The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-09-16
OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

The Ocean Monarch, 1900 tons burthen,
left she MerSey early on Thursday, with a.
bout $50 souls,on board, including the crew
aud passengers We discharged the pilot
about o'clock No incident worthy ofnote
occurred until we arrived off the Orrnshcad,
ut which time it was nearly - o'clock. Or
ders were given TO tack ship, aud while haul
ing the main yard it was stated that one of the
steerage passengers had made IL fire in one
of the ventntors without reflection. i'm
mcdinteiy sent The steward aud another man
to Xtinguish the fire and bring up the deiu-
qucnt WHO had made it. Immediately Rter
this one ofthe cabin passengers Cnme on deck
and stated that the cabin was full of smoke,
which was coming from below On hearing
this | ran down TO ascertain the position of
afinirs, aud found that the ship was actually
on fire. ] then hurried back TO the deck aud
gave orders to have water poured upon II, and
directed that the ship should be kept before
the wind in order TO lessen the draft, but the
flames with n rush, almost as instantaneous
as lightning, burst forth, and in less than five
minutes the whole stern of the ship was COM
pletely enveluped in the frey element then
gave orders TO have the ship brought TO the
wind. All was now a scene of the utmost
confusion, noise and disorder. My orders
could not be heard. Despair had seized up
on almost every soul on board. The scene
which presented itself was most awful to
contemplate, much more to look upon.
The flames were bursting with immense
fury from the stern and centre of the vessel.
So great was the heat in these parts that the
passengers, male and female, men, women,
and children, crowded to lhe5 fore part ofthe
vessel. Their piercing ,henrt-rending shrieks
for aid were carried by the breeze across the
dark blue waves. In their mnddened dcs-
pair women jumped overheard with their off
spring in their arms, and sunk TO rise no
more. Men followed their wives in frenzy
and were lost. Groups of men, women, and
children also precipitated themselves into the
water. in the vain hope of self-preservalion,
but the waters closed over many of them
forever, and lenriinlly realized the inspired
declaration that Gin the midst of life we are
in DEATH" In vain did | entreat and beg of
the passengers to be composed. pointed
ont TO them that there were several vessels
around us, aud that, If they preserved order,
they would all be suved; thar although the
case was desperate, it was not hopeless 1t
was of no avail. Hows of lumentutiou, ind
cries for help, were the only answers which
could obtain 10 my entreaties. Finding
that every effort which made was unavail-
ing, and that nothing could be done to avoid
the total destruction of the ship, III conse-
quence ofmy orders not being heard, direc-
ted that the anchors should be let 90, so rs 10
allow the ship to get her head To the wind,
and thus ifpossible, confne the flames to the
stern. In few minutes the mzen-mast
went overboarG-n few minutes more, and
the manmast shared the same fate. There
yet remained the foremost. AS the fire was
making its way to the fore part of the YES
sci. the passengers and crew, of course, crow
ded still further forward. TO the jibboom
they hung in clusters rs thick as they could
pack-cven one laying over another. AT
length the foremost went overheard, snap
ping the fastcnings of the jlbboom, which
with its load of human beings dropped into
the water amidst the most heart-rending
screams, both of those on board and of those
who were falling into the water. Some of
the poor creatures were enabled again TO
reach tie vessel others loated away OIL spnrs
but many me. with n wa,ery grave.
Meantime, gave orders to get the ships