Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-08-21
DREADFUL STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT,
Burning of the ISrie on Lake Erie--Over
Two Hundred Liver Lost.

DREADFUL STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT
Burning of the Erie on Lake Er,e--Oy.r
Two Hundred Lives Lost.
Correspondence Of the .Ne,o York Tribune. q,
BuFrALo, August 10, ls4I.
DKAn SIR-Enclosed send you a Buffalo pa
per of this morning, containing brief notice of the
loss by fire, last night Of the Steamboat Ere toge.
ther with nearly two hundred persons. 1 also send
few incidents which gathered in brief conver.
saton with one Of the survivors, Mr. Parmelee, the
bar-keeper of the boat. The Erie left her berth at
Buffalo, for Chicago, between and o'clock, p.
NJ, on Monday, with large number Of passengers,
nearly hundred of whom were Swiss emigrants.
The list Of passengers, as taken by the Captain,
NUMBERED 205; but in addition to those there were
several young children whose names were not Ia.
ken, and some also, it is supposed, who had not
paid their fare when the disaster occurred So that
it is probable tina, the passengers, together with
those attached TO the boat, numbered not less than
230 or 24o. The fire was discovered about ten
minutes before O'clock, off Silver Creek, dis.
tance of 25 or 80 miles from Buffalo. The flames
first aPpesred running rapidly across the roller
deck, permanent platform Of a foot or two in
height, to protect the boiler where it projects above
the main deck. From its vicinity to the boiler it
had become highly innammable, and its ignition
facilitated by recent coat of paint which IL
had received. The boats head was Immediately di.
rectsd toward the land which was five or six miles
off
The flames spread with great rapidty. Peiec,
confusion succeeded, in the midst of which the small
boat, hanging astern, was lowered by tbs hands and
brought to the side. After few ladies' had been
handed down, The frenzy of those behind became
uncomfortable, and numbers leaped in beyond the
capacity of the boat TO sustain them, and it swami
ped. Several OF those who fell from the boat were
dawn under the wheel, and there were drowned,
while few clung to the boats sides, and final.
ly saved. A second and third boat we've rendered
useless by the same infatuaiion SJme five min
utes after the appearance Of the fire, the machinery
became deranged and stopped. So rapidly 5d the
flames spiead, that although there were quantity
of life preservers in the ladies' cabin, they could not
be reached, as the cabin was almost instantly in
light flame. Twenty minutes only had elapsed
from the beginning of the fire, but afer the intense
ness of the heat had forced overheard every other
person. when Capt. Titus threw himself into the
water, and abandoned the boat TO its fate. The
few who then remained alive were tossing in the
midst of heavy swell, dependant upon the preca-
rious support, one OF an oar, another OF plank or
box, and liable every moment to loose their hold
through exhaustion and the benumbing effects Of
fright. The steamers De Witt Clinton and the La
dy perceived the light about quarter past o'clock
from Dunkirk, where they lay, and put out imme.
dia,ely to her relief But distance Of ten if-
teen miles intervening, they arrived in lime to
only 80 out Of the large number who few hours
before had le, Buffalo, with perfect confidence Of
pleasant trip.
The Clinton, with 81 of the saved on board, took
the hull of the Erie in tow for Buffalo after having
been drawn, however, fifteen or twenty miles, the
remnants Of the wreck suddenly sunk. The pas
sengcrs were taken to the American House, where
they now are The Lady returned, with the two
she had picked up, to Dunkrk; one of them was
my informant. He had thrown himself overheard
but he relinquished it to friend who could not
swim, and took for his support the "fender,'
which just then fell by its side. Hc states that
those who survived the swapping of the boats clung
with desperation 10 the burning wreck, except as
few found other support. One man he stand
ing for some minutes on the gallows beam, the
| flames encircling him, with his coat-skrts thrown
over his head, till be dropped dead into the body
Of the flames. One of the wheelmen s said to have
been burnt up doing his duty at the helm. Young
Beebe, "a lad Of H. one of those saved is reported
to have behaved with great courage. As he de.
scended the guys to the water, the chain was so ho
that he left masses of flesh upon the rod at every
clasp Of his hands. Reaching the ruddeI he stood
upon that, and soaking his JACKIE. in the water, he
applied II to assuagc the pain of his hands, and
then used il to extinguish the fire from his dress and
parts of the wreck near him. Though badly burn,
he is likely to recover. The only lady who was
saved, (Mrs. Lynde, wife Of &. ]. Lynde. Esq, o
Milwauke,) was standing at the stern of the boa
with her husband arranging her life.preserver abou
her person, when the boat gave a luIch and pIeci
plated her into the water. She saw nothing NOR,
of her husband, but was herself buoyed up till tn,
Clinton arrived.
The irst notice which the boat was upon (th'
Fulton) had Of this sad event, was at Dunkirk, q
bout in the morning, where Mr.. Psrmelee CAM
on board. The boat was placed upon the track o
the Erie, and in sbou, an hour we perceived man,
indications of the disaster. A basket, a chest o