The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-07-31
THE DAILY DISPATCH.


Inc new dno sWHt sscuHseIs aS sne - cajltd
in the advertisements, left Albany NJ seven q.
clock yesterday morning, for New York. She
was, comparatively, new boat, and c0nsi-
dered a very fine steamer Of her class. She
was launched on the 7th of August. in 1851
| She was FIVE hundred and four tons burthen
two hundred and six feet long, twenty seven
feet and four inches wide, and eight feet and
a quarter deep. Her hull was built by Mr..
Thomas Coilyer, at the foot of Twentieth ST.,
| and her engines by Messrs. Cunning ham,
Belknap & Co., in West street.
She started from Albany in company with
the America. making the usual stoppages for
passengers, swelling the number till il reached
| to between three and four hundred. She raced
with the A., as all the passengers we have
seen Inform US, till she had run ahead of that
steamer some four or FIVE miles. Her hull
had become very much heated from the sun,
as we'll as from her own furnaces, till she
was as dry as chip and as indammable as
gunp0wder. In this condition, and when near
Yonkers, while these three or four hundred
human beings were little dreaming of danger,
black smoke was seen to issue from the CEN
tire OF the boat, near the pipes. Soon after,
| one OF the attaches of the steamer appeared,
| and requested the ladies to keep cool-that
there was no danger. Immediately it was
| noticed that the head of the boat was turned
| towards the shore, from which breeze was
blowing. Then the flames began TO steal up
| and through the vessel. Then the cry of fire
| spread consternation among the passengers on
| board that i'll fated steamer. Almost immedi-
ately utter this she struck on shore, below
Yonkers, about quarter Of mile this side
Of Fonthill, Mir. Forests residence, and the
scene that then ensued battles description.
& The steamer struck head on, and as the fire
broke out in the centre, and the breeze blew off
shnr tha # tkoh hc,t b.l -, L..
to leap into the water or perish in the fames.-
One of the passengers who had reached the
shore, SAID, that as he turned, he saw the flames
envelope fine lad, standing oil the verge of
the upper deck, seemingly uncertain whether
TO perish by fire or water. The flames and
thick smoke seemed to wrap around him like
winding sheet, till he Disappeared and is now
no more. Another gentleman inform Us, that
he saw a mother take her infant in her teeth
by its clothes, to have the babe come on the
top when she arose TO the surface, and ap
preached the edge of the boat TO leap into the
water. BY sudden jerk of the boat the child
fell from the grasp of the mother and also dis
appeared. There were several Oiher heart
rending incidents connected with this sad affair
We shall never know all the sad scenes OF
this terrible disaster. Most of those who were
saved came to the city in The Armenia and BY
the Hudson River Railroad. The down train
stopped to render assistance, and special train
was sent out to bring the survivors to town.
Several reached the Irving House in a sad
plight-some without shoes, others without
hats, and some without coats, shoes or stock
ings, &C., sc. Three other survivors, Mr..
Vanclieke, of Baltimore and two ladies-ar-
rived al the Astor House in a terrible state Of
| mental and bodily ang uish.
The steamboat Armenia, which left Albany,
as we have already stated, in company with the
Henry Clay, was. at the time the fire occurred
about four miles distance astern. When she
came up her officers Immediately made every
effort to rescue those on board the Henry Clay.
We have obtained the following account from
Captain Polhemus, the pilot of the Armenia,
who succeeded in saving and bringing to the
city number OF the injured and uninjured pas
sengers.
STATEMENT OF MR.. PoLHEMUs, PILOT OF THE
ARMENIA.
About three O'Clock in the afternoon, our
boat was some four miles astern of the Henry
Clay, when | saw u smoke ascending, appa-
rently from the head Of the boiler. 1t soon
increased, and shortly dense smoke arose.
| then felt satisfied that the boat was on FIRE,
and made down for her as quickly as possible.
We were not racing with the Henry Clay. I
observed that the pilot Of the burning boat had
placed her head in shore; and before we arrived,
the Henry Clay wss run ashore. The sight,
as we approached the boat, which was then
burning in q furious manner, was dreadful to
behold. The after part of the boat was covered
with human beings. and great number were
immersed in the water, clinging to the guards
0f the boat, in frightful despair expecting every
moment to be driven off by the flames into the
water. We stopped our boat, lowered small
boat, and sent her off 10 the relief of the suffer-
ers. number were taken from the wreck in
that way. Peter Bishop, deck hand of the
Armenia, acted very cOurageously. On seeing
a man struggl ling in the water, who had sunk
twice, Bishop sprang from the small boat, swan
to the relief Of the drowning man, wa0m he
seized by the neck, and conveyed him to the
shore. His life was thus saved.
The pilot also related that aid was given by
the captain of the steamboat James Madison,
and by the. captain and crews of q brig and
schooner. who were near at hand at the time
Of the calamity. The small boats in this way
conveyed most of the persons 10 the shore who
were found clinging TO The boat. The Armenia
went 10 a dock, about quarter Of mile be-
low the wreck, ard there waited and took on
board q number Of the passengers, together
with two young women, Zone named Mary
Rhodes,) very seriously, If not fatally injured,
having Jumped from the bow of the boat, and
was trampled upon by the other passengers--
Others were more or less injured 0y burnt -.
ces. bruised limbs, dslocaled shoulders, and
cut heads.
One ofour reporters afterwards saw Captain
Tallman, of the Henry Clay, and obtained the
following particulars from him
srATKMKsr OF CAPT. TALLNAH, OF THE
HENRY CLAY.
was about O'Clock in the afternoon when
the alarm Of FIRE wss given. he was lying
down in bic state room at the time, having been
quite unwell, and under the care Of . Physi-
cian, for n days past. Al soon a. the alarm |
OF FIRE was made, he jumped out Of bed, and
found that the boat was on FIRE in front Of the |
boiler; and finding the flames could not Be |
exfinsuished, he ordered the pilot to steer the
boat ashore, which wns accordingly done, and |
the passengers on the tnrward paSi Of the boat |
jumped on the sand bank, while those in The |
ufier pari Of the boat were compelled 70 get |
ashore the best way they could, By lsaping into |
the water. Al the time the Ere broke outthere |
must have been near 400 passsngsrs % board- |
the boat was not racing, and be lhinks the Ere |
was cansed BY the hot cinders falljag from the |
furnace and permitted 70 collect inseoad Of b.. |