Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-01-24
APPALLING CALAMITY !
100 LIVES LOST!
From the New Yo,l, Cour. and Enq' OF Jan. 10.
sTEAM.BOAT LEXINGTON BURNT

renee Of n mtst fatal accident having be-
fallen The stoamhoat LEXINGTON. which !
left here on Monday afternoon, under the
command Of Captain GEoRGE CHtLD, on
her usual tip to Stouing'on. We have
gathered from Captain illlurd, almost the
ouly survlvot--at least as present. appear.
ances lead Us to dread from this awful
sccue Of death, from Captain Books Of the
New Haven steam boat, who received
Captain lllLLARD on board--from the
soop MERCHANT, Captain MGEKER, who
rescued hun and from Captain Jennings
OF the sloop GANGEs who lctr Southport,
to which place The Merchant hcio.G sd.and
whittier she had returned, the following
part cular: 81 lhls distressing event:
The Lexington prosecuted her voyage
until bali past seven o'clock in the evening,
when being between Eaton's Neck and
Comes Neck. fire was Discovered 10
have broken out near the smoke pipe,
among some baIcs Of cotton which were
slowed near u, or To which at least the
flames speedily spread. An attempt was
then made to get ont The suction pipe, and
by means of water thrown from It ON the
flames. cXliugulsb them; but these spread
with such rnplLily, that soon oil access to
the engine was iUpuss lbe, and II continued
to work for n tine with fearful raplduy.
Capt. Chi!ds, It would appear then deter.
mined 70 steer the boat for the nearest par,
Of the Long island shore, and he was last
seen ia lhr vhpclaouse at the helm. IN
| fifteen minutes, however. the engine be.
| came lumovatln, and the course OF the
| boat arrested about TWO niles from the
land. Here she continued to barn until
about three O'Clock IN The morning, when
| what remained Of her sank.
It were needles, to attempt to describe
the scene Il 0gonzed confusion winch en-
sued among the passengers, and indeed all
on board, rs soon as HE fire was discovered.
NJ order was preserved, or any attempt
made to preserve It. Tho IIfe boat Which
was on board was thrown over, forward Of
the wheel, was struCk by the paddles. and
broken TO pieces. The Lexington had 5
bonts besides, Which were launched by the
passengers while she was under full way.
and immediately swOmpod Some twenty
of them who had lie prescrvers abou,
them. Jumped overheard, and the rest
were last seen rs the flames drove them
from the higher parts of the steam boat,
cnging in clusters TO the guatd-braces
where they hung, TIL all went down tn,
co,her.
Cant. UlLrApp, formerly Of the shin
nlssi-slu1I. Of Ihs port one Of The pas.
sen7ors-cscancd. When the prcrfess O,
The fire was such as TO leave no hope, he
passengers commenced throwing the dccS
freight overheard, probably IN The expect
n'ion bat some parts of II would remnir
floating. ond mjcht b, the means Of saving
some Of them. Captain H. assisted il
,hrowinr about ten bales Of cotton over
board and capcd upon ono Of them. On,
of The frcmcn of the boat $50 succetdc
IN re',lnr en- the same bale. md these tw,
by mems az u nio9o &c hoard ,"h'-r -. 4,
pt"," w. S"''Eeue w III "e.P."E '"e y" y
5 "e." y" ~ ''' ecu Wv """', '"u' oc'"c,
: ~ Wv: "''' ,''"-' ""., "' Wv cups ~"
WV eU ',' - " 'n' ~ WI Il
) Wv" WIS '''t' ,"'y "1'' NtPl '"G uPp'
! P''' 1t '"''' ''",E9 I""'Ph' '"Fr! "'S' pu
> w. =" :,
J ~" ,'T '"' ~ ''"' ''E"" " "'sp'"u
r. t'"J" ~ w. W. "'" ~ w." N"p'
~ NO, '","e va W ~" '""' NC 10
= I'''" II 20" s''e",' ~ T"P,' ~ Gu
, ',''u ~ Io''' ''"' "p '"u " ''s' IDS :,
Q NV ~ '"' o"'v, wv ~ "o""' e'E !,
=. "1.,V" ~ '.'' O,"' - W '"p'',u' ~
FRI wa
C'P'' d" I0"'' ~ '"0 S''"P "io'O"""'
w. ,"P''''
u :, ~ S''"' ''''' "''' ''SC"pu N0P'u'
I .i"uC"'S'''' '"' P'"'' """ "'t''u" "ao'e
: T"'l'c ""' "''' '"0n "' Il "',e o' C'''n"
nc 'l'V'"'" SuyI '""t 600" o'''F 'N7 ~
= was ''St'N''cu Hc S'uBHl I''HIc 7 ~ III