The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-24
From Dss Cleveland Herald.
The great Calamity.

| we are Indebted 10 Dr. Wllllhm MarOncnyI OF
Washita, Louisiana, for copy OF a letter To
friend describing the heart rending events OF Mon
day morning. DIR. M. is an intelligent, cool, and
intrepid gentleman, who owes his escape from the
midst of death, under Providence, TO his presence
OF mind and deliberate movements in the great
peril
We may remark that DIR. M. had gone down to
Erie on Saturday, and, fortunately left his wifi at
the Weddell House. in this city.
CLEVELAND. (Obio.) June II.
DEAR Sin About Z O'Clock Sunday evening
got on board the Griffith at Eric. There
board great number of deck Storage passen-
gers, emgrants, said TO be 266. In the cabin were
about 40 or 40; OF these perhaps about IL were la
dies The crew-so the clerk told me- cons sted
of about thirty persons This morning the boat
took fire about the chimneys, or, as was told at
the time, ''she was ON fire in the pipes" | was
asleep, but was awoke by the rushing of the hands
overhead on the hurricane deck. suppose they
were endeavoring to extinguish the flames.
gentleman who slept in the berth under me
jumped up and said there something wrong
| told him no, that We must be Cleveland and
| the noise was owing TO the men preparing to land
! My friend ran out the guard and instantly re-
turned, telling me g the boat was on fire." got
out pretty rapidly, pulled on my pants and took
small valise had in my hand, with the expects
Of getting into some Of the boats indeed, at the
time we were so near land had but very little ap-
prehension OF danger don't suppose at this time
we were over mile from land, perhaps not SO much
or course there was much confusion-men who had
wives and children were in awful state There
was no one on board knew, indeed that had
| eS~N.
than otherwise might AS have said, did not at
first perceive the terrible danger which rap
| idly approaching.
| saw the mate on the starboard guard throwing
the lead and directing the pilot how to hold her.
The mate looked 80 perfectly cool thought we
must be pretty safe. The engine still work
ing, and we appeared to be nearing the shore rap
idly. asked him what was to be done; he told me
nothing. The engine then stopped, but the boat
had good deal OF way on her she continued to APP
| proach the shore. This all occurred in, should
| think. from three five TheH ur
now raging in all the ship part of the vessel.
saw now the thing was out; no boats were to be
seen, having as l aterward learned been all burnt
| up looked about me for an instant and tried to
make up my mind what was best to be done. ! de-
termined to get out on the bow stem aongside of
tho bowsprit did 30 and held on by the irons and
chains about that part BY this time good many
| had, imprudently as thought, jumped overheard.
The boat was still making considerable Roadway,
and OF course all who went and could not strike
out vigorously must have passed under the wheels.
held on hoping she would strike in shoal water,
| Il then thought she did not draw six feet
ter; understood afterward she drew about7s.) I
| kept my eye on the ripple; as the water broke
the stem saw she losing motion entirely and
all hope Of her striking before the flames swallowed
all up was now gone, BY this time there was any
number of people overheard; as for the scene on
| board, it would be idle for me to attempt to convey
any idea Of it. The danger imminent, so
overwhelming, that many think were fairly stu
| piled with terror.
1t certainly appeared to me that the passengers
were more quiet, at least that there not such
horrible uproar as might have been expected. 1t
may be, however, was too much occupied with
thoughts for my own escape to judge we'll of what
| was going on 80 near me; remember, however,
am describing, rather attempting to describe, an
event, all OF which transpired in few, very few
minutes. In fact, from the time got out of my bed
| till took the water, don't think that
or eight minutes had elapsed. Well, now, with
the view OF letting myself into the water easily
as possible got Down to the lower deck still keep
ing on the outside OF the steamer directly under the
bowsprit. | remained there for some time, per-
haps minute or more, still vainly hoping she
| would strike.
| The water around the bows was now mass of
human beings, men, women, and children, hope
lessly struggling for life. The boat moving,
but barely moving toward land; as had hope
Of being able to swim more than few rods, de-
termined to let her carry me far possible
She soon, however, stopped, or at least the motion
| was scarcely perceptible. On the forward part or
bows of the lower deck the mass of people was i'm
mense; all crowded close forward, some mady
plunging over, others throwing their wives
and children and rapidly following them to almost
certain death. still held on, and tried to form
some estimate Of the distance to land and conjec-
tured 1t might be about three four hundred
yards now felt that my chance Of escape was
extremely slight.
In the multitude wildly struggling in the water
! all around, did not how even an expert swim
mer could escape, and then people were dashing
| overheard in every direction / now that
could not retain my position much longer-the
flames were rushing forward at a fearful rate; in
few seconds, perhaps. that terrified multitude, now
densely crowded on deck and inside of the bows,
would he driven over Inc, and probably carry me
with them 20 the bottom. Something occurred on
| board, what 1t was did not perceive, but at any
rate for an instant the attention at least the
looks OF these people we're directed toward the after
part OF the boat; at the same time observed the
water Immediately under me pretty clear, those
who lew seconds before struggled there having
mostly sunk few had swan of. ] seized
the favorable moment and dropped went
! under but found no bottom; swan little ways
before rising, probably not more than six
1 Yards. then made few strOkes a a Didlv "a
sble, so as to get clear of all others was appre-
hensiye some one would lay hold of me, in which
| case knew that with me all over.
Fortunately, got off clear. Twas in hopessome
boat might pick me up, or that might get hold
something that would enable me TO float. Any relief
| of this kind soon saw was hopeless, and my only
chance, that Of swimming to the land, appeared TO
me To be in reality no chance at all; but as could
do no better, struck out well as could The
lake was alive on all sides with men swimming
some swan well and strongly, and were soon safe;
many, however, sunk. ] did my best, but every
thing failed me; let my feet down in hopes !
might touch the bottom, but could not. The effort
OF getting to the surface and striking out again
hausted me very much. j was painting terribly;
legs and arms would work no longer; all could
do was to paddle little with my hands.
Every minute ofener / would go under. |
| watched as well as ] could TO IL any Of those
around me could touch bottom. | could see some
one trying almost all the time, but yet
ceeded. When was about 10 give QUITO have
kept afoat minute would have been utter
ly impossible; indeed, for some minutes had been
as much under water above IL; at this critical
| moment saw a somewhat in advance of me
I standing the bottom. I Immediately straight
ened up, and reached the sand with head and neck
| clear II with the greatest difficulty that
| reached the beach, then but a few rods distant.
| However, got out, and lay for some time the
sand, so completely exhausted that il with the
utmost difficulty could breathe. At this time
some six seven persons had reached the beach. /
| saw nothing more until all
| Every one ] have since met with appears
| prised that so few saved. Now, taking all the
| circumstances into account, don't how any
| thing else could have been expected. Let recol-
was given until too late, do believe at all. I
don't think that even the bell was rung.
| Most Of those who jumped over before the boat
stopped, unless expert swimmers, must have been
either drowned or killed by passing under the
wheel Many must have persisted in this way.
| To every man who had either n wife or child with
him there was hardly any chance Of escape. All
such we're irrevocably doomed. All they could do
was 70 plunge over and drown together believe