The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-03
From u liverpool Paper
Horrible brutality OF En- 1ishnc u.


TN Tuesday senght reports reached Liverpool Of
n terrible loss Of life which had occurred on board OF
the steamer Londonderry, plying between Sligo and
this port hand houute first accounts were strangely
incorrect and horrible yet when the truth became
known it was shown that the loss OF life had boon
rather undcrstated; while though no actual crime
had been committed, tlschotus Of tho true relation
were not a whit tile less narrowing and distressing
than those OF the fabricated story hrst transmitted
It appears tina, about four o'clock the evening Of
the first Of December, The steamboat Londonderry
left the hurhor Of Sligo. There were on board Of
her three cabin passengers, number Of sheep and
oxen, and about l5O cmigrants. Tho vessel was
passing over TO this port, whence minority Of the
unfortunate passengers intended to proceed us emil
grants to America. Towards nighttal heavy gale
came on, and at last blew with such violence, that
shortly after midnight, or rather towards one o'clock
on Saturday morning. the decks were cleared Of all
except the seamen. The sieerage passengers, per-
haps one hundred and fifty in number, were crow
ded in the forecabiD, men, women, and children, and
were driven bclow--drlven we say, because several
struggled against those who forced them down the
companion ladder.-4Aftcr some difficulty, however
many circumstances and much opposition the poor
emigrants were crammed in the narrow compass Of
the forecabin, u compartment little more than egh-
teen feet long by eleven feet wide, and seven feet
high. The space was capable only Of accommoda-
one hundred and fifty Of both sexes huddled togeth-
er Unfortunately the old and the young the robust
and the sickly, the adult and the infant Meanwhile
the sea was running high In the channel 80 that the
waves repeatedly broke over the steamer Then II
was that, through the negligence Of those who Were
responsible for The lives of the people on board d
measure of ,nomentary convenience was adopted
which led 10 catastrophe, the like Of which has
only occurred before in the notorious prison of Cal
! cutta The companion, the only aperture by which
| The fofe-cabn received ventilation, WIS closed and
over the companion was nailed down piece Of
| tarpaulini This was ut about midnight between
Friday and Saturday. The result proved 20 be only
such as common sense would tell every one was in
evtablc The dizziness and qualms Of sea-sickness
We're very sson forgotten in the uncomfortable ssnsa-
tons OF observation-disclosures were made TO force a
way out of the confinement: they were found to be
unavaixng. Shouts were raised 10 attract attention;
they drowned in the roaring noise Of the storm
And then according 10 the description of hefew sur
vivors, ensued spectacle such sets the magina-
tons Of even the most morbid al defiance The
steamer drove erayely through the tempest, while
thosc VII directed her remained wholly tnconcons
Of the frightful conflict for life and death which
was then raging In her very entrails The trampling
and beating sounds within the cabin were rendered
inaudhle By the throbbing of the pistons. and the
shrieks and aroans of the sufferers only died away
| with the gale towards morning. Not till then were
the seanlen Of the tragedy which had been en-.
acted under their feet. Out Of the hundred and
fifty passengers who had been driven down the com.
panon- ladder few hours before seventy two were
found 10 have persisted! Men, and women and IT.
tic children husbands and wives, sons and inothers
were hoaped about the floor Of the cabin In disorder
some with their clothes tornlrom their backs In their
taters, some with their hands and faces lacerated.
some with their features trodden into a mummy BY
the ron-shod ''broguesh OF their fellow sufferers:
here father locked in the arms OF his daughter
there sister clingng TO the corps Of her brother
their countenances black and distorted with the con-
WILSON'S produced by siftocaton. The following Is
description Of the scene which met the eve of the
mate when secrgc passenger who had nj last
forced his way out, communicated TO him the terri
bic intelligence
tsThc mate instantly became alarmed and obtaining
lantern went down TO render assistance Such
however, was the foul state of tho air in the cabin
that the light was Immediately exiinguished.
second was obtained, and it too, was extinguislied
At length, all the arpaulin being completely removed
and tree access OF air admitted, the real nature of
the catastrophe exhibited ITSELF There lay in heaps
tho living the dying, and the dead ono rightiu mass
Of mingled agony and death, spectacle enough 10
.appal the stoutcst heart. Men, women and children
were hnddled together, blackened with suiloeaiion
distorted by commissions bruised and bleeding from
the desperate struggle for existence which preceded
the moment when exhausted nature resigned the
from the dead and il was then found that the latter
amounted TO nearly one half Of the entire number
- The sccne on entering the Storage of the slca-
nfer was perhaps as awful n spectacle as could be
Witnessed Scycniy-two dead bodies Of men wo-
men, and children lay piled indiscrimately each
otker four deep all presenting the ghostly appearance
Of PERSONS who had died in the agoncs OF slocaton;
very many OF them covered with the blood which
had gushed from the mouth and nose, or had flowed
from the wounds inflicted by the irainpina of nail
studied brogues. and by the frantic violence Of those
who struggled for escapefor ii WINS but too evident
that, in thai Struggle, The poor creatures had torn
the clothes from of each others backs, and even
the tlcshlfrom each others limbs