Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-03
From the New Orleans Delfa, January 30.
Terrible Steamboat Disasters
Ykirty-Fiye Lives Lost.

lOaded with cOuon, on Nor lTlp Iroin hcad
'l'Ryer TO this city, ON Tuesday night last, was
burned To the water edge, by which terrible
disaster at least thirty-iye lives were lost
10 a gentleman, one of the surviving passen-
gers, we are mainly indebted for the following
particulars of the heart-rendering scene
II About quarter past 8 o'clock, on Tuesday
night when the majority of the passengers,
numbering about one hundred in all, including
! the deck pasacngers, had retired the alarm of
A fire was given the boat was then in the md
| die of the stream, and opposite the plantation
| of Mr.. '. Chopin, about ls miles below
! Donaldsonyle. All were instantly aroused,
| and as the doors of the ladies' cabin were
/ thrown open, the dense volume of smoke rush
ing alt from the clerks office, near where the
fire originated, amos, produced suilocation.
y The scene of terror and wild alarm among
the passengers at this moment beggars descrlp-
/ tion. The boat was immediately rounded to
and headed to the shore, and as she struck the
bank general rush was made for the landing,
many persons being drowned IN their attempts
10 get on shore. As she reached the shore,
! Mr.. G.. f.. knowl,on, of Donaldsonyille, and
two other passengers, whose names we have
( not heard, with great presence OF mind, seized
! the end of the cable, and lcaplng on shore
! made it fast to tree on the bank IN order to
| hold the boat in her position but, through
I the culpablc negligence of those on board,
whose duty it was To attend to such matters,
/ the cable was not made fast on board, and the
boat consequently swung out into the stream
again, the engines still gong, and i'll few
seconds was beyond the reach of those on
/ shore. The boat afterward drifcd down
! stream about > miles, where striking the shore,
/ she was made fast.
! Judge Miles, Of Texas, lost a child about
( years of age and one servant. The Judge
! having his wiz, and two children on board he
I took "a child in each hand, and leaping over
board received blow on one arm from fall
inc timber, causing him TO relax his hold on
one of his children, which was lost. Mrs.
Miles lcapcd overheard " ith her husband and
was saved by the Efforts of Major Iancy, Of
Natchitochcs. Mr. Johnson, one of the pas
sengcrs lost three children and one grandchd
r., all supposed to be burned. Mr.. A. NJ. Al
exander, formerly Of Kentucky lost two child
I ren-b0th girls himself and wife were saved
/ by swimming ashore. brother of Mr.. Al
I oxander and his wife, and DR.. Jno ID. Wall,
/ OF Harrison county, Texas, and his wife, were
saved by swimming ashore. The Rev. Mr..
! Page, Episcopal Minister, and two of his
children, were lost. Mrs. Page was saved
II The steamer Monterey, going up stream,
II the Yalabusha, and her officers rendered every
assistance to the unfortunate sufferers that hui
manily could dictate. She succeeded in rescu-
ing two persons who were cnging to the rud-
der of the Yalabusha, as she drlited down the
stream The kindness and humanity OF MIR. |
Chopin, opposite whose plantation the dlsas-
ter occurred are spoken of in the highest terms
BY the surviving passengers. Ills house was
thrown open to all, and clothing furnished to
those who had escaped conlagralon with only
night clothes. Among the many acts of noble
| generosity performed by the surviving cabin
passengers, who had means on their persons, ,
toward the unfortunate deck passengers who
had lost their all, we would mention that of
4 Major Ware lie had lost $4,000 on board,
| and having $40 remrnng on his person, he
distributed it among the deck passengers.
II While on this subject we deem it our duty,
as public journalists, however painful and
Ideagrccabe it may be, to state that great
blame is attached to the captain and some of
the officers of the boat, for their cupable
carlessncss, to use no harsher term, in an affair
| in which so many persons were hurled INTO
eternity. We trust that in an investigation,
which public Justice imperiously demands, he,
and those officers who are charged with de-
reelection Of duty, will clear themselves of
blame. We have heard great dissatisfaction
expressed among the surviving passengers of
the Naabusha, at the conduct of the officers of
the steamers Magnolia and Princess, which
I boats passed the wrsk shortly after the disas-
ter, and though hailed by the passengers on
shore, refused To render any assistance. We
hope. for the sake of humanity, there may be
some mistake in this matter.
Il Among the officers Of the Yalabusha, who
have been represented TO Us AZ having perform
cd their duty nobly in the hour Of peril, we
heard the pilot who was AT the wheel at the
time, and We regret we were unable to learn
his name, spoke of in the highest terms. He
is represented by the passengers as the last Of \
fccr who abandoned the boat. He stood at the .
wheel, cool AMI collected, actually cnclrcled
by flames, while all around was lndeclslon and
dismay, and only abandoned his post
WHEN the tillcr-ropcs were burned, and his de-
yoion could be Of no farther service.
The surviving passengers were brought To
this city in the steamers +. NJ. Streek and
Chldc Harold, the officers of which deserve
great credit for the Kindness shown to the sui
fercrs On the ChiIdc Harold subscription
of Slj1 were raised among the passengers, III
aid of those who lost their all.
A WORD TO TIE GlRIs.-Now, girls, for
your own sakes, says the City Item, do not
be too fasiidious. As 1t is impossible for all
Of you to marry professional men, do not, we
bcseCch you, ST yonr hearts upon marrying I
'nothing else" There are lots Of fine men,
we admit, among doctors and lawyers 50 also
in the army and navy, and there are also some
great udes among them. But don't turn off
a merchant, or a mechanic, or farmer. simply
because YOU think you ought to have pro-
fcsslonal MN. If clever, enterprsing, hon
est fellow comes along, give him your hand
and your heart 1t is not the profession that
will maze you happy, loVe must come with it.
WING CONGRESSIONAL CONVENTION. The
Wing members ~ Congress held caucus
last Thursday evening. About one hundred
members W., IN attendance. Mr.. Mangum
presided. After considerable discussion it
W u decided with great unaninity to recon-
mend a National Convention for the nomination
of candidates for President and Vice President
Some of the most ardent of the Taylor men
opposed Convention. A committee was APP
pointed to report resolutions at a subsequent
meeting, when the time and place of the Con-
ycn,ion would be decided upon.
N WAR MFETtNG-Ihcrc Was an Immense