The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-05-21
From The N. Y Tribune.
SINKING OF THE STEAMER EMPIRE
A HUNDRED LIVES LOST.


o'clock, Thursday night, by the schooner Noah
Brown, of Troy, and Immediately commenced
sinking. Fortunately, the steamer Rip Van
Wrinkle was but short distance astern, and soon
came up, when taking the sinking vessel in tow,
she drew her upon the flats where her stern
caught aud now rests, the bow being ahoat,
though sunk to the promenade deck in the water.
She was only eight minutes going down.
The schooner had on board heavy load of
lumber and was under full Roadway. The Pilot
of the Empire, Levi Brown, saw her coming and
reversed the engines, and at the same time went
forward to hail her in order to cause her course
to be changed, but the man OF the helm did not
hear his hail. and she struck the steamer OH the
larboard guards, her bow breaking In the side
and the bowsprit passing into the forward cabin.
There were two hundred and sixty passengers
on board the Empire many of whom had already
gone to bed. Their first warning was the crash.
followed by the rush If water into the cabin -
Many no doubt persisted by the tramping of the
crowd in the attempt to escape. In the Ladies'
Cabin the Explanations of alarm are described as
heart-rending. Axes were brought and the deck
above cut open in order to enable the inmates TO
escape. 1t is said that one lady was accidentally
killed by the blow OF an ak thus employed 1t is
not known how many were saved. large num-
Der were taken off by the Rip Van Winkle and
others by the steamer Hudson, which also came
up TO the aid of the sufferers. Small boats were
sent out from Newburgh, as soon as the tong
OF the steamers bell gave information of the ac-
cident' and rescued many of those W no had Jump
ed overheard. The Sun Extra Says:
"The ouy bodies which have been recovered
are those OF two ladies and little girl. One of
the ladies is quite elderly, and is supposed to be
Mrs Noble, who was known 10 be on board
Vi the other, nothing was ascertained before the
steamer Troy left Newburgh on hel way to this
city.
Gen. Davis and daughter of Troy, ere among
the passengers Both, we are happy to state,
were saved.
The little girl was the daughter of Mrs
and during the awful confusion at the time Of the
collision, the mother was seen running hither
and thither in her night-clothes, and with an in.
iant al ner breast, calling upon all she met to
help her find sher child. She was finally n-r.
suaded to give up the search and to 90 above
with the other passengers at NewburLh, in the
hope that the child might have been sayedin the
small boats. Soon after she left the Empire the
oody oil her daughter (as was supposedly was
found.
Inc CaPts Office was buried SO quickly that the
oooks, papers. passengers lists and money were
not recovered.
Inc Empire can easily be recovered. so that
the loss to the. owners will be comparativelv
trifiing. The shock was so sudden, that the buII
and timbers OF the boat were not materially in
jured
The accident wholly resulted from the want If
a proper look -out on board the schooner. or from
the lnattention OF the man at the wheel. The
least regard as to the sailing of that vessel. wouId
nave discovered to them the vicinity of the
steamer On board the Empire, everything was
done which prudence could dictate to avoid the
accident
The steamer Roger Williams neared the En-.
pire about 10 O'Clock, at which time the latter
was sinking rapidly. Every effort was immedi.
ateiy made to rescue the unfortunate passengers
lhey succeeded IN rescuing from Is to 20 per-
sons ana ABOUT the same number who leaped ov.
Williams.
Inc ZIP, Van WInkle, which neared at the
time OF the disaster, also rescued from rs to 100
thus making from 100 to 1870 rescued in all
We learn that the number OF passengers in tho
Empire was 200. II SO, we have to depIore the
loss OF some $50 or 40 human souls Notb;or
uennite can be known at present, from the snd
denness with which the catastrophe occurred
and the books list of passengers, &C., being on
board the sunken boat.
At the time the Roger Williams came nm tbo
promenade deck was about I.2 feet above the
"ater-at the time OF their leaving her there
was ooout oHe ioot over water, the head Incn.
ing downward. She sank in eight minutes. so
that The r. w. had not time to cast anchor Tbe
cries Of the sufferers we're heart. rendinp and
could be heard great way off She was struck
by the schooner in the forward gangway
The bowsprit Of the schooner was carried AWAY
and the rail very much shattered,
NEwBURGH, Friday, IL A. M. The toIlow
ing bodies have been found and recognized. who
were drowned from on board the Emore last
night, VIZ: Isabella Carson. aged II; George /,
auckland, aged 2; Mrs Noble, of Troy. sister a.
Gen Ross. One body is lying at Fisbkill. A
number are missing, but it is impossible TO tell
how many yet. y &c"
NEWBURcH, Saturday, May 10.
The Empire rs still lying on the flats the Same
as yesterday. There have as vet been bn, serao
bodies recovered. The Coroner's jury is s,ili IN
session, waiting for witnesses from New.yorL
including the Captain and hands OF the schoo,.",
Noah Brown. We have list OF 22s nassanmas.
saved The four brothers ,Ladd. from Stoni,r
Ton, Ct are undoubtedly last, as no traces Of
mem haye been yet discovered. The remains If
Mrs. Noble have been taken up the river NM
persons IN our community believe that The p;,o,
OF the Empire is not altogether free from cs,s,.o
The SOUTH PAss-.dlkaliue Wntsr- D..
odH-.Ne,o Gold Mine The Liber,u NM, r.;