Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-04-17
Dreadful Steamboat Disaster.

The New York papers contain accounts vi dread
full disaster which occurred on the Hudson river on
the night of April It'll. The steamboat Swallow left
Albany at the usual time, WITH it is supposed, about
three hundred and fifty souls on Board. The night
was ptchy dark, and the pilot becoming bewildered,
seered the boat that she at the top of her speed
full on shelye Of rocks near Athens. One of the
passengers writes the following account of the acci-
dent to the Tribune.
"At about o'clock, when going nts rapid rate, the
boat struck on small rock island abreast the town Of
Athens, and the city of Hudson. l sitting in The
upper saloon conversation. At the first shock
the passengers rushed below but fears Gained for
moment by the Outcry that had only in
with raft But were speedily assaulted by the
appalling sounds Of the rending OF the mbers aud The
evident destruction Of the boat while the settled
with frightiul rapidly Those who had "urned in
the after cabin, had barely time to leap from their births
before the water upos them.
You imagine the horrors OF the this mo-
meni when more than three hundred souls wero thus
exposed in the midst Of falling and almost utter
darkness. AS the water reached the boiling fires sheet
OF mingled steam smoke and fame poured into the boat
Illuminating the ghasty countenances with sudden
glare of vivid light, and completing the Consideration.
The conviction that the of fire be added
our other imminent perls, curbedihe resolution of the
soutest heart But the rapid sinking OF the boat ex-
tingnshed the fires, and all was darkness again.
In less than Eve minutes, by the blessing of God, The
stern rested the bottom, the water being above the
WINDOWS OF saloon state Several females
were drawn Of rooms by dashing in the win
dows almost exhausied--one very aged, and non
lying board this boat in precarous suaton-were
taken from the ladies' cabin by cutting through the floor.
They had sustained themselye settees with only q
few inches of breathing room for their faces The bow
had been forced high and dry upon the rock and the
boat split open amdshps left rising almost perpen-
dlcuarly upward, covered with anxious beings cngng
the bIlwarks. The remainder of the passengers
sadly grouped the forward upper deck many bewail-
ing the absence of dear companions and actuated by the
most dreadful apprehensions for their fate.
BY this time the alarm had been thoroughly
ncaed TO the shore either side, The bells of the
churches began to rng and the river was soon covered
with torches waving the feet Of boats that put of 10
assistance while the Rochester, which lad cund il
difficult TO get 10 US, and the Express, which had now
come up, gradually approaching alongside The
sound of the bells Peang in the air. shouts of those ia
the boats the light Of the waving torches and the wall
ing grief of many the wreck constituted the features
of this most impressive scene.
In the course Of hour all were taken off who re
NAMED in the Rochester, the past seeming like terri
BILE dream. l approaching the city Ii scarcel,
be but that several lost. Many leaped immediately
overboard in that phFenzy of mind which preclud
ed the power Of self-preservaon IN the water. The
doors Of the of The rooms sprung a
once, be mmovable and examination will probab,
discover the dead within OF them. can scarcel,
hope otherwise.
THE LIVES Losr BY THE SwALLow-1The appre
hension that lives had been lost by the wreck Of The
Swallow, has, sorry to say proved too true, al
we learn from the Tribune Tuesday was devoted tC
the sad duty of probing the sunken wreck for the bodies
of the dead, and with fatal result. Seven bodie:
had been discovered-six being females Among the
latter had already been recognized Mrs Briggs Miss OF
Mrs Wood, and Mrs. Cotton, Of Troy, whose husband
came down hearing the of the DISASTER and
present when the body of his wife discovered.
gentleman from Albany had just arrived in search of hi
two sisters who were discovered in the wreck Mr. Gil
son, who was on board with his wife, escaped, but
find nothing Of her far. 1t is Possble however, tina
she was taken up by the Rochester Express.
1t is known that Mrs French and old lady rareC
/ Mrs Lambert drowned.
1t was rumored that young lady, neice of JOSEPH
c. Heartt Esq, of Troy, had d,ed from fright, after av
! ing reached the shore in safety.
| From the best estimates, there or board tho
Swallow al the time of the accident not far from th.e'
hundred souls, Ninety four were rescued by the Ro
ers went Up TO Albany The Utica and Robert L. Ste
/ yens