Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-08-31

but working slowly. The three men cling
ing TO the small boat appeared to be mid-
die aged; told them TO keep cool; the
boat was right side up,but filed with wa
ter heard the cry Ofa female; reach
cd down and seized an oar; the female
then said she had on life.preserver, bu,
would rather get into the boat; | told her
thought she was safer as she was hand
ed her the oar.
The small boat then drifted as,crn,
among many persons who we're drowning,
fifteen or twenty caught hold of the boat
and turned her over; | went with her, but
came up again, and took hsld Of the keel;
The three men continued 10 cling TO the
boat, and wete, believed, saved. In
twenty minutes, all those who had seized
the boat had drowned. and only the orr
ginal three men were left; the boat then
drjfted mile astern Of the burning YES
sci. After being in the water an hour, i
saw spme person drifting; four of us con
trived TO cling 10 the boat, we talked OF
our situations aud Of our f. miles, but
still endeavored to console each Other,
| | frequently looked at the burning boat
which was enveoped in fumes. Heard
a voice To the leeward ofus; recognized
! il to be Clemens: asked him Show no was
dniuq''-answered "DOt very well" | then
re pIied, "come to the boat" He was on
small box. Thinks the female con
tinued to keep near. was the only female
that saw; she was Mrs. Lynde, and the
only woman saved, that know Of. TSess
p men spoken Of, got on the boat; Mrs. l..
complained Of exhaustion; | told the men
. 10 pull her in; she had an oar in her hand;
the Engineer pulled her in. The small
boat was eighteen feet long, eight feet
eight inches wide. Soon after | saw the
Clinton coming TO us; think | also saw
poiher 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 Of, and the small
boals we're got out; she then got under
weigh and we feared she was going tol
leave us; she however circied rouud and
came TO us; rot on my knees on the
keel of the boat and called loudly for them
to come TO US; the small boat then cap
sized, and the hremen was thrown at u
distance from us; was also thrown a
considerable distance, and sunk twice; |
however seized hold ola black man, and
that saved me; the nine then Clinglng to
the small oat were saved am Ot the opln-
ion that | was the last person who left the
Erie, when left her, | heard much con-
fusion, but saw no person; think, FaLter
: remained at Me pheel, and acDer LEFT IL
until bwacd to death; he was always a
resoIute man in obeying orders. was
an The Erie when she took fire On for
mer occasion; think nearly every boat on
The lake has at some time been on fire.
(The witness here appealed to Mr. Hnb-
bard, inspector, who corroborated the as-
sertion.) Am Of tho opinion that the
fra had fs origin in something highly
combustible. From the first alarm, could
not have been over ten or twelve min
uteS before left the vessel; the flames
| few in every direction almost iastantane-
ous!Y; there was one horse on board when
the boat Iurches. flames and sparks very
often escape from the flues or forward
part Of the boiler: the exposed parts Of
The hold were timed. In all boats there
are more or less sparks, &C., which rise
from the hues; the under part of the deck
was timed; when on fire before it was
forward Of the chimneJs; thinks it was
seen from below main deck; supposes
there were about 200 persons on board,
between 30 and 40 cabin passengers, 80
or 33 belonging Onbcard, the remainder
sieerage passengers; VAS standing with
Mr. Williams on the starboard side OftNc
boat when tho hre broke out; was about
40 foet from il, went towards the fire, but
could not approach near; the sky light was
opened; the f:e first came up through
the sky light; thinks The fire must have
originated on the lower deck over the
furnaces; thinks the demiiohnU exploded
and the contents ran down on the lower
deck, and igniled; the boiler deck was not
tight, water would run through over the
boiler il was not cauked; The dampers
in the pipes are generally placed above
the deck, with the lastsnings down; the
boat had been newly painted and varnish.
ed, and fire would spread rapidly; the sky
| liUht Mas G by d feet