The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-06-28
BURNING OF THE STEAMER GRIFFITH
Furfher Particulars.

We give below 4 few additional par
ticnlars eonnecisd with the late sad aud
heort-rending disasierod the Lake, which
we cory from The Cleveland papers;-
The Corohet's jury, who held an in
quest over The dead bodies. after hearing
the evidence, rendered verdict, that
the persons came to their death from
drowning by jumping off the steamboat
Griffith while she was on fire.
The FIRE was first discovered between
the pipes aud water.j .jrcket, and the first
Engineer suppnses it originated at of
near the bulkhead near the freight hold,
The whole scene occupied but a few
moments nftime. The 5oats could not
be reached on account Of the 6re.
Large sums of money were found uPdh
some Of the dead bodies.
The following We copy from the Her
aid.
A HCRo.-Riclar Mahti of Sandusky
second vince lsman stuod at the wheel
until The pilot house was so enveloped IN
| flames aud vas then SO badly burned as
To be unable to save himself. Such no
BILE self devotion is rare aud the man ca.
puble of it is hero
John Chichester, head waiter, left his
wife IN the pantry, TO get some Globes t'r
her, but when lie returned she was gone
He sptuug overheard and after being 81
or 10 minutes in the wafer, secured tue
yawl which had burned loose from the
bnat and was on fire. This fire he ex
tingushed aud in The boat saved six ot Z
persons. His wife who had been thrown
overheard by Capt Roby, clungto tue
wheel aud was saved
Tue ENGLISH EMIGRANTs party
oi3l English Emigrants principally from
CambrdgeShere, was passengers "n the
Griffith. Most of them were intending
to settle in Medina County, where they
+. have relatives and friends. But three of
the party survive. Robert Hall. himself
saved, lost his mother, wife, two sons, two
daughters two brothers aud L~o sisters
ten in all.--Wm. Waters, himself
saved, lost his wife and son. Joseph
Money, a lad was saved. His father
mother, and two sisters lost. The follow.
Jug entire families were lOst-Thomas
Rhodes wife. two SONS and three
! daughtcrs.- William Walker, wife, and
y sou. William Taylor. vile two sons and
two daughters
!. Mr.. Waters, his own hair scoiched by
= The relentless flames, was parted iron
" his wiIo and child by the sudpcatlnt
z smoke ON deck aud saw them NJ
= more. Othor families leapt into The LAKE
;, together, aud fbuud a common grav,
locked in each others arms The scene
is too narrowing for comment.
: The passengers and crew numbered
at least 32J About 40 were saved ant
? $50 dead bodies had been recovered n
the latest datest. The number o
the lost will reach al least $50 The
larger numberof these were English
German aud Irish ertigfan's.
5 A writer III tho 1'rae Democrat give
J. tire following incidents connected will
o the accidents
d "Up tu the hdit If ten the lake was s
!. smooth aud clear that we could SEQ bod
"a les AS tlIey lay upor the bnIom, and &C
closely hai they jumpedin upon each 9th
or, that when, in one instance, one bod,
was hooked and raised, eight others fol
n lowed, holding fasl to each other.
n "lt seems that while the boat was run
ming. her motion drew the flames toward
tho stern. but as sGon as sire struck thu
! breeze from lire lake tuuk effect, an,
y furced the flames forward, where the pas
J sengers were assembled, with such rupid
II i,y that they were forced alnust at th
k same instant to make the leap.
d The consequence was that the goo
swimmers were carried dnwn an
drowned by those who could not swim
80 II would seem as though they had sun
TX as Que solid mass, in one general embrac,
ro and that, too, in ouly eight or uino fee
10 of water
"Mr, Holly aud bis room mate mad
their es ape by sinking dawn aud swim
20 ming under those who were struggin
o. above as far as they could swim wilhor
IN breathing,
10 "a Mr.. Spencer of Ashtabula stage
:, on the boat until he saw space cloa
q through which he could swim out int
tho lake. and then made his escape b
swimming around those who had so liza,
. tily Jumped in before him.
p lu abiding TO several matters conuec
r. ed with this fatal accident, the Tra
10 Democrat urges speedy and efficient az
lionin orderif possible to prevent Ihes
- y terrible eatastrophies. That paper say
=, "Somelhing should be done, and don
a. promptly, aud calmly, but strongly, to ol
Ne tain h"m the law wmakiug power create
nd stringency, as regards tho security of lit
n Is it nos marvellous, that, so near land
be in a smooth sea--w with only seven or eigt
feet water-hundreds should perish
MOI boat on the Griffith was usec
on Their chared remains ares,ill hanging ,
he the hull. Yet the doors of the cahius tn
At. seileeS, chairs. thrnwn into tho water, {
Of huuls, with one commanding voice. To d
Ter rect and cheer would have saved ever