The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-02-06

/ 4 firemen, Zone R.sR. Schultz.
2 wood passers.
/ Chambermaid, Susan ;Holcomb.
SAVED.
Captain Chester Hillard, late Of ship
Mississippi, Of New Orleans. '-s II
Capt. Stephen Manchester, the Pilot,
and one hand named Smith.
j pWe are happy to be able. to state
! on good authority, THAT Mr. Sheafe Of
Portsmouth, was NOT on board the Lex
ington. AH h
From The Bridgeport, CT. Farmer.
! STEAM Boar LEXINGTON BURNT.
I $50 LIVES LOST.
1 Our citizens were alarmed on Monday
evening, by the appearance Of greatlight
at some distance west on the Sound,
! which was generally believed to be a
steamboat on fire. Nothing conclusive,
! however was heard in regard to it till the
arrival of our boat from New York, on
Tuesday afternoon, which brought the
melancholy intelligence that the light was
, occasioned by the conaagration Of the
Steamboat Lexington, which was entirely
!. destroyed, and that all on board except
three persisted. One of the survivors,
Capt. Hillard, Of Norwich, in this State,
whom we have seen and conversed with,
came on here in the boat.
The Lexington left New York at three
o'clock. P. NJ. for Stonington. About half
! past o'clock, when off Eaton's neck, L.
L., the wood work castings, &c. about the
] fues, were discovered to be on fire. An
! alarm was Immediately given, and all eff:
forts to subdue the flames proving unavail-
ing, the pilot headed the boat directly for
Long Island shore. In about Is minutes,
it was found that the tiller ropes were
burnt in two, and the boat consequently
unmanageabIe. The engine, however,
kept in operation, under heavy head Of
Steam. The three small boats were got
out with all possible haste, but they
swamped soon after they struck the water
in consequence of the speed'a at which the
steamer was going towards the shore. A
life boat which was aboard, was also laun-
ched, but by some means was in a few
minutes unfortunately lost. No relief
therefore, was obtained from either of the
boats. When the Lexington had got
within about two miles Of the shore, her
engine suddenly stopped. All hopes of
escape to those on board, except by cling
ing to such articles of freight as would
sustain them, were now cut off. The
freight Of the Lexington consisted ,princi-
pally Of cotton, on which some of the
passengers tried to save themselves, but
none succeeded except capt. Hillard and
a fellow passenger. both of whom got
! astride Of single bale on which they
kept together until 6 o'clock in the morn.
ing, when the strength of capt. billiards
companion failed him, and he fell off and
was drowned. 4a
4 Capt. FL. continued upon his bale OF
cotton, till ii o'clock A. M. Tuesday,
when he was taken off by sloop which
went out from Southport having been
thus exposed about Is hours. Two 9TH
ers, clinging to fragment of the boat.
were also rescued by this sloop: one, the
engineer, the other the fireman of the I'M
fortunate boat. The bodies of two others
one colored woman were also taken
from a part of the wreck on which they
| had persisted from cold.
The number on board, Capt. H. thinks,
was not less than IT'S, of whom so were
: passengers, out of which, he believes
himself to be the only one saved. Among
| the number, were five or six women, anc
two or three children. The scene on
board was awful beyond description
The fire being midway ofthe boat, GU
off all communication from one end tc
the other. The passengers crowded to.
I gether in the bow and stern, moaning and
bewailing their fate, till compelled to cast
themselves into the watery deep to escape
j the flames.
The boat drifted with the tide, and sank
at three o'clock off our hatbor,
From the ". York .4tlas Of the 10th uzt.
Arrival of Captain Comstock with five
| dead bodies-Statements of the surviv.
ors.
I No event for many a day has excited
such a thrilling interest in this city as the
loss of the Lexington. The utmost ex
element prevailed yesterday. The off.
ces of the evening papers were beseiged
and the contents Of the journals anxious
| ly perused by those who were anxious tt
find that some few other fellow creature!
had been rescued; or perhaps by thos.
who feared tmight be possible that som.
acquaintance friend or loved one, was ad
| ded to the number of those who were
swept into eternity.
l We have collected the fullest facts fo
our readers, which we give. 4.
/ 1t appears that soon after the flame:
broke out. captain Childs ordered thu
boat to be run ashore. He was himsel
at the wheel with the pilot, captain Man
I chester, when capt. Hillard. who though
the boat could not be saved, went to SEE
him. Captain Childs shortly afterwards
4 left the wheel to the pilot, went aft, ane
was seen by none Of the survivors. The
progress of the flames prevented his re-
turn to the wheel, if he were so dispos.