Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-04-17

letter: Baltimore Republican.
STEAMER RocHEsTRR,
TUESDAY z A M.

1 J
My Dear Friend-You may value a
few lines from an eye witness, descrip-
tive Of the terrible accident which be-
fef the Swallow last evening. AT about
8 o'clock, when going at a rapid rate,
the boat struck on small rock island
abreast the town of Athens and the
city Of Hudson. was sitting in the
upper saloon in conversation. At the
severe shock the passengers rushed be-
low, but fears were calmcc for mo-
ment by the ontcry that we had only
come in contact with raft. But our
ears were speedily assailed by the APP
palling sounds of the rending timbers,
and the evident destruction Of the boat;
while the stem settled with frightfuI
rapidity. Those who had turned in,'
in thethe after cabin, had barely time to
leap from their berths, before the water
was upon them.
You can imagine the horrors of the
scene at this moment, when more than
three hundred souls We're exposed in
the midst Of falling snow and almost
utter darkness. AS the water reached
the boiler fires sheet of mingled steam,
smoke and fame poured into the boat,
Illuminating the ghastly conntenances
with sudden glare ofviyid light, and
completing the CONSERVATION. The
conviction that the course of fire was
to be added to our other imminent pc
rils, curbed the resolution of the Stout
est hearts. But the sinking of the boat
extinguished the fires, and all was dark
ness again.
In less than FIVE minutes, by the
blessing of God, the stern rested on the
bottom, the water being above the win
dows of the aft saloon state rooms.-
/ Several females We're drawn out of
/ the state rooms by dashing in the win
4 dows, two almost exhausted-on We
4 ry aged, and now lying on board this
I boat in precarious situation-were
taken from the Ladies cabin by cutting
I through the floor. They had sustain
ed themselves on settees, with only
a few inches of breathing room for their
faces. The bow had been forced high
and dry upon the rock, and the boat
split open amidsbips, was left rising
almost perpendicularly upward, cover
! ed with anxious beings clinging to the
bulwarks. The remainder of the pas
sengers were sadly grouped on the for
ward upper deck, many bewailing the
/ absence of dear companions, and actu-
ated by themost dreadful apprehensions
/ for their fate.
By this time the alarm had been
thoroughly communicated to the shore
on either side. The bells of the
churches beganto ring, and the river
was soon covered with torches waving
in the feet Of boats, that put off to our
assistance; while the Rochester, which
had found it difficult to get to US, and
the Express, which had now come
up, We're gradually approaching
longside. The sound ofthe bells peal
ing on the air, the shouts of those in
the boats, the light of the waving tor
ches and the wailing grief of many on
the wreck constituted features Of the
most impressive scene.
In the course of an hour all were
taken off who remained, in the Ro-
chester, the past seeming like terri
bic dream. Tam approaching tie CT
ty. 1t can scarcely be but that several
are lost. Many leaped Immediately
overheard in that frenzy Of mind which
precluded the power Of self-preserva-
ton in the water. The doors of the
most of the state rooms were SO sprung
at once, as 10 be i.nmoyible, and ex.
animation will probably discover the
dead within some of them. l can
scarcely hope otherwise.
The boat is a complete wreck. II
was a mournful sight as we cast off
from her side. The Captain behaved
nobly calming fears, and making his
voice heard every where in advice,
with the most thorough judgment and
self-possession. The baggage is al
most all deep under water, and will be
recovered only in a damaged state
Our hearty thanks are due 10 the
officers Of the Rochester and Express
for their prompt assistance and untir-
ing assiduity 10 save every thing that
hand could be laid on.
| Frietls in the Rochester tell me that
the yells Of terror, as they described
! it, which came to their ears from the
lsinking boat, was of character never
/ 10 be forgotten.
! Yours, truly,
HENRY F. HARRINGTON.