Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-08-31

'"O Siuo, anu oil tIle uiCH Ju'hPSN wv
alter her; those men did not belong to the
ErIe's crew. | then went aft, saw very
many persons around The small boat in the
water did not feel DESTROYS to leave the
vessel; walked aft and found two end pie
ces Of bed post; picked them up, and was
III the act of descending the stairs; on re-
Fiction | thought to get off the doors of
the wheelhouse, but my foot slipped !;
then returned and descended the stairs; the
smoke and hamds were intensely thick
stood at the gangway with the two pieces
OF ben posts; saw nobody, but heard great
outcry of persons, apparently clinging to
the after part Of the boat.
Before going over, | saw the small boat
in the watar,an three men hanging to her:
as soon as jumped into her, she drifted
astern; the engine was still in motion, but
working slowly. The three men cinging
to the small boat appeared to be middle
aged; told them TO keep cool the boat
was right side up but filled with water.-
| heard the cry of female | reached
down and seized an oar; the female then
said she had on life preserver, but would
rather get into the boat; told her [ thought
she was safer as she was; handed her the
oar. The small boat then dr(ted astern,
among many persons who were drowning:
ID or 20 caught hold of the boat and turned
her over; | went with her, but came up
with her again, and took hold of the keel;
the three men continued. 10 cling 10 the boat,
and were, believe, saved. In twenty mi
nutes all those who had seized the boat had
drowned, and only the three original men
were left; the boat then drifted a mile as
tern oil the burning vessel. After being in
the water one hour, | saw some persons
drifting, four Of us contrived to cling to the
boat, we talked of our situations and Of our
families, but still endeavored to console
each other. | frequently looked at the
burning boat, which was enveloped in flames
Heard a voice to the leeward Of us, recog-
Missed 1t to be Clemens; asked him " how
he was doing" answered 'snot very well;"
then replied "come to the boat" He was
on small box. Thinks the female contn-
ued TO keep near: was the only female that
saw; she was Mrs. Lyndc, and the only
woman saved, that know Of These men
spoken Of got on the boat Mrs. Lynde
complained Of exhaustion; told the men
to pull her in; she had an oar in her hand;
the engineer pulled her in. The small boat
was Is feet long, s feet and inches wide.
Soon after saw the Clinton coming to US;
think ! also saw other lights on the lake,
but not certain. She came near us and
much outcry was made by us and others
to attract attention, heard steam blowing
off, and the small boats were got out; she
then got under way and we feared she was
going to leave us she however circled
ruuad and came up TO US then got on
my knees on the keel of the boat and call
ed loudly for them 10 come TO us; the small
boat was then eapsizcd and the fireman was
thrown a considerable distance from US,
| was also thrown considerable distance
and sank twice; | however seized hold Of
a black man, and that saved me; the nine
thea cIinging to the small boat were saved;
am Of the opinion that was the last per-
son who left the Erie, when left her |
heard much confusion but saw no person;
think Fuller remained at the wheeI and ne
Ger left ii until burned TO death he was
always resolute man in obeying orders.
was on the Erie when she took fire on
former occasion; think nearly every boat
on the lake has at some time been on fire;
(the witness here appealed to Mr.. Hubbard
the Inspector who corroborated the asser-
tom
Am Of the opinion that the fire had its
origin in something highly combdstible.-
From the first alarm, could not have been
over 10 or II minutes before | left the YES
sci; the flames flew in every direction al
most instaneously there was one horse
on board: when the boat lurches, it is often
the case that the flames and sparks will es-
cape from the flues or forward part of the
boilers; the exposed parts Of the hold were
timed.
In all boats there are more or less sparks
NC, which arise from the fues; the under
part of the deck was timed; when on fire
before it was forward of the chimnies,
thinks it was seen from below the main
deck; supposes there were about 900 per-
sons on board, between thirty and forty
cabin passengers, 30 or SO belonging on
board, the remainder Storage passengers;
was standing with Mr.. Williams on the
starboard side of the boat when the fire
broke out, was about 40 feet from it, went
towards the fire but could not approach
near; the sky light was opened; the fire
first came up through the'sky light; thinks
the fire must have originated on the lower
deck over the furnaces, thinks the demi-
johns exploded and the contents ran down
on the lower deck and ignited; the boiler
deck was nottght, water would run through
over the boiler, it was not calked: the dam.
pers in the pipes are generally placed a.
bove the deck, with the fastenings down !;
the boat had been newly painted and var
nishcd. and the fire would spread rapidly;
the sky light was by feet
Dreadful Failing Of.-They say at