Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-06
A refreshing rain on Wednesday in this section
has much invigorated dropping vegetation.
Terrible Catus:rOp9GC--F5 Of the
Steamboat E2enTy clay.
from The New York Tribune or the 29.h.

FROM tlt New \ OTh lTlOlNC OF me 1ltn.
The Henry Clay left Albany at o'clock yes
terday morning, having on board, as near as
could be asccriancd, some 500 passengers, The
Armenia left the same place a few minutes af-
torward. On the passage down the river there
was as witness testify, continuous strife or
race between the two boats. At one time the
Clay crowded the Armenia almost upon the
western shore, and forced her to drop astcrn &c
| The passengers on the Ii. G.. finally aecame
greatly alarmed on account of the racing, and
sCmc time before the fire Il number of ladies were
crying and running about the cabin, as if scusi
bic that some catastrophe was impending. Some
Of the officers Of the bo0t went among them as
surfing them that there was no danger, and tricd
to pncify them.
We are assured that the race had been So
holly contested that the boats Ind purp0saiy mis-
scd seine of their landings. The runners Of the
boat al the various landings appear 10 have been
aware OF the racing, since they were freely Of
fcying bots upon their fayor;cs
However, no accident or outrage occurred IN
til few minutes after the Henry Clay passed
fonherS, whom it vas discovered that The wool
work near the boilers and tlucs were on fire
The alarm spread, bat the officers of the boat
Gujciousiy without doubU told the passengers
that there was ~ danger.
The pilot, however, saw that no time was to
b. lost, and healed the boqt for the eastern shore
/ The river here is nearly two miles wide, and the
boat in her regular coarse would have been a
nil cand half from the east bank.
Before reaching the shore, the flames had
spread 50 as almost to prevent communication
/ between the fore and aft parts of the boat
Al about three or quartcr past three o'clock.
the boat came ashore, lying at right angles with
the river, and the how driven mp some twenty
five feet on dry land, and pIungng with trcmen-
dous force into the railroad embaul;mcnt which
is there scmc ) or feet high.
The shock overthrow the snokopipr, dSplac-
Cd everything movable, and added not little to
the spreading Of the flames While the bow was
high and dry, the greater portion Of the boat and
unfortunately that which held nearly all the pas,
scngcrS, was in deep water.
The passengers Immediately boqnn to jump
overheard. Those on the bow get off safely, and
began to help the others. a board fence near
BY, was instantly stripped and the boards thrown
into the water. BY very great cXcrtian, q large
majority OF the passengers got ashore, some
scorched, nearly oil with the loss of clothes,
trunks, &c.
But the rapid spread Of the fire, which fore
cd the passengers at the stern overheard, was
the cause Of he loss ola large number of lives.
The scene was one Of the most terrible char
actcr. Mothers with their clothes in flames, try
ing to save some dear children children strug-
Cling in the waves without hanl to help them:
husbands and wives drowning together rather
than separate, and the remorselcss fire rapidly
destroying the last standing place OF the helpless
victims.
There was very few houses in the ncighLor
hood and very little help could be had from the
shore. But all who knew of FASTENED 10 lend
their aid.
sWhcn the o'clock train passed (about a
7. ND the boat was nearly all consumed the
rescued passengers lad dispersed, Except those
who took the train,) and the worst was over.
As VIC said before, the number Of bodies re-
covered before we left, at o. last night, was %
or %. Buttwo or three OF these showed any
evidence of burning, and but one appeared 10
have been burnt to dcath-this was Mary Coo
per. All the others we're evidently drowned.
The boat was entirely destroyed before sew
en- o'clock; nothing was left at five O'Clock, cx-
cept fragment of the bow, some ten or twelve
feet high, which burned slowly like a warning
beacon to light up the shapcless wreck Of char
red timbcrs and iron below.
Stephen Allen, Esq, and lady, were on board
are supposed to be among the dead. Mr.. A.
was seen by Mr.. Jewct of this city, on the deck
when the boat touched the shore Mr. J. hand.
cd him rope and his attention being drawn in
another direction he lost sight of TIE old gentle
man and did not see him afterward Mr.. Allen
was director of the Hudson River Railroad, and
formerly Mayor Of n " and about 81 years
years Of age. There is bat little doubt bat he is
among the drowned.
Another unrccoCnizcd child, was a boy about
year and half old, wearing green coat and
black beads around his neck
Mrs. Colby, of Montpelier left four children to
mourn the loss of mother.
The running ashore is generally deemed to
have been badly done. The bank was shelving
and iflhe pilot had run diagonaIy upon the sand
many lives might have been saved, as the wind
was blowing off shore, and would have kept the
flames in the most advantageous position.
From the New York Tribune July 3Oh.
An immense number Of persons gathered yes.
terday at the scene Of the disaster, most of them
being in search of missing friends Whenever
body was recovered, there was an immediate
crowd and excitement until the person had been
recognized.
There was report in the CITY that the body
of Stephen Allen had been found, but such was
not the case.
1t would be useless to detail the constantly .
recurring scenes Of grief as one after another .
was dragged from the water and identified. /
During the day, thirty bodies were found, ma
king in all ffy-iirce corpses. There or doubt
less many other still in the water, under or in
the wreck
Ne think the number Of people murdered by
This occurrence 'cN rcacR qt1eqH tsrenty.