New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-07
Loss OF the La Eayeuc.

CuAGREs, Tuesday Sept. %, 1851
To he Editors Of TIE ~ Y Tribune
We left New-Y York Aug. -, CA board the
steamship La Fsyoic, bound for Chagres and Nlcara
qua with IS passengers and 20 officers and crew. We
were ENJOYING What appeared TO us evidently pleas
ant passage and nothing occurred to mar II until the
3Isi, when one of the hremcn named Burns loaped
overheard and was not rescued. On the 5th Sept
put INTO Kingston to repair the engine, obtain water
zee &c. Lcft on the sth at IL NJ. and had line run
arrived al Chagres al AN. Al the passengers eN-
cepting four LETT immediately for Panama
The La Fayette Was TO leave ChagreS at PM.
Tor San Juan when within few minutes Of the
hour for leaving and " all on board" Nh Smith, the
chef engineer, upon entering the OIL room, observed
a barrel of ubrcatlne oil on fire, and Immediately
gave the alarm Every effort was made TO eNun-
guish IT, but IN instant The entire room was IN a
blaze, which soon communicated TO The saloon and
IN few minutes there burs, forth volume of flame
which was found impossible To sUbdue.
The fire being IN the vicinity of the mag game, the
cry ol Powder and the magazine =" was raised and
CONSERVATION anddS may was pictured IN every coun-
tenance. 4 great rush was made for the boats, and
an the haste Mr.. Austin. Of san Juan, and Mrs Car
ter, the slowardeSs, were preclpitA,ed into the
water, from which, however, thev were rescued
without any serious INJURY. Mr.. ComsocS, the
puIseI, Mr.. j. ". Smith, second Officer Ny G.. Il.
Hoyt, OF Berford 4 Co.'S Express, rushed through
the danes, entered the magazine ana came on deck,
To- the great delight OF those on board with the pow
GeT which amid cheering VAS thrown overheard .
the crew and Others returned and gave battle 20 The
hery element. but notwithstanding the almos, super
human exertons Of Capt. Stoddard. MS officers and
crew, destruction was inevitable.
The IRE continued to rage with greater fury-ihe
flames nov extending The whole length Of her deck
and there bens not the ssh,eS, prosper Of arrest
ing their progress the captain ordered every person
10 leave The ship They sQraas 70 The boa and were
soNed some distance from her-isarfai her boilers
might explode She appeared to be deserted We
thought no person Was on her decks Again Ne
hooked. and Observed man descending BY rope The
side OF the vessel" IL Is apt S;oddaId we shout
ed and 30 II was. He was the last man 10 leave the
ship and abandon her TO the flames Too much praise
cannot be awarded 10 the officers OF the vessel, who
used every exeriion 70 her Mr. AlbeT, the FIRST
officer, is enyted TO great praise for his Gfmne>s,
daring and activity, who, when ordered by the cap
tam 10 leave thc ship, replied, Mot m'A You are
ready 70 follow captain" Also ne second oficer,
j. w Smith, who, in connection with Mr Com>tock
and M Hoyt rushed through the flames 10 the mag
anne and saved the powder, whereby IN explosion
was avet.ed, which would certainly have caused a
grea, loss Of life
The ire increased with such rapiGi;y 70 pre-
cude the possibility Of saving the property belonging
60 the ship. Netting Of any consequence WAS saved
Strenuous efforts were made by Mr. Hoyt and others
90 save the specie, bu, withou, success they were
ioiled in their attempts by the flames and smoke
hA Ant = n,
thermometer, was lost IN fac, every officer Of the
Inflated vessel lost all or nearly all their personal
effects. Capt Ssoddard, j. d Coms,ock, the purser,
,. W. Smith, second officer Mr. Bowdich. Mr.. Hoyt
ana the siewardess, saved only hat they stood IN
Nj Bowd.,ch had in charge $1,000 worth of freight
belonging 20 Palmer & Co.'S Express, nothing Of
which was saved
It's impossible ios Us t. tel or even conjecture m