The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-02-10
The John Adams.

1De late Calamity oil this lll-tated steamer,
by which so many souls were launched into
eternity has created profound sensation Of
sorrow and melancbolys gloom throughout
the western country. Over one hundred
souls were hurried, unwaIned and unpre-
pared to their last account. Many who
were on their return home, after u long abb
sence, With bright prospects and pleasant
hopes, 10 embrace again those they loved,
now sleep beneath the bosom Of the Missis-
sippi, with nolhingt 10 designate their place
OF rest Children shrieked uponthe waters
as they drifted along the dark tide, and moth
ers and fathers heard III ir roicesas tkey too,
struggled with death, without the power oe
a helping hand-and alldied together! The
scene must have been one of gIuomy horror,
one to impress an indeHbe stamp-upon the
minds Of al who beheld it, leaving TO mem. Z
Oryatale 10 tell with fearful thrill. x
The circumstances, as we obtained them
from Mr.. Leonanl, the pilot. who was ON
watch at The time, are. in brief, as follows
During the evening and up to ten o'clock,
the weather was misty with indications Of
"a fog but it cleared up, and everything was
fine and fair for run, so much SO, that the
Captain, Henry A. Jones, ieitthe deck with
the certainty that all was safe, and that
there was nolhingto indicate even posi-
bility OF danger. But at about 3 o'clock in
the morning, at distance OF some $50
miles above Vicksburgh, she struck saw
yer" or snag, and Immediately commenced
! filling. The boat was heavily loaded, and
was drawing about ten feet olwater at The
time. She became unmanageable. and not
withstandIng the'efforts Of the pilot to Tun
her Oh a bar, under full head Of steam.
she sunk in less than ten seconds, in over,
sixty feet water! She went down with
plunge, bow FOREMOST, and at such an angle
that when the pilot ran from his place, he
tooka position upon the curve Of The wheel
house next the deck, which was in, almost
horizontal line !! Aftefthe bow struck tho
bottom, the upper works Of the boat were
detached, The cabin broke in two. and the
chimneys passed down through the casing
and Disappeared The two sections OF tho
CABIN foated round and formed a v, but
finally drifted together, and those who were
upon them, and those only were saved -
The cabin drifted some eight miles before il
was landed.
When the boat struck, the alarm was i'm
mediately given, and numbers of persons,
men, wom,n and children, made their way
to the deck and thus were saved; but as tho
warning was short, numbers doubtless per.
lshed IN their beds or struggled for life to
meet death at last between the decks. The
engine was heard to work and the paddle
TO beat after the boat had gone dol0n and
they continued until the water. by passing
through the scare pipes, stopped them
!, The number lost is estimated at one hun
: dred and twenty. OF the cabin passengers
e (about 1907, over twenty are known TO have
: persisted, and OF the deck passengers eighty
e hut two are known TO have been sqved.--
s Twenty-one of the crew, deck hands ant
y liremen, were drowned.
: The books, register and money of the
: : boat were saved, and upon the return of Mr.
i Wilson, the Clerk, we will b. enabled to
give the names OF those who were lost, or, d
o least, a number of them. .o+
, This is one of the accidents for which nc
l. blame an fall upon the officers, as, occur
:, ring where it did. AMI in weather SO favor
ic ableto running, it is matter of great sur
prise to the Oldest and most experienced
of river me n. The existence of snag ther
. had never been klown or thought OF, and i
v, was one oithe last places where danger wal
ID 10 be appre hendrd. Capt. Jones is one O
,s our best and most successful and fortunqu
no river men, and Mr.. Leonard stands secons
N 10 none as pilot, and to them the acciden
"a is unaccountable.
It, Among the passengers were some person
er on their return from California, ofwhom Nj
10 Manning, of this city, was one. They los
rs all they had, and had a fair chance of losin
he more. A number Of those saved hailed i
n The Paytona as she passed, and were take
is by that boa; 10 Louisville. The captain @
L. The boat charged every one full passage, an
A some who lost all were compelled 10 borro,
&c oil their iellow-sufferers TO meet :he deman
e- of the boat. This we have from several @
lis the srvivors.-Cin Com. .a