Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-01-30
inquest into the OF the Loss ~ the
Lexington.

nave peen engaged for the last 70 years, master,
mate and pilot; have acted in the latter capacity
| iive years First went in the Boston line have
oeeh plot In the Narraganse t and since then in the
| LeNington was in the latter boat throughout the
nio U OF December up to the lime OF her loss
| ington
Answer believed her to be as good boat as any
| on the line.
| Q.-Howwas the steering annaratus Of the Lev
ington
| A.-lron rods fore and aft, and hide ropes round
| the wheels, attached TO them. never saw a boat
'teered altogether with chains.
/ S-How many times has the Lexington been
ahre, to your knowledge
| Al have never known her to be on fire before
| 'his; nut We heard since that she fire one
| morning, before the accident l had nothing to do
with The slowing Of her cargo; my duty to take
the wheel when the boat ready and to stay there
until she arrived at her destination The day of the
last trip OF the Lexington, believe the mate told
| me he had about $50 bales Of cotton His name was
Ihurber; did not make any particular observa-
tons as TO the stowage Of the cotton, but there was
some ON the boiler hatch; it had been customary to
put II there We had but small iantity Of wood,
| and that was placed in two small rooms on each
side OF the boiler. There were carpenters 10 work
on board, the trip previous, bat do not know what
| they were doing, unless they were making bag.
gage room. There were also some worknen doing
something to the blowers but what do not know
am not an engineer, and know nothing Of the par
ticeiar qualities Of the one destroyed.
Q-Where were you when you heard the first
| alarm of fire
| AIN the house Of the wheel !; it was little
after seven; somebody came 20 the door and told
me " the boat on fire.
Q-Do you know who il was 2
Al do not; locked cut, but did not see it. 1t
was not Capt. Childs that gave me the alarm.
Commensurate what you did
Witness-I FIRST looked out aft, and saw the upper
deck burning all round the smoke pipe; it had caught
some TWO or three feet, perhaps, of the upper deck
The flame seemed to be thin sheet around the
smoke pipe, and had caught the promenade deck.
turned into the wheel house. seized the wheel, and
had it half port to steer the boat to the land |
thought ii very doubtful when first saw it, whether
the fire could be got under. We then fifty
miles east Of this city, aad to the eastward Of Etons
Neck, and possibly four miles from the shore. At
the rate the boat was going, ii might have taken 20
| minutes to reach the shore, and possibly it took
three or four minutes 10 get her round. We were
steering f. by N We had not got her head to the
land before the tiller rope gave way. She might be
heading thena 5 course, and the nearest land lay
| about due South. The engine was working at thai
time; do not know where the engineer at that
time ;when the engine stopped her head lay to
| he East. When / got the wheel hand port, Capt
Chids came into the wheel house, and pst his hand
on to the spoke OF the wheel; and he did So the
rope gave ways think twas the larboard rope that
gave way At the same time, the smoke came in
full, that we obliged to quit the wheel.
pect the Captain went aft, for never himIagan
he did not express any particular alarm. As slept
out on to the torecaste, called to the to
the fire engine andto get out the buckets. The fire
engine was rugged, but the buckets were inaccessi-
ble except two three that lay about the orecaste
| Juror-Are you of opinion that the wheel ropes
parted, or were burnt oil
Witness-My impression is that they burnt off,
but could not have staid longer, if the wheel had
been rugged with chains.
| Cor lner-Was there room then to go from the
wheel house 10 the promenade deck as to get COM
mand Of the tiller rope
Witness-l think there was for a minute or So
know there good til!er there, with chains to
it. All boats rugged so, in tiller gives
| out the other can be resorted TO.
| COrOner-Why did 90 ftert them
| Witness-Why, thought my services might be
more essential forward TO put out the fire. and that
if the boat could be steered ait there was enough
there TO do it.
| Coroner-What did you do next
| Witness-Afer calling for the fire engine went
to the life boat and found gentlemen casting Of
| the tsrpauling.
| Coronor-Do you know who they were
Witness--I do not. don't recollect seeing Mr..
billiard, and should not know him il he here.
caught hold ofthe lashng Of the boat and requested
them not tn let her pass the side until we had
line rove through the hawser sang out to the crew
"to pass line, which they did, and il made fast
to the bar Of the boat then told them TO take the
line forward, TO prevent her from going under
| the wheel when she was put in the water
| Coroner-Was it made fast
| Witness-Itwas.
| Coroner-What NEXT
| Witness-The fire was then burning through the
upper deck Of the boat so cut the ashng, and told
them to launch her; jumped on TO the deck, and
caught the hawser myself, when iound that IL was
| not MADE last the steamer, thcre was
however, made fast TO il; the had all held on,
but they let 20 the hawser, and the boat went down
Juror-Was the boat under weigh at the timel
Witness-fes, the engine was working all the
time but slow.
Juror-who were these personsl
Witness-Why, tue waiter, deck hands and one
or two passengers.
Coroner-What thenl
witness-Why, we found tive buckets and some
specie boxes which got TO work with to stop the
| progress OF tie fire.
| Coroner-where did Won get the water FRONT
Witness-Over the side; while this was doing.
we knocked out the bulwarks and made kind Of
raft, in hopes that some might save themselves by
IL we made line fast TO IL and launch he'd il the
ships side; also got out the luggage cars, made
lines fas. TO them, and then threw them overheard;
should say the engine worked for Is or 20 minutes;
IL kept gradually working slower until II gave out
altogether.
| Juror-what became Of the raft
| Witness--Woy, II lay alongside while we eontin.
ued 10 throw water. As the fire approached us,
and the decks fell in to the capstain, continued
one would come TO our relief Many persons by this
time had got over the side in the raft, and
on the baggage cars. The boat was then all on fire
under the fore scuttle and we we're cornered up in
| SO small a space that we could do more in the
way Of throwing water; and the few that left,
asked me "what they should dor I ,old them that
I saw no chance for any ofus; If we stood there we
should be burnt and II we went overheard we m;st
perish There IN ight be some or 10 on the deck
and perhaps 20 or 30 on the night lights and guard
| Coroner Can't you tell the name Of any.
Witness-No, cant; but remember Hoyt and
Van Colt, another Of the name Of Harndon. lie
had charge Of the Express Cars. | then took a
piece OF yarn, and tied my coat TO piece OF timber
which was not on fire, and launched myself into the
Il n an