Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-06-15
From the ". Y. Observer, 6th inst.
THE BURNING OF THE POLAND.

In our paper of last week we gave a brief &C
count of the loss OF the packet ship Poland, OH
her voyage from this port to Hayre, having been
set on fire by lightning oil Saturday tho 10th ult.
-Ssys afiasr leaving port The passengers and
crew, 63 in number, remained on board, or In
boats attached to the ship for 46 hours, the fire
during Tie time being nearly smothered, but all
the whiie increasing & threatening every moment
TO burst through the deck. In the Boston Cour-
Ter, we find letter from Mr.. J. II. Buckingham
OF that city, one of The passengers, giving gra-
pho account OF what passed during those hours
of awful suspense After list of the crew End
passengers, among whom were MIR. Benz. &.
Wainwright, of Boston, merchant, with his wife
and Two children, girls, one 5 and the other 3
years old and Charles ID. Arfwedson, OF Stock
holm, the American consul at that port. with
wife and two children, one years, ami the other
ii weeks old, Mr. b. proceeds to say that their
voyage was remarkably prosperous from the time
they left the port on Monday noon, the ilih of
May, until Saturday the 10Th, the ship having in
that period made one third Of the passage to Ha-
vre. What followed will be hest learned from
Mr.. BIS description, which we give with very lit
tie abridgement.
At2P. Mon Saturday il began to rain, and
so continued in showers and squalls, until about
three o'clock, when severe shower commenced.
As most OF the male passengers were in the house
on deck, looking ont ut the rain and sea, Capt
Anthony standing at the door, large ball of fire,
apparently about twice the size of mans hat,
suddenly descended in n horizontal line ON the
Clouds which appeared to be meeting from two
different points of The compass ahead of us, aud
struck The end of the toretopsail yard, the left
hand side; it descended the ties, chains,
TO the end OF the fore yard, and ran the yard
TO the cap Of the foremost, where it exploded with
IA report siIni ar 10 that OF a cannon, and giving
the appearance Of the explosion of bomb SINH
lar, although on a much larger scale, TO The explo
sions OF some of the fire work circles which we
have had exhibited on the common on public ga
las, wing out rays in every direction, like the
rays of the sun. The whole was instantane GUS,
and was seen hy two or three of us; il came and
passed off in flash, and was followed almost at
the same instant by peal of thunder, sharp and
loud, but not long or runblug. IL wns the only
fash OF lightning or peal of thunder that we saw
or heard.
Almost Immediately, Capt. Anthony went for
ward with one or two Of the passengers, being a.
ware that we had been struck with lightning, to
ascertain if the ship was duinaged.
Although the cabin nnd steerage were filed
with IL sort of smoke, which had a suphurous
smell, no one really supposed the ship TO be on
FIRE, or that the appearances indicated any thing
more than the gas usually following n stroke of
lightning. Some alarm and anxiety was very
naturally felt particularly by the Indies and those
who were connected with them; hut still as there
was no increase of smoke, and no appearance of
fire, the crew went about their regular business,
aud NJ four O'Clock, dinner was served rs usual
the cabin NJ that time being clear OF every Thing
indicative OF danger. Some of us could not eat,
while there was uncertainty, we had no nppe-
lite and the meal which had heretofore been one
of pleasure, accompanied by the recim ocalion OF
good feelings, and sallies oil wit, passed off with
dulIness, aud almost in silence. Capt. Anthony
looked in upon MS MS we sat at table, but he was
100 anxious to sit down, and did not cease in his
endeavor to ascertain with certainty our position.
Our dinner was short and silent one; and
when we went on deck, the captain said that he
had little doubt that the ship was on fire, and tina,
we must endeavor TO get at II. In a few minutes
all hands, including many Of the cabin and steer.
age passengers, were at work hosting out end
throwing overheard -four and cotton. The work
of dscharging the cargo between decks went on
cheeriuly, amid severe rain, until about eight
o'clock, the fire not appearing TO increase, and ut
times appearing TO be altogether extinguished,
even.if there had been any except in the imag''i,
aton but at that lime, and when the forward
lower hatch was Ieuched we were at once con-
vinced of the awful ia,t, that the cotton IN the
lower hold was on fire. The hatch was immedi-
ately closed as tight as possible, The upper matches