Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-10-12
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE LOSS OF
THE UNIFIED STATES STEAM FRIGATE
AffGEfrfpf

cir. IL has UtLpHic ny pHlUluf bJts Is
r port to you thai the United Stsies Stesn
Frigae Missouri, und,r my command
has BEEN lmo>t entirely disirsytd by
FIRE. arrived he;e on Friday night, tins
25ih instsn:, IL seventeen DAYS from Nor.
folk, ami FIVE f,om FayaI. The next day
commence taking in ctal, fitting up tie
water, oyerl aulng the mae hinery, and
making The necessary arrangement prior
10 leaving here on the Sunday following.
/ Alter paying the customary onnrs u The
4 Governor, by salutrs from the ship, the
Hon. Mr.. CUSHING and myself came N
shore to poy our Personal respects, FIRST
to Cur Consul Mr. Sprague, who after
wards, accompani D US 70 the Governor,
/ Sir Rober; Thomas Wilson.
We remained on shore aad spent the
afternoon wilh our Consul, intending to
I return to the slip in the egenng, and |
had ordered my boat TO be on share lor
Us by 9 o'clock. At about O'Clock a
message was brought to me itat The Mis-
sour was on fire; repaired without a
moments delay, to tho oaiy gate through
which could pass he walls Of the city,
tho oilers being, as is the custom, closed
at sans,t, { J, armed afterwards, however,
that they were oil thrown open, by direc-
ton Oh the Governor, the moment he
hears Of TIE fire on board the Missouri.
| am pleased to mention here that every
I ssistance was rendered TO US ty thnl
distinguished geDtl, man, as vel as from
Sir George Sadorius, Commanding Her
Bniannic Mujesly's "A, the Mulabar, as
will bs seen by communication from me
10 those gentlemen, n copy OF which, |
/ have the honor herewith to enclose My
boat fortunately, he'd been sent as the fire
broke out, and found her al the near
landing place; when | ;rived on beard,
which was in about twenty minutes, per-
haps, from the moment received the
starting intelligence. found the flames
raging with violence, and officers and
crew ,xelting themselves 70 the utmt st to
over one item. Every person on board
was s. DISPOSED of, or stationed in such a
posti N, where lie could do the most Pr S.
sibIe good.
The powerful pumps on board had with
alasrty been rugged, with their hosts at
tached, and We're in operatlon; Tx se men
who were rot atihe pumps, we've employ
ed in drawing and passing water in buck.
cts, and pouring it upon the flames. At q
single glance, however, discove ed the
pruience of flooding he after magazine,
which was Immediately Gone, the forword
one having already, very prud, My been
oriered u be Fl oted before II aeI ed the
ship; s. on after di so, two engines in
large boats, well manned came a'oDg side.
These were sent off by S Roben Wilson,
tie Governor, and by the bic and ener-
g. tic eXeftiors OF Sir Gt orge S ricru
and his officers, with the seaman from his
snip, at one time | was in hopes the
dev1uring element was conquer, d, but
alas! the ildtcrsng hope was soon dssi-
/ pat d by It's trreklug out again with ia.
creased vi, net! this only IEcre, sed t G
euetgi and q alous forts of the officers
and crew Of The Missouri, and our friend
~ auxiiaries, not they were driven flom
thoir st'ta ns by the flares.
! When saw there was not ray OF
hope LEFT 10 save that noble ship, sum
morci "a ceuncli Of the officers, and ihosr
! English officers which were near me, to
asc, ram their views; they quickly and
unanimously decided there WIS no hope
LEFT Of saving the lip; therefore gave
the order for every pets n to gut her
without delay and without cou'usit n, f r
| by this time thero was very Lite space
| remain NJ icr those on boa,d 10 stand
cl, ar OF Il e fsmrs and smoke; the wind
had increased, aud the ship WIS in flames
fore and af tie crew imme dlately took
TO the wat'r ind received the ready as
sistance E b' ats, anticipating the fxigen-
cy, From her Brilanuic Mojesty's ship
| Maabnr, ard from the vessels in the htr-
Dor. such Yves tlc state Of lhc ship, W! en-
the iIicsIS nod crew were comptlh d 10
give Ter up; they s we'd nothing but what
III stood in.
After | had seen every persen out Of
the ship, lowered myself down ~ rore
from the star5card whee!house, and was
taken on board one of the boats in waiting
This occurred at half past L O'Clock.
The immense Number of boats surround
ing the burning ship at this time, ere
directed TO pull out Of the way as fast as
poss bic, fearing, least the ma gazine might
not have been eilectually flooded, an ex-
pos on might take place; aud 10 that G.
vent, the loss of life would have been
great Fortunately, however the maya
zine did not explode until 5 o'clock in lie
morning, 81 completely were they food
ed; ard as they explored under wafer,
the shock was not severely flt-At the
polite invitation Of Sir George Sartorius,
the crew were sent on bo I'd his ship, the
Malabar, and have RENAME there Until
To- day. | have had th,m removed TO a
ship chartered for the purpose of convey.
ing lhsm and The officers to the United
States.
As the ffic,rs and crew have, by this
anfouunate and uplo ktd for event, been
rendered completely destitute OF clothing,
and every thing ,lsr, ii has become ab-
solutely necessary, for the preservation
of their health and comfort, to have them
: supplied Immediately with moItabls
wearing apparel, and have directed the
Purser TO make the necessary purchases.
The ship chartered is the Reiah Of 600
tons, of Boston, and bound to that POINT
and will sail in eipht DAYS { ON this date