Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-01-27
AWFUL CALAMITY lt!-STEAMER LEX
INGTON BURNT, AND MORE THAN ONE
HUNDRED LIVES LOST!!

al Z
tai accident having betallen the steamboat Lex.
iNGTor, which left here on Monday afternoon, up-
der the command OF Captain GEORGE CnILp, on
her usual trip to SioningtOn.
The Lexington prosecuted her voype until baK
past seven o. clock IN the evening when he.
ing between Eaton's Neck and Crnne's Neck, a
fire was discovered to have broken out near the
smoke pipe, among some bales of cotton which
were slowed near II, or TO which At least rho
flames speedily spread. An attempt was then
ninde tn get out the suction pipe and by means IT
water thrown from it on the flames. extingush
them; but these spread with such rapidly, that
soon all access TO the engine was impossible md
it continued to work for time with fearful rapid
ny. Capt. Guilds, il would appear then deter.
mined the boat for the nearest part of tho
Long Island shore, and he last seen in the
wheel house at the helm In fifteen minutes, how.
ever, the engine became imnovable, and the
course Of the boat arrested about Two miles from
tho land Here she continued to burn until about
8 o. clock i'll the mo ming, when what remained
of her sank.
1t were needless to ntiempt to describe the
scene OF agUnized confusion which ensned among
the passengers aud indeed all on board, rs the
fire discovered. No order was preserved, or
any attempt made To preserve it, Tho liie-boat
which was OH board thrown over, forward of
the wheel, was struck by tie paddles and broken
TO pieces The Lexington had three boats besides,
which were launched by the passengers while she
WINS under full way, and Immediately swamped.
Some twenty of them who had lite preservers a.
hout them, Jumped overheard, and the rest were
last the flames drove them from the higher
parts of the steamboat. clinging in clusters to tho
guard braces, where they hung, till all went down
together.
Capt tlILLrARD, formerly Of the ship Mississippi,
OF this port-one OF the ssengers-escaped.
When the progress of the fire such to leave
10 hope the passengers commenced throwing the
deck freight overheard, probably in the expects-
ton that parts OF it would remhin floating,
and might he the fneaias Of saving some of them
Capt. II. assisted iirthrowing about tehslalss Of
coton overheard. and in !eaping on one Of thets-
One of the freruen Of the boat also succeeded in
getting on the sane bale and these two, by means
Of q, piece of board which they picked up,
,led in Keeping the imle head on the sea until a.
bout tour o'clock in the morning, when the bale
capsized, hut righted again with both of them on IT,
Until this time they had kept the upper part of
their bod es mrnratvely dry, but were now COM
l,etely wet To the skin. And now the fireman
began to despond, talked ofhis wife ard children,
told Capt. II, that his name was Cox, and that no
resided in Oak street New York. Capt. II. en-
esvored TO cheer him up, and at last lasl,ed hiru
tn the bale, but ut abett O'Clock in the morning
he expired At II o'clock Capt. II. was rescued
by Capt. Mceker, in sloop Merchant of Southport.
The same vessel also rescued Capt MAscHEs-
TER, tile pilot, and fireman named Smith, who
were each on a bate OF cotton. The fireman says,
that soon after the fire discovered. he sought
refuge The rl,i,er, expecting the boiler would
burst, but whilst there, two boys who could not
swim, entreated him TO give them his pace, which
no consented TO, OH condition that they threw him
"A hale Of cotton, which they did, and 10 which he
swami The boat then drfed some distance a
head of him, but when her upper works were
burned, he again ioated near her. and saw several
of the passengers and crew pieces of the wr OK.
They, however, all gradually became exhausted
and fell off.
! Captain MANCHESTER, the Pilot, adds little to
the above particulars; he and the fireman last
spoken of were badly frozen.
We annex list Of rs Dany passengers as ON
diliigent enqii ny we could learn, were on board.
We do not however, vouch for its entire accuracy
though in he main believe it will I've correct,
as far AS ii goes Captain HILLiARD estimates tho
number OF passengers At ono hundred and fifty;
hut Captain MANCHESTER says he thinks there
were not more than seventy five on board, and wa
ind THU this latter number is considered at the
+ office of the Company TO which The boat belonged,
to Ire The nearest probability. What cl!nnce is
there that any more have been rescued ?-Captiin
lfil'iard says, that Mt about eight O'Clock in the
morning n schooner being To the westward pas
sell him while on the bale of cotton, about a mile
of. She dhl not ser him, but il is possible she
may have fallen in with Of the other passen-
gers floating on prices Of wreck. The confagra-
ton of the aoat WIS seen from Norwalk and
Bridgeport, OH the Connecticut shore, but the slnte
OF the tide and The ice prevented them getting out
the attempt was inae il impossible to sue
ceed. From the Long Island shore, we have No
vet no accounts, & IT ia possible, The flames must
have been still more visal,e there, thar some ef
irtua assistance may have been rendered TO the
unfortunate beings who floating on the waves,
4 vet lhs was so very high and cold SO inence,
Ihnt it seems almost a forlorn hope.
The list of names comprises | li-over 20 Of
them heing passengers, and the remainder being
the ofiireFs aud crew of the bout. Among The
lost, there are probably very few ~ho were kAown
IN any of orr readers, and we therefore give but
t very few of the names, viz: Isaac Davis John
Brown, Abraham Howard, ThOs White, John
Everett John G.. Low. a. Leach, Nathaniel
Hobart II. T.. Bradford, Charles Lee, John Le-
nisi. Mr.. Siuyvcsant, all of Boston; Alphonson
Nlf son, ESQ., Gloucester; robert Blake, President
Of Wrenilialn Mass., Bank Prof. Follen, late of
Cambridge University; Adolphus Harnden, ~.
= perlnteneM Of tlarndsn's Express, having in his
possession about $4,000; Henry j. Finn, the
comn,e,lian, Newport, r. l.; Mrs. Russell Jarvis,
, and two children. N. Y. City; VIM Wnslow aud
son, OF Providence, with The body Of a son de :.
ceased and his widow; IA gentleman, lady and
TWO children from Phiafelphio, names unknown !;
) II. Z. Craig, Robert Schultz, Chas Brackeu, Chs.
) ). Noyes, A. L. Harding, Stephen Waterbury, all
oiN. York Charles Boswor'h. Royulon. WI
From The NJ Y Cour. & Enquirer Of Saturday.
!. IL viii scarcely be credited, yet we have heard
from two three quarters, and one of which IL en-
titled TO every consideration, that the sloOp Inn
, proyement, of Brookhaver, was in sight OF the
! burning seaiAboat during the whole time ot the
ronhagraiion. That the haud on deck, Ol seeing
the flames. went below and called up the Captain,
who in his berth. He came on deck, said It
must he steamboat. aud then turned in again. IL
is painful even 10 relate such instance OF brutal
, lnditlerenee TO human suffering
From he Josp. Of Commerce Of Saturday
The report That passenger drted ashore near
Riveread, l.. |. alive, is confirmed. fle had been
iva days and nights single bale OF cotton, aud
on reaching the shore, walked three quarters Of
mile TO "a house. He is from Provi dence, and 10
E supposed to be Mr. WIN. A Green, Of the firm Of