New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-11
NETWORK TRIBUNE.

Loss of the John Adams-13O Lives Lost.
The Western mail brings us the particulars OF
the terrible destruction OF the steamboat John
Adams, brief account of which we have already
received by telegraph. From the Louisville Jour
nal of the third inst. we take the following:
The surviving passengers and several OF the
officers and crew Of the John Adams arrived here
on Saturday night We have obtained some par.
ticulars from them in regard to the disaster. The
boat left New.Oreans with over two hundred
souls on board On Monday, the 9Th ult. at 3
O'Clock, when at the head of island No. 60, in the
Mississippi, the boat struck what was supposed
to be a sneg, and almost Immediately went down,
with the bow foremost the aft part Of the boat
sticking up. She went down so fast that before
the passengers could be aroused, the water in the
forward part of the cabin was up to the skylights
and the ladies' cabin was under water about four
feet Capt. Jones was standing In the nam cabin
at the time and by his exertions, aided by some
of his officers the ladies' and children were safely
transferred to the after part of the hurricane deck
the only dry spot on the boat, bnt they had 10
wade In the water up to their necks. Inc pas
sengers il the forward part of the cabin were
nearly all drowned. Many of them were CalIfOr.
mans on their way home. OF the deck psssen.
gers, consisting mostly Of Irish, some Germans
and five six Italians, all except three were lost.
One Of the deck passengers swan five miles be-
fore be reached the shore There were only two
fremen out OF nine saved, and all the deck hands
were drowned All the officers were saved.
The loss Of life is estimated at 100 to l35 souls,
Of which number about 30 were cabin passengers,
so deck passengers, and the remainder belonging
10 the crew We could not ascertain the names
OF any of the sufferers. The books and papers,
as well as the money in the Clerks office, were
saved, however, and that officer, who stayed with
the wreck, will probably give the names OF the
persons drowned. Some OF the Calltornians, had
deposited their money with the Clerks others
retained it in their own possession.
The cabin, shor ly after the sinking OF the boat,
broke in two, and then hOated down the river
with the passengers on the deck Previous TO
this however, a raft was made with panks, and
on it seversl men were dispatched TO the shore Tor
aid. MoSt OF the ladies' and children We're thus
safely landed. The portion Of the cabin which
foated of was picked up by the steamer Peytona,
about - miles from where the accident occurred
and those on it taken on board at o'clock in the
afternoon following They were in a very desti-
tute condition. most Of them having escaped IN
their night clothes and being exposed in that
manner for nearly II hours. Fortunately the
weather was mild
Two children were mirsculOusly saved. Holes
were cut ia the boiler deck, and through them
they were extricated from their berths. They
were found lying on the mattresses which were
floating on the water in the rooms. One OF them
is said 10 have been asleep. They were the chill
dren Of Mrs. Hoffman, who had just returned
california
ashore were treated in the kindest manner by
Mr.. Carter and another planter in the neighbor-
hood Of the accident. The passengers and officers
also speak highly of Capt. Shalcross and his Of
fcers.
The Cincinnati Commercial of the 4th inst,
gives the following account, containing some ad
ditional particulars
The circumstances, as We obtained them from
Mr.. Leonard, the pilot, who was on watch at
the time, are, in brief as follows: During the
evening and up TO 10 o'clock the weather was
misty, with indications OF fog but It cleared up,
and everything was fine and fair for run-so
much so, that the Captain, Henry A. Jones, lett
the deck with the certainty that all was safe, and
that there was nothing to indicate even posi-
bility of danger But about three O'Clock IN
the morning at distance OF about % miles above
Vicksburg, she struck sawyer, or snag and
Immediately commenced filling. The boat was
heavily loaded, and was drawing about ten feet
of water at the time. She became unmanageable,
and notwithstanding the efforts Of the pilot to run
her on a bar, under full head Of steam, she sunk
in less than ten seconds in over sixty feet OF water
She wet down with plunge, bow foremost, and
at such an angle that when the pilot ran from his
place he took position upon the curve OF the
wheel house next the deck, which was 10 almost
a horizontal line After the cow struck the bot
tenn the upper works Of the boat were detached,
the cabin broke in two, and the chlmneys passed
down through the casing and disappeared! Inc
two sections Of the cabin hoated 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 1t was
landed.
When the boat struck the alarm was lmme'
diately given, and numbers OF Persons-men'
women and children-made their way TO the
deck. and thus were saved but as the warning
was short numbers doubtless perlsned IN tnen
begs or struggled for life to meet death at last
between the decks. The engine was heard TO WORK
and the paddles to beat after the boat rad gone
dorm. and they continued until the water, by
passing through the scspe pipes, stopped them;
The number lost is estimated at 100 Oi the
cabin passengers about 1907 over 20 are known
10 have persisted, and Of the deck passengers lsol
but two are known to have been saved. Twenty
one Of the crew. deck hands and fremen were
drowned.
The books, register and moneyof the boat were
saved. H.
This is one Of the accidents for which no blame
can fall upon the officers, as, occurring Wnere II
did. and in weather so favorable 10 running, Is
amatter Of great surprise 10 the Oldest ana most
experienced rivermen. The existence OF snag
there had never been known or thought o. ana u
was one Of the last places where Danger was "
be apprehended. .o.
Capt Jones is one Of our best aud most sue,
cessful and fortunate river men and MIR LeonaIu
stands second TO none as pilot and 70 tnen 'No
accident is unaccOuntable. 90,
Among the passengers were some Ps,son' "
theirreturu from California, OF whom AR Al @niiiD5
Of this civ was one. They lost al they nan,
and had fair chance Of losing more. a hu -loSi
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