. NJ,
when she had arrived in the vicinity of Silver
Creek, about SO miles from Buffalo,
The boat was now discovered to be on fire,
which proceeded from beneath the boilers. The
passengers were alarmed, and aroused from
their sumbers; such q scene of confusion and
distress ensued, us those only of my readers
can imagine who have been in similar circum-
stances.
Despair did not, however, completely possess
the mass until it became evident that the pro-
gress of the flames could not be arrested From
that moment, the scene begars all description.
Suffice it to say, that numbers preciptated
themselves from the burning mass into the wa
ter; some Of them with shrek of despair and
others silently sunk beneath the waves others,
momeutaiily fortunate, swan short distance
and drowned; others still, on pieces of boards
and wood, arrived on the beach--yet some even
of them sank into watery grave. The small
beat had by this time put off, loaded with about
Is souls, for the shore. These arrived safe,
picking up one or two by the way. The writer
Of this article was one of the number. Other
small boats came to our assistance, which, to-
gether with the WashIngton's boat, saved per-
haps majority of the persons on board.
There is reason to believe that as many as
forty perished. 1t is impossible to compute the
precise number. Many remained on the boat
until 1t was wrapped in one sheet of flame. OF
those there is reason to believe that numbers
perished in the conhagration; while others, half
burned, precipiiatcd themselves into the wa
terry element; thus suffering the double agony
of death, by fire and mater.
Most of thecrew were saved; the captain be-
ing among the number-who, during the awful
calamity, acted with the utmost decision and
intrepidity. Indeed, no blame, as far as the
writer has been Informed, has been attached to
any officer or hand on the boat. The utmost
cxertion was used to run her on the shore, un-
Ill it became necessary to stop the engine in
order to let down the small boat, which, having
been done, the fire had progressed so far as to
render it impossible to again start the machin-
cry.
will give few particulars of the losses of
the passengers.
MIR. Shudds is the only survivor of his fami-
1y, consisting of seven. A lady passenger lost
three children, a sister and mother. Mr..
Michael Parker lost his wife and parents, SIS
ter and her child. But will not farther emu
merate the cases of indi dual bereavement.
Truly it is not in man to know "wllat day
may bring forth
II is proper to say, that while the writer
alone is responsible for the foregoing state
ments, all the survivors to whom this paper
has been submitted, concur in the parts set
forth.
r, j. JUDD, Of GIrretsvile, O.
Many were the heart-rend ing scenes that
occurred in this terrible catastrophe. An
English family consisting of a man, his wife
and two children, came OH board the boat at
Toledo, While the fire was raging, the man
worked by the side of our informant till they
could stay on board no longer. Then, he and
his wife, threw their children overheard and
Jumped in after them. The father and two
children were drowned--the mother was saved. |
Several passengers went into commissions
with terror, on the deck, at the outset, and per- I
shed in the flames,
A woman with a. child grasped under each
arm both dead, was picked up by the North
America on her return to Buffalo.
Anewly married couple supposed to have en-
barked at Erie, Jumped overheard in each 9TH
r -F->%rsN
The lost and missing, as far as we have been
able to ascertain them, are as the following:
Captain Clemans, Dudley, Mass.
Conrad Shurtz, Clinton co. N. Y.
VIM. Shurtz, wife and children, do.
nv. Shed; St. lawrence CO. N. Y.
Mr.. Barker, family of SIX, only one saved.
A Scotchman, name not recollected, lost
Nhree children, mother and sister,
The signersof the sub Joined card, were those
who came in, in the North America, whose
gallant captainis entitled to much praise, for
his promptness in returning to the burning
steamer, when only three miles from port.
Several of the circumstances were peculiarly
unfortunate. lis thought the boat might have
been run on shore, had the engine not been
stopped. This was done to pick up the boat,
which, by some accident swamped in launch
sng. The engine could not be started, and by
this time the tller ropes had been burnt off
We, the undersigned, passengers on board
the steamboat Washington, on the night of the
IGthinst, when the unfortunate catastrophe Of
the taking fire and burning Of the before men
toned steamboat occurred, take pleasure in
stating to the public that no negligence can
with any Justice be attached TO N. w. Brown,
Captain Of the Washington. He acted with .
great humanity, and did all that circumstances
would allow in rescuing the passengers from
the flames and getting them on shore. |,
Il is due to ]. l.. Edmnnds, Captain Of the
North America, to state that .he came with his
boat to the rescue Of the sufferers on board and
treated them with hospitality and kindness.
We takc pleasure in rendering him our sincere
thanks.
Joseph Fisk, Albany
s.. o. Holbrook, Dansvie, N. Y.
r. J. Judd, GarretsvilIe, Ohio 5a
William Nelson, Summerstown, N. Y.
y James Guoin, i5ia8 d