Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-05-23
sHoCKlNG STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT.


The Baltimore Patriot Of the 18th inst,
save The Southern Express mail OF this
morning brings US slips from our New
Orleans correspondents, which contain
the details of another frightful disaster,
which occurred on board the George
Collier. 1t is but a few ~daysAsince we
had an account ola collision between tins
boat and another, in which the George
Collier was badly injured, and Il IS not
improbable that the shock she then rece'-
we'd may have been, in great part, inc
cause Of the last disaster. The particu-
lars Of the heart rending accident, ore
given in the annexed letter addressed 10th
N. o. Bulletin by the clerk OF the Collier
TO he Editors Of The Ne~ Orleans BnAein.
STEAMBOAT GEORGE COLLIER.
New Orleans, May. 4
GryTLEmEN-it is with painful iesb
incs that ! have TO relate TO yuaFshe par
%,icuIars of an accident which occurred on
board the steamboat George Collier, on
her voyage from this place 10 st. LOUIS,
Mo.
At half past one o'clock on the morning
OF the 9th inst, when within about on
miles of Natchez, the piston rod gave
way. which broke the forward cylinder
head, and carried away a part o 1.-THE Dol,
FER stands. The steam which escaped
scalded forty five persons, twenty SIX oil
whom died the same day.
JAMES MEEGAN, CLERK.
On this deplorable calamity, the cause
of which is not clearly set forth, the Bull
Ietin remarks: "From what has been
stated, it appears that no blame IS Impu-
ted to the officers of the boat. II they
are exonerated from censure, we are
left 10 search for the cause OF tho dlsas.
ter n some flaw or imperfection OF the
machinery. That there was culpable
carelessness somewhere there can be no
doubt. The nature and structure OF steam
engines is not such as to render accidents
of the kind inevitable. lfthe fault did not
lie in the management OF the machinery,
i, must in its manufacture. Impressed
with these views, we are ready 10 inquire,
how long will the patience Of the people
tolerate the execrable abuses OF steam ma.
vigatior? Day by day tho duty devolves
on us of recording some new dlsaster-
some severe and shocking calamity
While all the safeguards Of a proyldent
legislation nre thrown around our proper
ty, shall our persons remain exposed to
the most frightful %calamities without pro-
lection These are questions which II
is time to put to the country-questlons
which the dying groans and agonles OF
perishing hundreds are shricking into the
public ear. The IMMUNITY of a long Sc
RES OF outrages has engendered, among
certain classes Of men, a perfect ind'tter.
ence to human suffering-nnd unless the
strong arm Of the law is stretched forth,
the traveller who ventures into a steam
boat will run a risk as appalling as he
that trends the verge of a volcano whose
commissions p~ortend the bursting of the la
VA. The enactments Of our national le-
gislature on this subject, are ample en-
ough for all purposes. The only requi-
site wanting is their rigid enforcement.-
To ,ha importance ola rigid exaction Of
all tho requirements of the law, we would
now invite the attention Of our executive
officers, and ii IS to be hoped tina, ano-
Their awful accident like the one recorded
will not be necessary to arouse then vlgl-
lance"