Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-06-24
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer of june IS.
Burning Of the Griffith. ~
MORE OF THE HORRIBLE DETA1f

In company with the Mayor, several
members of the Council, and many citizens,
we visited yesterday the scene Of this most
terrible disaster. We met the Scow boat
Sylph with between % and 80 bodies on
board on their way to this port, in Charge
of Mr.. STocKLEY, who had been the whole
day gathering them up. Wepassed on to
the scene Of the wreck, promising to lake
the Scow in tow on otr return. ~
On nearing the fatal spot the biackened
remains of the ill-lated Steamer were seen,
its smoke pipes still standing, the upper
part of its engines and boilers and the skei-
etons of of its wheels visible above the wa
ter 1t lies in feet water, stern to the
shore, and about one fourth of mile from
it. AS it was near night the search for
dead bodies had ceased. Tire citizens of
Lake County who had kindly volunteered
their assistance had been wearied out with
labor and excitement, and were then at
tending to the burial and disposal of the
dead. The high bank overlooking the wreck
had been visited by thousand spectators
through the day. Fhe heights were still
lined with them and we assembled the steep
to look upon the scene and gather whatin-
formation we could concerning the events
The first corpse we saw was that Of
Donnevan the stewurd,' who had just been
taken from the water. Ii appehrs he had
taken off his boots and coat preparatory 10
his death struggle with the contending efe-
ments. He was laid, as were oil the rest,
with his clothes untouched and green
boughs sprinkled over his body. AS we
passed on, six or eight more dead bodies
laying side by side met our gnze, and near
by upon the ground lay pile of clothing,
hats, boots, shoes, and coats, thrown from
the sufferers in their flight from the buup-
ing boat and which had been picked up.
A hat full Of silver watches taken Rom
the emigrants with several gold ones were
in possession of the Coroner; also, several
thousand dollars in money. Among the
bodies thus exposed was that Of a we'll
dressed young man whose name was ascef.
tanned to be r. Munson, said TO be from
Connectica: and bound Cor Toledo. On
his person were foend 8 one hundred dollar
bills, and other money TO the amount of
ST., l6O, gold watch, &c. lie was taken
10 Wiloughby for burial. a.t
On the left, as we ascended the hill, was
the big vault in which ninety.(our dead
bodies were then being buried. We learn.
ed that in addition 8 had been sent 10 Buff
falo, up on the MAIN road, % to Cleve-
land by the Sylph, and lay unburied,
making in all l43 found that day. II is
quite certain there are over q hundred
bodies more lying within mile ofihe
wreck, many of whom will probably be
found today, as the Coroner fnformedu US
he had appointed a committee to watch the
ground last night, and another 10 pursue
the search to-day. -ats -.s eless raag
Origin and Progress Of The Fire.
The I'd Mate, 5. McColt, gave US the
following account of the origin of the fire.
He said they arrived at Pairport at 2 o.
clock in the morning, stopped bot mo-
ment and left on their course everything
appearing right. 1t was his watch from
Farport. The Captain and first Mate
had turned in, he went up into the pilot
house and talked with the wheelsman few
minutes, went down and was Standing by
the capstan on deck when the wheelsman
called out to him that there was fire be-
tween the smoke pipes on deck. He ran
up and saw stream Of sparks issuing from
below up between the smoke pipes and
their water jackets. He Immediately call
ed the deck hands from below with buck
cts, and commenced throwing water down
the Pipes. The flames and heat increas-
ed rapidly, and ho ordered The wheelsman
10 put her ashore. She was then about
"a miles out. The Captain was called
and by this time the alarm had spread