Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-01-18

The smaller.
Further Far. icuInrs nbosl the Lexington.
We have received the following letter from Capt.
Brown of Southport, Connecticut, who picked up
three Of the survivors Of the Inflated Lexington
SoUTH PoRr, CoNNEcricUr, JAN. 15 1910.
DEAR SIR have taken nay pen To write you an
account oi one of the most awfl that II
comu anded by Capt. Chds, bound fe: StonngteD,
left New York Monday l3,h at half past three
o'clock, p. Nj. About seven o'clock, she was oppo-
site our village, on fire. Although she at lea
sixteen miles from us, we could almost fancy we
heard the dying grOans OF those on board The
slo Merchant, of South Port, attempted to go to
their assistance, but the water in our harbor was
found to be so low they had to alb ndon the attempt
However oae small boat did get out, and after row
ing eight miles into the Sound, they found the
heavy, they were forced to return. Yesterday
morningth l4th seven of us manned the sloop Mer-
chant, in hopes that might find some of the dead
bodies, or something floating from the wreck. We
sailed out, and hailed the light boat lying off Start
ford Shoals From them we learned the wreck
sunk about three o'clock, A. NJ, about twenty miles
to the cast. We Immediately followed their dircc.
tons and, after sailing under the Long Island
shore till nearly opposite New Haven, We discover.
ed and took on board four bales of cotton. You may
Judge our surprise when, taking up our spy glass,
discovered about three miles to the east of US a
man sitting on bale of cotton. We made sail for
him, and at nalf past nine had him on board this
was Capt. billiard. We again took our glass, and
another man bale Of cotton, about two miles
further east this was Capt. Manchester. We
squared away and recovered him. he next we took,
the dead body Of the CHI eff engineer floating
upon piece Of the guard. We then took another
man alive frem a piece of the guard-ths was
Smith the freman-and the head waiter dead, from
another piece of the suard. We then craised
about for several hours, and saw nothing more
except some cotton, which took on board
then laid for home and arrived an the bar
at S nth Port, about four o'clock IN the afternoon
Ofthe dead, We have Courtandt Hemstead, chief en-
sineer who has a family in Brooklyn, New York ;
job Sands, coiored man, head wa ter in the after
cabin. The particulars arc these. When the Lex
ingtun about four mi es east OF Huntington Light
the wood casing around the steam chimney was
found To be fire From ffteen 10 ttcenty bales Of
cotton ,cere stoned on the boiler hatch which imme
diateiy caught. The alarm given, and there
general rush of passengers upon deck. All
was confusion. They looked to the captain, who
seemed to have lost all presence oil mind. The pilot
Captain Manchester, tried to run her into the shore
but in FIVE minutes the tcheei ropes ,cere burned off
The machinery stopped soon After SO that all hopes
of Bleaching her were lost. Charles b. Smith, the
fireman, screwed the hose on the foice pump, but
the smoke Of the cotton was dense, that II was
impossible TO use il. Captain billiard tells me-
that himself and one of the iremen made pc fast
to one Of the bands Of bale of Gotten, then took
a turn roHnd one Of the stancheons, got on and
lowered themselves down, and showed to sea. Has
companion was 50 benumbed with the cold. that
he Captain Biiliard) began beating him, 10 keep
life in him, which he continued till oc Zoe k, M ,
when he him drop off and drown. In this situa
ton found Capt. IL. /; when we took him
board he quite helpless. We changed his
clothes, rubbed HIM, and in the course OF hours
had the pleasure to end him quite restored. The
presence of mind Of Capt. II Is worthy Of remark;
he SAYS that, when on the cotton, he took out his
watch, wound tup, and returned It gain TO his
pocket. On our return home, the steamboat Nimrod
came along side took Capt. ii. from bosro Of us
and carried him 10 Bridgeport. Capt. Manchester,
the pilot has family in Providence; he says he
was about the last person who left the boat; he
Al. - :.