Litchfield enquirer., 1843-07-13
THE ENQUIRER.
LlTCHFIELD, JULY I3, Is43.
LOSS OF THE STEAMER COLUMBIA.

from Boston for Liverpool on the lst inst wreck ed upon Black Ledge, near Seal Island, on her pas sage to Halifax. All her passengers were saved. The steamer Margaret, kept at Halifax for such ! emergences as this, was to take the mails and pas sengers to Liverpool.
 The following letter from Mr. Abbott Lawrence to | his son, gives the particulars of the wreck. l SEAL ISLAND, July 3d, l8i3. l My dear Son-We left Boston al quarter past o'clock on the lst instant and expenenceu 'oG e, agreeable run till yesterday at quarter past |, Gt being foggy,) the Columbia struck on the bacK Ledge one and quarter miles distant from this ls l and at high water. When the tide began to ebo, we saw large rocks on the larboard side, about io fa,homs distant, and long reef not cable Iength from us. Before half tide down, these rocks were commenced throwing over coal. which was c2ni,n- ued through the day. At hall past we began III. ,.,J oIr cannon in halt an hour after we were answered by musket, which relieved us from the most pal"l.l m anxiety as we were not quite certain where we 1 were, and hoped it mi ght be from the lana. ~ clock the fog fitted, and we had the nexpressi9e sat' isfacon of seeing fishing schooner making TOT .,le ship with small boat in tow the caPls'n o' h, 'he schooner Eitchnis, who IS the keeper ol the hgil'
 house came on board and gave us an account ol our situation, which appeared anything but hatterne;- l We soon concluded as it evident the Coumha
 was in rocky berth, that it was prudent 10 take .le
 ladies shore, II in number besides several m 'he
 steerage, and five or six children. lhls was accom-
 pIshed at O clock, without injury to any one anu M
 here found two small houses, mlle or more as
 tan from each other inhabited by klnd ana etncent
 people, who exhibit all the sympathy and care we
 could desire. There no other habtations upon
 the Island, which is rough and barren | ne nearest
 main land is Darlington, 25 miles distant ln's morn ing at high tide, attempt was made 10 noat lhe
 ship. which proved unsuccessful, and at halt past
 the Captain requested the passengers (5o Tn nunben
 who remained on board to go on shoreaope, 1v
 all on shore-and one half the baggage. The mans
 are all here and the remaining par! ot the baggage
 will be received in the course of an hour: Tbon nnpInn io haf 10
 is very much strained, and has hceed over consider
 ably We have g passengers, and 7S othcers' crew.
 hs o the a with Goodness
 an courage, and displayed that energy ana maena-
 ,imity that belong to his noble profession. And now
 having no more time to write, have only to say
 that ideemtssr preservation extraordnary-ae yards T, " ;,,pp the sbp with moderate breeze MSp1cNr is us all to watery grave e,vo al. bowels from fot U' of Gs proectns care; m the oohy m the poss all our friends should offer up
 n Father the homage of grateful hea5ss
 t is @ instance of his sparlng mercy Inc ladies and all the passengers have conducted the"
 selves in a manner that should command our adrra'
 ton We shall send an express doo to ilaax tor ha a
 steamer, which suppose is nearly 200 nllFs-"e De- ; ing about 240 miles from Boston We have pro : vison enough for he present. and can make ourselves
 olerably comfortable under all the clrenms,ances I in which we are placed Your mother and sister are . quite we and am better than could be expected : after the anxiety and fatigue through which nave 0 passed. shall write he first opportunity. Do noi, o however, be anxious-the season is favorable, and n have no donbt we shall all be provided for In grea. t haste renain' with the t54S9' arc'1n rNrE :; F. S. I, is in justice 10 Cnpnin Shannon to sa,v l. that the ship in charge o' '
 n is exonorated from all blqRPh blqRP Hartford, was passenger IT tor Halifax, on board tho Columbia.
 k Destr~ctipe Fire q, F.N Rieer-A fire broke out at Fall River thriving will ge near Bristol, R. L, y on the 2d inst which destroyed two hundred build. The '1cs is l,,Ic Il The following circular will give the reader S me ' conception of the distress occasioned such cona. v grafton, and will draw from the benevolent not
 only sympathy for the suffering, but substantial re- = lief Already have liberal contributions been sent E from New-4ork, Boston, Providence, and other l. cities Are there in this neghborhsod who . Will sent of their abundance to the destitute? 7 CIRCULAR
 D To their fellow citizens, near and remote both in , town and country the undersigned Coomitten in
 behalf of the people of Fall River. Mass make this heir bret appeal for help, amid the appalling calnn ice. h. under the wise and righteous Providence I;;cbfolj 2Veriakcn us. Our population, from 5000 A''c'ileio' Atnd chiefly devoted to manufacturing F:A>Lc U pursuits. IS in deep distress-a portion
 clock, P. M, last Sabbath, the 2l inst,
 out in central part of this village, tthe 7 wind S blowing gnleO which, in its ravages was o the most desaating character.
 The burnt district comprises some fifteen or twen- " acieS oi ue centre or busnesS operations. Near. ly 200 bui i|dngs (not including many small ones) ore , consumed among which three newly built h"uSes o public worship, and all our public offces- Our post office and custom house are gone and we have not printing olfce nor hotel, nor bank build. l ,nG' nor book store, market. nor bakery left Nearly all our grocery and provision stores ncIudnp
 one wholesale estlhl shment, with most of their con.
 tents; and al our dry goods, druggist tailor mi,ner un ware ana pant shops, with one factory, running 5000 spndIes are gone. Nearly two hun
 dred iames are turned hnuseless, and many of them
 penn, less into the street. Besides thus appalling fire
 ragged with such urv. and spread with such veocitv that many of the sufferers gladly escaped with ,bpir hyes, without pillow for their heads or a chance
 "t ralment tor their backs The amount of property
 consumed It IS impossible to estimate, even by any
 thlne like probable approximation
 The assessors o the town in the discharge of ,her
 "lhrlai dn'IeS, within the last months have "A
 ted In" property o the place at three and half mill
 "hS O d"'afs-and the heart of the village is in ash eS We cannot. we need not enlarge. We tell von | m tNw words the simple sad story of our calamity
 ana with the scene of deso'ation before us and the
 cr'es (" distress around us. ask your aid. In he
 nall "f our suffering neighbors, and in the namc of
 humanity and of our Heavenly Father, we apneal to
 your kindness and your love, and solicit vour assis
 rance; not to repair our losses and rebuild our vsue
 but to relieve our present dstresses, and enable us o | eve bread 10 the unerr, clothing the naked and
 shelter to he houseless until with due effort on h part ot all among us, mercul and righteous Gad who has justly atiit d us, shall command the nnn r nnsness the smile of conen,ment, and the song of Joy 10 return 10 our now desola,e borders SoS M Ul
 what you can send-food, clothing, nor ev-senJ ;,I dressed to either of us,-it shall be carefu d,ra au 1 ted 10 the needy. J uistiou' pToSsHn1 or other articles by the way of Capt; Thomas Borden, of the steamboat K;ne Pb;In which plies daily between thai nor ond onrs n'hp' 1 JERVlS SHOVE, ORiN FOWLER, JEFFERSON BORDEN, 1 ENOCH FRENCH