Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-07-16
From the N. Y. Express.
Burning of the Grefitb.
New York, June 2o, 1855

81 Burning of the Greflitb.
3 New York, June 29, 1850.
81 Having returned to the city, and my once
:. ...happy home, now rendered so desolate BIZ an
= Iinscrutable event, after an absence of some
sthree weeks, | wish TO give an account OF
q what saw and experienced of the dreadful
ssscenes that occurred on board the ill-fated
fsteamer Griffith. near Cleveland on the NOR
,sning of the 18th Of June. With the main
features of that awful catastrophe the public
care sufficiently familiar. | propose giving
"details of my own case II took passage on
ss,the Griffith with my wife and four children
sfrom Buffalo (my former place Of residence)
:at IL o'clock. A NJ, 18th ofJune. We were
seoing on a visit TO my wife's father in Indi-
sanopolis Indiana had SHIPPED on the same
! Sboat $500 worth of goods destined for pla-
Gees on our route. Everything passed pleas
santy through the first day and night, nothing
occurring 10 foreshadow by any evil presenti-
3ment the appalling scene that soon followed
s AT just about daylight on the morning Of the
gl7th. | was awoke by q sort of confused
tclamor below, followed by a succession of
sterrific screams, which supposed proceeded
sfrom the emigrant passengers; they startled
zme from my berth in my state-room, which
occupied with my family, and where ] was
ssleepng with my little boy, years Of age.
D AS sprang TO my feet | discovered flames
eand smoke forcing their way into our room.
4 aroused my wife with all the calmness
zcould command, though from the piercing
scrles and shrieks that now asailed our ears,
sand the sound of the raging fire, comprehen-
! ied the imminence Of our peril. We both
scasped our children in our arms and by their
Glands, and with part Of their dress only. and
shed through the main cabin forward.
There | passed them down as rapidly as
possible, (for the flames were in hot pursuit)
over the railing on the main deck, and leap't
sdown myself by their side. ! then crossed
over to my wife, (our children clinging TO us
! TO the forward gangway. At this time the
/ boat had been put towards the shore, and
was barely moving in that direction. look
Jed back, and as | looked hope died within
/ me. The fire was raging with perfect fury,
ithe flames careering thirty feet above the deck
sand the current of air sweeping it forward
with great violence, within few yards of
swhere we stood. ] cast an eye toward the
1 bow, and there, with frantic screams, saw
iemigrsnts and others mady rushing over
board. TO avoid the fire and heat, which was
.now becoming intense. Capt. Roby, whom
well knew, was close By me, with his fam
fly. The steward, at this moment, jumped
soverboard. and the Captain threw his child to-
Thin, which he took holding it by its dress in
his mouth. The Captain then passed over
into tho water his niece, his daughter, his
,mother, md then his wife, made plunge in J
Ito the lake himself. saw all this passing
before me: il was the work Of few moments
But who can describe the agony that was
within that bref period there
Twas nothing we could grasp at with which to,
buoy hope. | could administer no comfort
,or encouragement TO my poor wife; we,
looked into each others faces and upon
our little children in blank dismay--despair
was too deeply seated in our hearts to throw
into word or look Bit Of hopo-mute, unut-
.terable agony possessed our souls. At this
moment recollect seeing that the dresses of
my wife and little girl 70 years old) were on
fire in places. My wife hugged her nfantj
to her breast-my two little girls and my dar-
ling boy clung TO my pantaloons and cried J;
,"Pa, don't let me burn up"
AS the only alternative. and with the con-
.currence of my wife, was forced to follow;
the example Of the rest, and one by one, as!
rapidly as could, dropped my children overi
,the side, and my wife next, and plunged af-.'
ter them, leaping a little beyond my wife sol
.as not to strike her in my fall. went undor'
a little, and on rising TO the surface, swami
'round and round in search Of thom In the
.inlatuation Of tho moment expected to find
them floatng-but how vain and unreasona-
,ble it was. Horror stricken to find them;
'gone--all gone--l wonder did not sink to,
the bottom like lead. In their terror they3
must have sunk almost instantly on touching
the water. Bewdered, struck out. | know
mot how. towards the shore. had made butt
"a few strokes when felt hand upon my.
heel. ! lookd back and saw man strug-
'glng, with one hand grappled tightly upons
my foot; he drew mo under twice, but, with
"a feeling of reckless despera tion--for had (
lost all fear ofdrowning--and by dint of great
'oxertion, | kicked him off and .disengagedl
'myself--he drawing off my stocking as he /
went down. then made vigorously for theT
shore, which was distant, | should iudgct
half mile. The boat had ceased to moves
before | left her, having run aground. AS u
proceeded found had over-exerted myselfs
but still struggled on, straining every nerve 7
and before | reached the shore blood gushedI
from my nose and ears at every stroke of myS
arms. At length felt my feet touch the!
GROUND, and in another moment gained the /
beach and threw myself on the sand Oh!s
tho agony Of my reflections as lay in sightl
of that wreck Of all 1 held dear, and surveyed
the placid waters that had closed so soon O. )
yer its innocent victims. IL seems to me that
there was concentrated Into that brief spacet
more Of bitter sffering and horror than can be /
inflicted by whole life timo Of common mis-
cry and woe, oven if compressed within al
single day.