Southern shield., 1852-09-25


 scenes and incidents that occurred at the explosion of the Rendeer's" boilers They were reported for the N. Y. Sun, and we think will be read with interest:
 The Reindeer Disaster-Scenes and Inci- l dents.
 It was inc return tlue of the forward boil CT which exploded. The water and steam were blown through the fires throwing down the chimneys, and driving the hot water and steam into the cabins, producing the most terrible effect As the stean. rush. ed through the red hot furnace it must have attaine ed greater expansion and force The rush of the steam and water, however, soon put out the fire, and thus the boat was prob- |ablv prevented from being set on fire. l The injury on deck was slight, but above deck was of the most serious and fatal char acter. Around the dinner table sat some fifty or sixty of the passengers, and the fur nace and cabin doors being open, the steam rushed in, scalding most of them in fright ful manner When the steam had slightly cleared away, the unfortunate passengers were found to be wrllhing under the most excrutiating torture. The skin was literal ly forced from their~faces, arms, and breasts by the steam, and three of their number were taken out dead: three others died inn medately afterwards, and the injured con- tnued to drop of; and when our reporter left the scene, twenty-seven had died, and several others were not expected to survive the night.
 When the explosion took place, men, wo- men and children rushed towards the wharf and to the opposite side of the vessel, and it was some time before they could be quie,- ed. The cries of the sufferers were distinct | ly heard at Red Point, distance of three miles. Every effort was made by the inhab- itantS in the vicinity of the landing, and by the crew of the steamboat and the surviving passengers, 10 alleviate the heart-rendng sutferings of the persons scalded. Blank cts, oil, wool, &c., were procured immedi- ately, and the injured parties were all ar- tended by the neighbors and what physi- clans could be procured. The Maiden house presented terrible scene-almost every room in it contained some of the sufferers. Their cries could be heard thro'- out the village, and every countenance bore an expression of grief at the result of the casualty. Many of the surviving passen- gers left the steamboat immediately after the accident, and took the Hudson River railroad cars 10 pursue their journey. 1 INCIDENTS.
 The passengers were taking dinner at the time, and one man was killed with his mouth filled with food.
 One man while dying, gave his watch, money, &c., to the minister, requesting him to send i! to his wife.
 MT. Hugh Riliegh, finding there was no hope of his recovery, procured an attorney and made his will. He bequeathed his pro- perty chiefly 10 his step-daughters, they also suffering, and provided that should they mot survive their injuries, bis effects would Hall to other connexions in Richmond, Va. During the time the will was being drawn he was firm and sensible. A few minutes after making the will he turned his head on his pillow and expired. The p-daughters followed him in the course of tw hours.
 Among those badly injured is Wood Ba ker, Esq, Princeton, New Jersey, one of the U. $. coast engineers; he wilied his property to his wife and child. His inju- res are no doubt fatal, and he was perfect ly sensible of his condition, and bore it in a christian-ke ma nner
 One lady jumped overheard, and man on the boat caught her by ths apron string with boat hook; the string broke and she would have drowned had not some person plunged off the wharf and brought her ashore. Her husband offered her preServer all the money he had in his possession, some S20 or $50, which was, however, magnan- imouSly refused.
 Some who showed but little external sign of injury, died in a short time. They had inhaled the hot steam, and this, in most cases, proved fatal.
 A small boy saved his mother by catching her apron and winding it around the rail- ing. He kept hel from jumping overheard until one of the passengers came up and pulled her back. Capt. Hoyt saved himself and wife with great presence ofmind. His wife was below, also little girl named Loup, in the ladies' cabin, and the instant he heard the explosion he wen: below and brought his wife up. The little girl was brought up part of the way, when she got confused, and turning back, was scalded by the hot steam then rushing into the cabin. She died next morning. She was daugh- ter of Mir. Loup, of this city, l2 years of age, and said to have been a remarkably intelli- gent child.
 The skin ofa mans hand, forming per- feet glove of scalded skin, was picked up on the steamers deck, the nails of the fingers being attached Several pieces of el in ,uara od mn aftor tha ctaa m clearad