Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-05-11


to the still raging and devouriur lllWeS.
A number of persons bad been killed BY
the blowing up Of houses and throwing
furniture INTO Tie streets.
DISTRESSING STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT. -
The Cincinnati Wig, Of the 25th uli.
gives an account Of another of those
heart,rending accidents SO common ON
the western waters. We give below the
substance of tie account from the Wig ::
This afternoon about six o'clock, the
new and elegant steamboat NloselIe. Capt,
Perrin, left The wharf of this city (full of
passcngers) FOR St. Louis, and with a
view of taking family on board at Full
ton, about mile and half above the
quay. proceeded up the river, and made
fast to lumber raft for that purpose
Here the family was taken on board, and
during the vi ole time of the deten.
ton the Captain was holding on to all
the steam he could create with an inlcn-
tic cf shu'T,ng Of the great speed Of
the boat rs she passed down the whole
length Of the city.
Don as the family were taken on board
from the raft, the boat showed off, and al.
the very moment the wheels made the
first evolution, her boilers burst with Il
most awful and astounding noise, equal
to the most violent clap Of thunder.-
Heads. imbs, bodies and blood, were
seen hying in every direction, attended
by the most horrible shriekS and groans
from the wounded and the dying. ! he
boat, at the moment of the accident, was
about thirty feet from the shore, and was
rendered perfect wreck. She seemed
to lie torn all TO Hiuders as far back as
the gentlemen cabin, and her hurricane
deck Che whole lennh) was entirely
swept away. The boat Immediately be.
gan to sink rapldly,and float with a strong
current, down the river, at the same time
getting farther from the shore.
The captain was thrown entirely into
the street, and was picked up dead and
dreadfully mangled. Another man was
thrown entirely through the roof Of one
of the nelghbo-ing houses, and limbs and
fragments Of bodies scattered about the
river and shore in heart-rendng proiu-
sion. Soon as the boat was discovered
to be rapidly sinking, the passengers who
remained unhurt in the gentlemen's and
ladies' cabins became panic struck, and
with a fatuity unaccountable. jumped in
to the river. Being above the ordinary
business parts of the city, there was no
boats at hand eXcep, few large and un-
manageable wood flats, which were car.
ried to the reiefof the sufferers as soou
as possible, by the few persons on the
shore. Many were drowned, however
before they could be rescued from wa
terry grave, and many sank who we're no
seen afterwards.
We are told that one little bow or
shore was seen wrlnging his hands in az
ony, implorlng those present to save hi:
father, mother, and three sisters. all o
whom were struggling in the water to gain
the shore but whom the poor fellow had
the awful misfortune to see perish, one
by one, almost within his reach. Ar
infant child belonging to this family, wa:
picked up alive, floating down the river
on one of the fragments of the hurricane
deck.
The boat sunk, in about fifteen min
utes after the accident, leaving nothing
10 be seen but her chimneys and a small
portion of her upper works. Most of TIT
sufferers are among the hands of til,
boat and the Storage passengers.
II is supposed that there were abou
TWO HUNDRED PERSONS on board
Of which number only from ffy to seq
cntyfre are bel'ered to hare escaped, ma
king the estimated loss Of Tires 0bou
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY
FIVE!
The accident unquestionably occurre
through sheer imprudence and careless
ness. The captain o. the boat was de