Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-04-21
f.. IL Bsl,,msrs .l,n<riesa. .4sFii Is.
.g,rf,,l Sfgan, boar II I0si q y,
Fearful Dcstructioll| % Lives

the Chesapeake. pc ne an SffftN E
a .,eamhoat Medata. built for illf line z
e,wesn. this CITY and Norfolk, was yes. .
er,,ay rsnsts teti Il rsek by The explosion
/ her stesn7 boiler, attended BY issfsnll
Iesaruciioa IL human life. la
The Medota was just eomaleteeg aud
,repaiory tofbeing turned cut tFoap lhe
lands Of ihe machloisss, number 81 per-
ons Were infnea 10 20 ID her en- afl'5ex1
The day 1beipg pse asaRf Il
i il supposed that pfohabfy one Apaafsd N
II more we've on board. tnclsdiAg sone /
n The Steam Boat Company aad Their
ffienes. aud i number - the bands enrlt
eaeed liz 6nishins lie vesseiss putting in
tie machinery, Sc, and o,htrWise con- |
nected with The construction q SAILING q
thg, boat. |,
Soon aiterthree O'Clock, P. NJ the beat
was about III start from the WhaEf ot The 4
engine builder, Mi john .atchman, on
lie south siAs Of the basin, % the pfoPos-
ID Trip. Al gentleman Oh board informs
IDS that the Va ine had only made The Sc
cond revolution. inorder 10 back.the Me-
dors from Tie shart, whea the boiler exl |
ploded With ALOUD noise, carrying up i
wards 1 considerable portion Of The up
Der deck and those lpon1it, and blowing
ihe smoke. stacks high iinte The arr TIE
main force of the explosion was almost
Isx Observation-Disclosures the Head Of The boat,
boiler Setsiorn ID 2issesI fha I'sRal lh h.
self. al immense one ofiron. was thrown
ctoss wise Oh The deck. # Il
| The boat was instantly enyeloped ia. a.
| cloud Of scalding steam which was ID.
hailed BY some With fatal consequences,
while oihers suffered externally 10 their
persons from lis effects Oar informant
Twas id the after pam of. the beat, whsIe
Elhe steam had mo injurious effect, He
states that several Persons jumped over
board and that one Of them was drowned
The boat INN ediately settled in The va
Iter until her bull rested on lhe ,bottom Of
\ the river. #
II In The centre and forward port pf the
1 boat thefe Was aiearful deSiruetion fftie
| and limb Some Of those on board were
blown high ID the Dir and lelf On shore, 10
The water, and 90 The boats lying. near by.
fDihers we're crushed With spllntefed
Iimbe1s; others.seaded with the steam;
while those below the decks. not having
lime 10 escape, were either saaoeaiedl BY
the steam oF drowned hen The boat sunk.
III When We reached the scepe Of DESC
sl4aiion 1--WE found large number Of per.
sons. among whom were several sphYsi-
clans. busiy engaged ID erdeayerng Is
sssis,ths injured, aud carrying aws} those
who were dead or dylngs So gfeht wa'
the confusion that prevailed andtso hthe
was known as 10 the number and>nafne'
Of the persons On board. that no complete
account could be obtained. WeFanaex !
list Of all those " bio wereHinjarnd pr killed
: as far as We could learn them. There are
no doubt some who were on board, whos'
|, loss win ealy be known BY their nos re
turning 70 their homes.
Captain Sutton, who bad comm d%o
| Ethe boat, was standing over Che boile
! when il exploded. He was much injur
ed in,ths head and il was very douotfu
yesterday whether be would recover.
The AmeTFicsn Of satutdaxsays:--3
: We msn.!oRsa ! sstsEday ihe truly a
, &. Mosle, Esq. the active Agent Of th
Steamboat Company aud Of hrs son Viii
liam. a fine. boyfof IA years. The lame
J Ediate cause Of Mf. Ms speedy death i
-fattributed 10 hid fact that bis ribs wer,
= broken and driven inwards towards III,
heart He waslReIy near hss,eaeine a
ths time Of the etpiosion His son be
! sides Being scalded. received 4 sever
fracture Of the scpll, which Ills believe,
tcaused insfant death. Mr.. Moa|e was
: good Ecitizsn,, and an affectloaaie husbhnl
!. and fashef3 aadH Bis son was Is promising
land interesting . boy 4as ever glsddenet
the hearts Of fond parents The suddel
cutting off Of both father and son in hi,
4 foil enjo men4 of3Iifs and health, Is be
freavemeni, the5bItteFhess OF which Ian
guage cannot end wofds to express
xd We learn That Ca plain Solton was
blown hfghlin The Air. and fell among lht
wreck Of timber ID the water. He re-
ceiyed severe WoundsIa his bead & hat
bis face and arms bruised and n,ulilased
in- the most shocking manntr; He ap
Epeared TO be doing well last night. I.
W stated yesterday that probably one
thundted persans or moro we've oE board
. 1.-THE Medora at The time Of lhf explosion
We have since been informsH BY eeen.
ileman on shose accuracy Seryrelisnce
may be Plseed3 thai there were dot, to| all
appearance more than fifty sor sixly1on
board. fs
a should be borne .in mind that The
steamboat Medora. the time 81 the &C.
cident, waIFyet ID the hands Of tie build.
ers, she haYing never been delivered to
the Balnmare and Norfolk Steam packet
RCompahy, lor whose use she was built
No accident Of the kind has ever happen
Esd 10 any boat while under the control d
the CAREFUL agents Of this Company. :. H.
tn making gu, : Isl Of she deaf, nh Amsfii-
can says: +55z-EiH VI ##=# y Es
H |. i With unfeigned sorrow thai We
Iplace a the head Of this list The. name Of
Andrew II Henderson. Esq, President Of
the Baltinlors and Norfolk Steam Packet
Company[ II appears that atths tims Of
the explosion Mr.. FL vas 10 Inc forward
lpart Of The BOAT, and was fond after lhe
lexplosion very muchscalded! The steam
/ which he ir1halsd .afTthe same l;ne pro.
duced his death, sfterling sr9ag until hall
past eleven7o'clock yesterday mornin ? .-
Almost 10 the last Mr. Henderson retain
ed perfect consciousness OF his approach.
ling end. and yesterday morushg With grsai
calmness he made suitable hispositiontof
49, z ~ - 4.