The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-08-24
The BURNING OF THE ERIE.

We find in the Free Circulating Advertiser,
n-Gtfe from q survivor of ihe terrible disaster
t. Lake Erie, from which we make the follow
isg extracts
At abou, g o'clock | WIS sitting in the sa.
hon, Parmerlee, the harkeeper, had Just made
s,e a pp.ch, and we were playing a rubber of
ul;sr, whea al ut oncc, we heard a slight cx-
,.losiun, a kissing sound, and q cry Of fire
:; c,.Nv accidents have occurred, and | had
3, ychooled myself 10 TIE thought of such an
rsciJeni, that | was comparatively cool and
~ Possessed. I sprung to the door, followed
~ Parmcrlee. and we were met by q mass of
.-,-cling fame. rushed forward. lie fol-
wed. but no moro. OF the dozen or fifteen
81 The saloon at that moment, not another sur
yves. In n second all that part of the boat
nearest 10 where the flames burst out, the boil
l:r deck. was in flames, and they must have per-
;rsl,cd horribly in the saloon, from which there
vas no escape.
On going forward, | saw in q moment the
Whole terror Of the scene. The flames burst
rlt in immense masses, and were driven back
tx tie whole body o: the boat. Titus sprung
Il tbs wheel and headed her TO the shore, and
lie wind now drove The flames into every part
Fl her. and size rolled over The seas a mass Of
Grc-for she had been lately painted, and her
.anne! work vanished, SO thai she caught as If
clipped in shirts Of turpentine.
Then the air was filed with sarieks of ago.
rv and despair. The boldest turned pale at
lat awful moment. ! shall never forget the
vzll CT error that won't up from the poor Ser
Ian emigrants, who were huddled together on
81 forward deck. Wives clung 10 their hus-
hands, mothers franticaIly pressed their babes
10 their bosoms, lovers chung madly 10 each
cher. One venerable old man. his grey hairs
Streaming on the wind, stood on the bows. and
stretching Out his bony hands,prayed 10 God in
the language OF his fatherland.
Blu, if the scene forward was terrible, tha.
,ft was appalling. for there the flames were r-
"ing in the greatest fury. Some madly rushed
into the fire. Others, with a yell like a demon,
maddened with the flames, which were all a.
round then, sprang h~eadIong into the waves.
The officers of the boat and crew were gencr-
ally cool. and sprung 10 lower the boa:s, but
hose were every one successfully swamped
lay those who threw themselves into them, re.
gardiess of the cxecrations Of The sailors, and
Of everything, but their own safety.
tried 10 act coolv-I kept near the captain,
who seemed to take courage from despair, and
whose bearing was above all praise. The boat
was veoring towards the shore, but The madden
a flames now enve!oped The wheel house, and
ia n moment the machinery stopped. The
Inst hope had left us-snd q wilder shrek rose
rnon the air nj this moment the second en-
%r;neer, the one at the time en- duty, who had
,;ood by his machinery as long asst would work
~ seen climbing the gallows head, a black
raass with the flames curling all around him -
Oa either side he could net 60, for it was now
one mass o. ire. lilo sprung upward, came
20 the top, one moment felt madly around him,
rid then fell into the flames. There was no
more remaining on board. for the boat now
h-ooched round and rolled upon the swelling
xaycs q mass of fire. seized upon 4 settee
scar me, and gave one spring just as the flames
wc'e bursting through the deck wh&e | stood:
rnc moment more, ard ] should have been IN
lie flames. One moment and | found myself
Tossed on a wave grasping my frail support with
desperate energy. At one moment saw moth
Ing but the y~awning deep and the blackcning
sky-at the next the llming mass was before
rs. as the wave pitched me up and around
scre my fellow passengers struggling with the
"avcs,'.somo supported by nothing bat their
s.rong arms-cvery moment growing weaker,
wisle the wild, agonizinS shrieks of those who
rerc every moment taking their last look at
sc upper world /: and those who were still cling
ing 10 the bulwarks. but every moment drop
ping with every pitch ofthe vessel, made such
n scene. Us nightly haunts my dreams, and can
lever be obliterated while memory remains.
| had been in the wafer but a short time.
though each moment seemed an age. when
t.,rI kIo ,,,oo of (N,,,:. TH,.,o nbo ,ko l,-,
ip leave the vessel, was now in Inc waier, call.
ing out with q firm voice, "Courage-hold on
help is coming !" Oh, words of hope ! how
II clleered US in lhat hour o fgloom. A moment
after | saw the lights off steamboat. and, in a
hort time. the b ul o fihe Clinton, which, upon
seeing the fire. had FASTENED Il to our assistance.
Tier boats were ready lowered, and, guided by
light Of the vessel and the prayers for help,
twenty seven Of US were saved from a waiery
grave. Seine were terribly burned, and some
IN The last stages of exhaustion, but all thank
fui for their preservation.
OF the poor German emegrnnts, | do rot
Know that one was saved. Parents and chill.
dron seem to have found one common grave,
and lay at the bottom of the lake, all locked 10.
ycther. There was but one female of the whole
. lumber saved, and among The passengers were
GONE of superior elegance and rare beauty. The
sunber burned and drowned cannot be less
man two hundred. 1t may be more. Oh |!
aever on earth may | witness such a scene of
horror. Ii seems like 4 frighful dream--only
iao real. That pale old mar haunis me. The
agony ofsome of those beautiful girls will be
impressed upon my mind forever, and | would
iaat | could forget the horrible sight of that
roor fellow calling in the air 70. some escape
from tie flames which were raging all round
"in. Il vas all terrible ! dreadful! horrible
! can find no language which will portray my
feelings. Adicu.