Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-04-19

Mrs. Louisa Coffin, do.
Mrs. Walker of New York.
Miss l.. Briggs, Of Troy.
Miss Mary Torrey, Of Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Parker, Of Utica.
Two Misses Wood, of Albany.
Mr.. William Davis, do.
| Miss Spencer, Of Troy.
Mrs. Ann Lamberson, of Jamaica, l.. !.
Mrs. Brewster, Of Mohawk Valley
One young man, supposed TO be from the West.
The New York "News" remarks that it is not probable
bodies will be found about the wreck until the cabin
raised out Of the water and this will take several days to
accomplish But meanwhile number of boats is employed
in the work Of searching the river As the current was run
ming very strong at the time Of the accident is not unlikely
that many persons swept off by long distance The
body of Mrs. Toey raked up about half mile from the
vessel That of Mrs. Parker found within few rods OF
it. Seldom has accident occurred occasonng as much
prolonged anxiety and suffering this Hundreds OF persons
all the country have been thrown into state Of more or
alarm for the friends whom they supposed might be com
ing down the river that memorable night OF the 7th OF
April. Not few families from which some loved member
absent, jouneyng this city, will long be kept in
state Of wreched fear that he may have been victim
this disasters and hord nces Of the death Of those
have been lost will forever haunt the memories Of their
| surviving friends.
| resolution has been introduced into the Legis-
lature asking for investigation into the causes
which LED TO this latal disaster.
EVENING
In looking what said in the public journals of the
late calamous wreck Of the Swallow sorry find
/ that nobody is to blame.
nobody is blame there be avoiding Of such ter
ble accidents for the future and navigate the Hudson in
peril of our lives If no exercise Of skill caution,
foresight could have prevented the disaster it absolutely
necessary that many lives should be lost and many am
lies overwhelmed with grief for the loss of those who
them if the speed Of the boat could be slack
ened to allow make its way slowly and safely through
dangerous passage if the steamboat could not be stopped
altogether in the and darkness made the passage
undsnguishabe it is time cease navigating the North
river except under clear sky and in broad daylight.
To u.s. however, it clear that there blame, and
that the only way make passengers safe against disasters Of
the kind, bestow freely when just
Let consider the circumstances and whether the dsas
ter might not have been avoided
The Swallow wrecked between eight and o'clock
in the evening, small rocky island about fifteen feet high,
covered with shrubs close to the village Of Athens with
very passage between and the main land The river
at Hudson readers may remember is divided into
channels ny large mud called the Flats, covered
summer with long grass and cut through ransversey by
canal which forms passage for the ferry boats. The chan
mel of the Flats leads by the city Of Hudson and
parativey and ccutous. II is generally taken only
by steamboats, which have occasion to land at Hudson The
channel the west SIDE passing by the village of Athens,
broad and direct about half mile in width with depth Of
water enough to float seventyour. II in this western
channel that the Swallow wrecked The houses Of the
village stand in along the Shore both above and be-
low the island which the Swallow struck Between that
island and the flats the channel nearly half mile in width
The accounts Of the disaster say that the night dark
and stormy and the falling fast At the hour in the
evening when the Swallow wrecked the houses along
the shore must have presented line of lights the position
and distance Of which enabled the pilot If not altogether
competent natenve to Judge of the of the steam
the Shore II was his business to keep in the middle
of the channel he nexcusabe if such time he either
attempted to approach the village the side the flats
the other He have known of the existence of the
island and how situated in regard the village he
passing, unless he wholly ignorant Of his Calling and If
the lights Of the houses dscenbe from the Shore is
manifest that he might easily have avoided it.
IT. the other hand the thickness of the storm prevented
the lights from being SEEM if object dsngushable,
and the steamboat cropping its in the blindness Of ut
ter darkness the duty of those who managed her
anchor and wait till the tempest Taking the d
recton she did, close the shore, fshe a steamboat had
struck upon the island she would inevitably have dashed
pieces against of the wharves at Athens No steam
boat allowed by commandments of ordinary caution TO pro-
coed under such circumstances In thick fogs that conceal
surrounding Objects they lie TO and wait for clear weather
But if there simply difficulty in clearly making out
Objects and yet not such perfect obscur to justify stop
ping the proper method proceed slowly and with
ton, particularly when there possibility Of DANGER
king progress until became certain that it safe to do
we cannot learn any tnng TINS was done
board of the Swallow The passengers under the inn
that she going the height of her speed when
she dashed against the rock She had left the Rochester and
the Express at some distance behind her.
i There is way in which look at the matter in
which does appear that there is fearful RESPONSE
by to be borne by somebody for the lives that lost
that dreadful night The Swallow boat of very slight
and fragile construction much be the dread Of
many md people who knew the fact and the navigation Of
vessel ought to have been entrusted only the
careful and vgant persons When she touched the rock she
fell to pieces like paper Yet she, with the lives of her
three hundred passengers mansty under the charge
| of an unskilful or natentive pilot.
We take pleasure in making these remarks and sup
pose they will be offensive to some but this is in
which must deal plainly. There safety for those who
travel but in holding the proprieors Of steamboats, rigid
responsibility for disasters like this The navigation Of the
Hudson has lately become aruy careless The number
accidents which have already occurred since the opening Of
navigation is very large have heard il remarked that
many have happened in tsse few weeks in years before
and is time that public opinion, which sovereign in these
cases. should apply the remedy The terrible disaster Of the
Lexington has made the steamboat navigation Of the Long
Island Sound safe for passengers since happened There
have been unavoidable accidents Of the kind The
steamboat accidents the Hudson only require be Judged
by similar severity to prevent their recurrence.
WASHINGTON CoUSTr AND CANAL-The Hagers-
Torch Light learns that FIVE Of the districts Of Washing
county have filed up the guarantees for the delivery that
portion Of the 1885, 900 If tonnage which was required Of
Washington county. The signatures the paper in the re-