The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1840-02-05

line, and ~ good boat as ] know Of
She had rods fore and aft, with the excep-
tion Of hide rope enough tn GO through The
blocks and round the wheel, and to con.
meet the rods with the rudder at the stern.
i never saw boat sleered entirely without
rope. never heard of the Lexington being
ON fre aniil after this calamity. | was told,
since this accident, thar she was once be-
fore on fire coming round the Battery.
have nothing 10 do with the slowing of the
cargo, or with any thing about the boat.
My duty is to GO into the wheel house when
The bnat is ready TO leave the wharf. and re-
main there till she arrives at her destination.
i know how q cargo should be slowed To
trim sloop properly, but have never n,ade
any particular observation MS to the manner
OF slowing the cargo on board steamers.
The freight Of the Lexington principally
consisted of cotton, on her last trip. The
mate told me there were $50 bales on
board. do not know how the cotton was
slowed particularly. There was some
however on the top Of the boiler hatch. II
was a general practice to stow il there.
What wood we had was in the fire room,
on each side of the eagine. There was
room there for five or six cords. I believe
there were carpenters at work on the boat
on the trip previous to her last one, making
baggage room. There rere some men also
at cork just previous to the last trip. on the
tforr. am not an engineer, and cauno,
speak of the qualitie. Of The engine.
The fire eoglne was always Kept clear, !
never knew il 10 be otherwise.
was in the wheel house Mt the wheel,
when first heard the alarm of fire. 1t wac
somewhere about half past sevea. Some
one came to the wheel house door and o.
pened IL, md told me the bont was on fire.
l don't know who il was. I think il was
some one belonging to tho boat. stepped
out of the wheel house and looked nii, and
saw the upper deck burning all around the
smoke pipe. blazing up about two or three
feet, in thin sheets. I turned into the
wheel house aud caught hold Of the wheel, |
and bore it hard port, TO steer the boa,
for the land. ! thought it was doubtful
case that The fire could be put out. We |
were about fifty miles from New York, a
little to the east Of Eaton's Neck, nnd about
four miles from tho Long Island shore. II |
would have taken US about twenty minutes
To get there. II would take three or four
minutes to get the boat round. We hadn't
got her headed for the land before The tiiier
ropes gare roy. She was then heading
ut the time the rope gave way -abnut south
east, and the nearest point Of land which
we were striving to reach, was south. The
engine was in full operation at this tiu,e.
Before the engine stopped, the boats head
was more to the eastward. ] don't know
where the engiaeer was.
At the time hove the wheel hard a port
Captain Childs came into the wheei house
and put his hand upon the wheei, and as he
did so the rope gaze ray. II was on the
larboard side that the ropo gave way.
presume II was the rope that was attached
To the wheel, aud not that connecting the
rods To The rudder. As the Captain put
his hand ,fpon the wheel told him had
hove her hard a port when the rope gave
way. Al this time the smoke came into
the wheel house aud left. The Captain
went, I think aft. As stepped out call
ed To the people in the forecas,le aud told
them to get the fire engine aud the bnckets
out. The fire engine WAS got out but the
buckets they could not get n.. | did not
see any except two or three on the fore
castle. l could not have stayed any longer
in the wheel house if there had been chains
there.
think there was opportunity 10 go aft
along the promenade deck-perhaps
minute or so after we left. The steering
apparatus there was in good order-,here
was iiIler with chains running through {
blocks. This apparatus was put up to steer
the boa, with in case Of any accident to the
wheel. I
By the Coroner-Whv did you not 60
there You say you could have done so
one minute after you left The wheel house.
Witness-I thought my services eers Of
enough aft to take care Of The bout.
After had spoken to the people On the
forccnstlc, looked round end found some
getting the ,arpnuhu off the life boat.
don't know who they were. don't reeol-
beet sceiag Captain Llillard there
shouldn't know him if he was in the room. !
I caught hold ef the life bsn,, and request
ed them not To let her GO over the sides I'LL
n line was fastened to her. called TO
them on the forecastIe to make fast line !
To the bows Of the life brat. and told them
to make w fas, we'll forward Of the steam
boat, So as to keep it from running under
the wheel when in the waier. u WAS made
fast TO the life boat. The fire was thea
burning through The upper deck around
the life boat. I cut the laslings, and told
them TO launch her. jumped on to the
forward deck, and caught hold of the haw-
ser myself. found the hawser bad not
been made fas, to the boat rs ] had di-
rected. There were enough, however, to
bold on to her, If they had kept their hold
ofthe hawser but first one Iet 60, and then
another, until was obliged to let 60 my
self. q
The persons forward were deck hands !
aaj passengers. We then had recourse To