New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-22
THE GRIFFITH DISASTER.

n victims 20 far as ascertained, IS about TWO nun
dred and City. Many of the bodies were yet IN
reooepized The ClerelaRd Herald publishes =
scrp,ons of over fifty foreigners, mostly Enghsh
and Germans, buried on the shore in WIloushoy
township and adds, Tuesday evening":
The action Of the citizens Of Wlloughby aud the
neiebborhood, ia worthy of great praise. com
mittee was appointed who used ell the exeftlohs
In their pow or TO recognize the dead and 10 secure
their effects.
TWAS considered necessary 70 bury those who
were unknown upon the spot, and they we're con,
seouently inferred last evening. We understand
that the Germans have q meeting this afternoon,
and propose to remove those Of their countrymea
who were buried, TO Cleveland
Twepty.nipe bodies were brought to thus Guy
on the Diamond, and at three o'clock thus AFTER
noon fifteen were inferred with iunerai ri.es' W
the Public Square numbers OF our ciuzens as
sembled, and the remains were borne 70 inc &C.
metery. .;t,,,
A party Of 81 English emigrants prnclp9iiy
from Cambrdgeshire, were passengers on tne ., p'!I
fifth Most Of them were intending 70 setue ia
Medina County, where they have relatives ana
friends. But three OF the party survive. hooeI'
Hall himself saved, lost bis mother, vile, TWO
sons two daughters, two brothers and two sisters
ten in all. William Waters, himself saved, lost
his wife and son. Joseph Money, lad, was saved
His father and two sisters lost. The following en-
tire families were lost Thomas Rhodes, WIFE,
two sons and three daughters VIM. w alker,
wife and son. William Taylor, vile, two sons and
two daughters.
Mr Wsters his own hair scorched by the re-
lentless flames was parted from his wife and child
by the sufiocatng smoke on deck, ana saw them
no more. Other families leaped into the lake To-
eether, and found common grave locked In each
others arms The scene is too narrowing Tor COM
ment
Richard Mann OF Sandusky second wheelsman
stood at the wheel until the pilot house was en-
veloped in flames and was then so badly burned as
10 be unable to save himself Such noble sel'-devo-
ton is rare and the man capable OF II is nero.
John Chichester, head waiter, LETT his Wle IA the
pantry to get some clothes for her but when he re-
turned she was gone. He sprang overheard and
sfter being five or ten minutes IN the water, Sc
cured the yawl which had burned loose from the
boat and was on fire. This fire he extingulshed
and in the boat saved six or seven persons. HIS
wife who had been thrown overheard by Captain
Roby, chung to the wheel and was saved. Both
are at the American.
Twenty four women forty seven men and twenty
five children-total SO persons-were buried ON the
Lake shore near where the sad disaster happened
Prof. A T. Sharpe of Willoughby, writes to the
Clereldnd Herald that one hundred and iorty'one
have been found Of the dead OF the living haze
not been able to ascertain; probably about 3d. 1t
is believed that there are many more bodies Will be
recovered. AS many as are will report.
The heart sickens at description OF this mean'
choy event Old age, ripe manhood, blooming
youth, and smiling infancy, are partakers oil this
ssd catastrophe.
We add some interesting details from the &C.
count of the CleuelGnd Plaindealer;
In company with the Mayor, several members of
the Council, and many citizens we visited yester
day the scene of this most terrible disaster. We
met the Soow boat Sylph with between 90 and 80
bodies on board on their way TO this port 10 charge
OF Mr. Stcckey, who had been the whole day
gathering them up. We passed on TO the scene OF
the wreck, promising to take the Scow in tow on
our return.
Ron nearing the fatal spot the backened remains
Of the Inflated Steamer were seen, its smoke pipes
still standing, the upper part Of its engine and boil
ers and the skeletons Of its huge wheels visible
above the water. 1t lies in feet water, stern to
the Shore and about onefourth OF a mile from It,
AS was night the search for dead bodies had
ceased. The citizens of Lake County who had
kindly volunteered their assistance had been
wearied out with labor and excitement and were
then attending to the burial and disposal OF the
dead. The high bank overlooking the wreck had
been visited by thousand spectators through the
day. The nights were still lined with them and we
assembled the steep to look upon the scene and
gather what information we could CONCERNING the
event.
! A hat full of silver watches taken from the emf
! grants with several gold ones were In possession
|
| money. Among the bodies thus exposed was that
| Of well dressed young man whose name was as
certained to be ]. X. Munson, said to be from Con.
necticut and bound for Toledo. On his person
were found nine 500 BILLS and other money to the
! amount Of 81, 100, gold watch, &c. He was taken
! to Willoughby for burial.
| The clerk and mate were OF the opinion that
there were about 300 persons on board, all told; 80
| saved, $50 dead bodies recovered, which would
leave about 100 yet to be accounted for.
Capt. Roby had just bought seven-eights OF the
boat, the engineer owning the other eighth.
The evidence before the Coroners Jury, held at
| Sale Col was given by the First and Second
Mates and the First Engineered the ifateds steam.
| err The testimony of the Engineer is that he did
"not discover the fire until the Second Mate gave
the alarm. l then discovered the fire to be under
! the deck. main deck / SUPPOSE by looking
through two auger holes 1t then appeared to be
one sheet Of fire on the under side. We got the
hose in operation in less than three minutes 1t did
not seem more than ten minutes before the fire
drove them away. l am part owner In the boat,
| and believe that she was well secured from fire.
can hardly imagine how she took fire bat it is my
impression that the fire caught at or near the bulk
| head, near the freight hold Suppose that there
were ESQ passengers and &c hands The boats
were prepared to launch, but were not let down
while the boat was in motion, because he thought
| they would be swamped and made useless bat
when the time had arrived for lowering the boats,
the FIRE had increased so fast that they could not
4 get to them
| The verdict Of the Jury lays no blame at any.
body's door,
The Buffalo Express Of Thursday adds: We
learn from Capt. Titus Of the Queen City who
spent some time at the wreck Of the Griffith on
Tuesday that they had then recovered in all, $50
bodies. The hull OF the boat before it sunk pre-.
sented great number Of human bones indicating
clearly that many were overtaksn by the flames
and consumed. This circumstance renders it i'm.
possible, as the books are destroyed, even 10 as.
certain how many in all have been lost The hui
has now sunk in some eigh. feet water aud lies
with her smoke pipes extending above the Lake
10 indicate the spot where occurred one OF the most
dreadful disasters that has ever yet marked the
history Of the Lakes