The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-12-15
Loss Of Steamer Mafsa--More
Particulars.
From the N. c. TrOpie, Nov. 2ad.

The boilers Of the Maria were knocked
off their stands, severing the connecting
pipes, filing the space between the lower
deck and cabin floor with steam and boil
ing water, scaiding nearly all those per-
II in that portion of the boat aft of the
boilers, consisting Of the deck hands and
some few deck passengers. The only
| person known to be lost or injured in the
upper cabin was James p. burst, the
principal clerk Of the boat, who, at the
time OF the collision, was standing at his
desk in the Office.
As soon as the boats struck, and be-
fore the effects of the shock were known
he sprang into the Social Hall and cried
out to the passengers enott TO be alarmed"
| and returned to his Office TO secure his
books; after that time he was not seen,
and il is supposed that he must have been
crushed and Eel! through the floor, the Of
fee being entirely destroyed, and the
deck forced into the Social Hall. The
third engineer is also missing, and, no
doubt, is buried amid the ruins OF the
lower deck. The crew oftke boat num-
bered fifty-two; of those, only nine could
he mustered within three hours after The
collision. at which time we left the wreck,
| who had escaped uninjured. These
were principally the iremen and sailors
on duty.
About twenty are missing and have
persisted Immediately. T~wenty-one were
rescued, but all 50 dreadfully scalded that
there are no hopes of their recovery. with
the exception of the third cook, a man
Of color. In a few minutes after the col
lision, the steamer Talma, which was as
cending the river, came alongside and sent
her yawl under charge OF the mate, 10 the
Maria, and succeeded by means of cut
ting through the decks and forcing off the
doors of the deck rooms, in rescuing nine
| Of the sufferers.
The Soltana having received the force
Of the collision Immediately upon her
bow, was not materially injured. The
loss Of a few feet Of the guards other bow
principally on The slarboard side, was the
only injury Of notc received above decks.
MIR. James Peters, the Pilot at the
wheel Of the SuT,ana, informed US that he
held his boat in its proper posiiion-the
channel OF the River-and tilat when
he discovered the Maria he thought her
running forwards the bend on the Louisi-
ana shore. As the boats neared each 9th
er, he found t,at The Maria was in the
channel standing over for the bar. lie
Immediately rang the bell and stopped his
boat, and notified the Engineer to be in
readiness TO back her.
The Maria's engine was not stopped
until it was done from the effects of the
collision. As soon as he discovered that
the Maria was in a sinking condition, he
rang the bell to go ahead, and forced the
latter by the bow Of the Sullana, for sew
cfal hundred yards over tue bar of the
Island where she sunk. Mr.. Peters, in
this emergency, showed great presence.
mind, for, had the Mara sunk at the
point where the collision took place,
nearly every soul on board must have
perIshed.
As o as the Maria had settled down
upon the bar, Capt. Pease lashed the
Sultana alongside and rendered, with his
officers and crew, every assistance in his
power to aid in saving the property on
the sunken vessel, and in alternating the
distress of the unfortunate beings on
board Of her. The sufferers were con-
veyed to the cabin floor Of the Sultana,
were mattresses has heen provided. One
or two medical gentlemen. who CHANGED
tie be on board, in conjunction with the
passengers, went promptly to work and
enacted the parts of good Samaritans upon
TIE melancholy occasion.
Captain Hiie, of the Tolma, who also
earnestly rendered every assistance in his
power, and farther assistance from his
boat being beemed unnecessary, he kindly
profiered to convey ths sufferers TO
Natchez, where the advantages OF imme-
diatc medical aid at the Marine Hospital
might be obtained. His proposal was
accepted, and before daylight the suffer
ers were put on board the wharf-boat, at
Notchez. and placed under the charge OF
the Directory Of the Hospital
We will not pain our readers with a
recital OF The suncrings Of these poor
scalded beings, some Of them stripped OF
their skin from head to foot, others with
the SKIN pealed from their hands and
hanging loosely at their fingers ends
Their unearthly groans and piercing
cries for water to qunch their burning
thirst, are too horrible to think upon-teo
awful to relate.
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