The Arkansas banner., 1850-07-02
Dreadful Disastcr-sSssamer 1urut~..TWO
 Hundred aud Fifty Lives Losts

Dreadful Disastcr-sSteamer 1urnt"-'TwO
 Hundred aud Fifty Lives Lost.
 Tho Cleveland Democrat gives fall account of mos. fearful destruction of life from the burning of the steamer C P Griffith, on Lake Erie, on the Huh instant:
 Death has now visited us In fearful form, and win terrible effect The steamer G. r. Griffith, was consumed about daylight yesterday morning, and we fear soms two huHared sons pefished aniid flame aud wafer. When first the alarm was given, the passengers were cool and collected. It vas thought the boat could reach the land-ior when she was steering aud that thus all would be saved But, sadly, the steaper struck upon sand bar, half mile oil shore, and then panic reigned. he uaSsengers aecording to those who were saved, be- came wild with despair and plunged madly into the water as ii life was safe there! Death. alas came to them amid tbe anrgtiug sounds ot The watery waste, sud by scores they lett their homes ou earth, for their homes, hope, in ieaven Of the cause of the fire, we know nothing Aud tue saved unfortunately, caa explain nothing They were asleep in bed Ali they know is, that about ; o'eloek--or about day -bresk-ths alarm ot hre was given. The shore wos in sight. Hope said Il could be reached, and all still. But when the bar was struck, hope was converted into despair, aud. wildly, death by fire was shunned to meet death amid the waters. The passengers plunged into the lake, and but few were saved The nun ber os passengers on board IS thus stated:
 Stearags, 2Db. Ctuin, il, OTeH, Sbt otais O%o
 Mr. R. c. Parks, Postmaster of Rochester, Pa, aud well known to our ctzens was aboard, and one of the saved We give his account as he gave 1t to us:
 He was reused at or near A. NJ The fro was then burning in the rims of the chimneys Of the boat They distant from the land three miles The second mate ordered the boat ashore, which immediately oheyed.
 When within half mile O. shore she grou unded The flames had not then burst out in tae forward part Of til cabin but immediately alier, the pilot house was euselopei. The command was then given from of the officers the passengers to save themselves Many of them immediately pumped overheard, whsn the Captain calc1 to the fr,ea below to throw the wood, which was fire, overheard. Men then in the cabin and on the lower deck, jumped overheard in crowds, some twenty at time
 Ths Captain remained on the upper deck, near his stalo room, forward of the wheel house, After a,l the passengers had jumped ovetboard, the Cap E tain threw the barbrrs wife, his mother, wife and child. into he lake, aud plunged ia himself He remained moment on Inc surface, when with his wife in lis arms, they both sank together.
 Not female or child-fifteen were counIed--was saved, except the barber's wife.
 There were al least, ,faceoriing to Mr Parks s. timac, two hundred and fifty emigrauts. chiefly from England and Germany, forty. five or fifty cabu passengers, bcsides the crew, numbenug about twenty-five.
 lie huutber CT thCSe SaNcG on The Retcli. was only 70. MT Parks the wheel. He could not swim While there, fioatrd round him, shrieAing madiy, "Saye me! Save mel He couia do noihipg. He felt like giving up. But with u few others he hed .J-alid the struggle was over. and all quiet the sound 0r the waters they beat agAins he eharred hnil of the steamer This was the first trip Capt. Roby had made. Ar ter daylight search made for the bodies Two md three were taken up at a time; and they were laid upon the scre. Ii n sad sight 10 behold No books were saved A list, therefore, of the names ol passengers cannot be given;
 The scene on the lake shore melancholy in the extreme. One hundred and fifty bodies were str-wsi aloug. The boats woald gather up five or six together from ths bottom of the lake. In the death struggle they had caSped each other with the Ernest grip A long trench dug. and in thai the poor emgrants were buried, "Bnrv my chiiG hefs,' said a lone parent. Lay my wife there, husky spoke a bereaved hdsband. 4 nd babes and children, and men and women rom Ireland. Eng land and Germany, buried together under th, same sod, the spot where their lives St suddenly taken. The Mayor of the city. a numbe oI the Council, and near one hundred of our eli chartered the steamer Diamond. and left at l. past P. M for the scene of the disaster yester day. wiih material, and mechanics, 10 make coihu 10 bury the dead. The Griffith the rolcd, and Buffalo Iine-was owned by Roby and Stud derford, an1 nearly Capt Roby had his lii Insured for six thousand dollars.