The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-08-26

II
inmedisssly. insfanlsneously anosis DC
whole vessel vas envel0Ped m rsnes.
Cart. Tifos, who vas on the upper oerk
81 Tie time, rushed 10 The ladies' esbin % |
obtain the life-preseTyers, q which there
were from 90 % 100 On bosrd. but - "a
pid had been de progress 81 ne hames,
he found il.impossible a. enier he cabin.
lie returned 10 he upper deck, On ms
way giving orders 70 the Engineer 70 stop
the engine. The wind and The head-wsy 81
the boal increasing the ferccness ol me
flames. and driving them AFT The Enei-
neer REPLIED. thar in consequence Of me
flames he could not reach the engine. The
sleerer was instantly directed 70 put the
helm hard a slarboard. The vessel Sung
slowly round, heading 10 the shore, and
the boats There were three on board were
then ordered 70 be lowered. Two Of the
boats were lowered, but in consequence
of the heavy sea On, and the Roadway Of
the vessel. they beth swamped rs soon as
they touched water. We viii not attempt
10 describe the awful AMI appalling con-
dition Of the passengers. Some we're
frantic with fear and horror, others plum
ged headlong madly into The water, Others
again seiad upon any thing buoyanl up
on which they could lay hands. The
small boat forward had been lowered. Ii
was alongside The wheel. with three or
four persons in II, when The captain jump
cd in, and the boat Immediately dropped
asiem filed with wafer.
A lady fioaied BY with life preseryer
On. She cried for help. There was no
safety in the boat. She caught the oar
and was saved. II was Mrs. Lynde Of
Milwaukee, and she was the only lady
saved. In this condition. the boat was
mass of fierce fire, and the passengers and
crew endeayoring TO save themselves by
swimming or supporting themselves by
whatever they could reaeh-lhey were
found BY the Clinton al 10. p. Nj. The
Clinton left here in the morning, but in
consequence of the wind had put into
Dunkirk. She laid there until nearly sun
SET. at which time she ran ou., and had
proceeded as far as Barcelona, when just
at twilight. the FIRE Of The Erie was disco
yered some 20 miles astern. The Gin
ton Immediately put about and reached
the burning wreck about 10. IL was a
fearful sight. All the upper works Of the
Erie had been burned away. The engine
was standing, but the hull was mass Of
dull, red flame. The passengers and crew
were floating around. screaming in their
agony and shrieking for help. The boats
of the Clinton were instantly lowered and
manned, and every person that could he
seen or heard was picked up, and every
possible relief afforded. The Lady, lit
lie steam boa, lying at Dunkirk. Went out
Of that harbor as soon as possible. after
the discovery Of the fire. and arrived soon
after the Clinton. II was not thought by
the survivors that she saved any. by /,
A. M. all was still except the dead crack
ing Of the fire. Not q solitary individual!
could be seen or heard on the wild waste
! Of waters. A line was then made fast TO
the remains Of the Erie's rudder. and an
effort made TO tow the hapless hull ashore.
About this time the Chautauque came up
and lent her assistance. The hull OF the
Erie was iowed within about four miles
of the shore, when il sunk in eleven ia.
ihoms water. BY this time il was day
light. The lines were cast off. The
Clinton headed for this port, which sht
reached about 6 o'clock. OF those who
are saved. several are badly burned, bu
none arc dangerously injured so far as we
have heard.
! Origin oCke Fire Among the pas.
sengers on board were six Painters in The
employ of Dir. W. G. Miller, of this city
whowere going to Erie to paint The steam
boat Madison. They had with them de-
mijohns filled with spirits Of turpentint
and vamish, Which, unknown to Capt
| Titus, were placed on the boiler deck Owe
the boilers. One Of the firemen, who wa.
saved, says he had occasion to 20 on deck
and seeing the demijohns. removed them
They were replaced, but by whom is no
known. Immediately previous to tht
bursting forth Of the flames, as several OIL
board have assured us, a slight explosion
was heard. The demIohns had proha
bly, burst with the heat and their inflam
mahle contents taking fire instantly, com
: municaied to every part of the boat. which
having been freshly Vanished, caugh, a
if it had been ganpowder.
Not paper nor 81 article of any kin,
1 was saved. OF course it is impossible Il
give complete list Of those on board
: OF Cabin Passengers, Capt. Titus think
! there were between thirty and forty, O
whom ten or twelve were ladies'. In TIL
Steerage, were about 40 passengers
nearly all Of whom were Swiss and Ger
! man immigrants. they were mostly il
families with the usual proportion ofmen
women and children. The heart bleed
a! the thought.
1t is singular coincidence that tn
Erie was burned at almost identically tn
same spot where the Washington wa
burned in June, 1893. Capt. Brown