The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-08-28

We find the following graphic relation in the
New York National Democrat
One OF our iniormaD,s-a man Of much ap-
parent coolncss and capdor--who was a passen-
ger on board the Henry Clay, gave us the fol
lowing recital. We believe that he is now stop.
ping at the American Hotel and will cheerfuliy
give his testimony whenever called for Said
he:
Il went on board ut Albany, with my wife
and two OF her female friends who were en,rust
ed TO my care. | am steamboat captain myself
and one Of the proprietors Of line Of boats IN
,he Ohio. am a resident of Cincinnati, and this
Is the first time ] ever saw the Hudson river
Now, out West we use the hghpressure engine,
and am perfectly acquainted with its coDstruc-
tion and operation; but these condensing ma.
chimes know but little about, practically. |
have seen boats blown up on the Ohio and Mis-
slssippi, aud have witnessed much suffering and
distress in consequence-but sir, never, never,
never did ], in all my life, witness to much SUI
fcrlng, and agony, and despair and death, as |
did on board that cursed North River steamer, in
the short space of twenty minutes
:" 1t was murder absolute, deliberate mur.
der, on part Of those who had control Of the boat
all the way from Albany, until the final tragedy
was consummaied."
Did they race T.
:" Race why the scoundrels raced all the way |
liked It well enough at first but after the col
lison above Kingston the ladies became nervous.
Some tainted, some cried, and seeing the affair
becoming serious, appealed 10 the acting Cap.
tain TO stop the strife. lie took no notice at all
Of what ] snid, and then went to the engineers
enclosure, toasscr,nin the heighth Of steam"
"Did lie tell youf
" lie told me to mind my own business. There
were two steam guages, but no man, save per.
haps, the engineer himself could have ascertain.
ed what number of inches they indicated. did
not like the appearance The leaking steam from
the Joining smelt hot and queer, such as We some
/ tme- get West, with very strong fire. under a
! pressure Of four hundred pounds Seats were
scarce the boat was full; my wife and myself
sat down on stools, opposite the engineers railing
aud she trst called my attention to the smoke
coming up from ,he deck below, near where the
engineer stood. Just at that instant, something
4 like cotton or oakum seemed to be blown up
ward It was smoking, but one Of the hand-
quickly seized it, nnd rolling it up, threw it away
| sprang forward to the gratngs and saw that
I tue whole area below, as far as | could observe
was one mass ef flame aud as was looking the
blaze burned up through the aparture. and IN q
minute or two the main deck; amidshps, wa:
on FIRE
The boat at that time was headed down The
river, and seeing some person who was pointcl
out as acting Captain, | advised him to run hcl
ashore got no satisfactory answer and thol
AS the fire was roaring below aud bursting uI
/ through every aperture with binding, sitting
smoke which psrvadci III. who boat-I begaI
to think OF providing for the safety Of my vii,
l and her two lady companions As soon as posi-
ble, J got all forward and, meanwhile, my
black boy had got forr Of our five franks from
the baggage rooms He nl.o succeeded in saving
the Fifth, but not until the top was bcrned OF
"Ne all took Jump over the bows into The
g'aTel, thankful TO escape anyhow from the burn
ng wreck
81 know That Il is to fire up, both will
wood aud coal have used tar myself on III,
Western rivers, and should think that tar. o
some similar combustiblc, was used on the Henr,
Clay immedlatcly previous to the accident. Their,
Is no doubt they were racing | was told so
every body knew II. But | have no doub. tha
the rapid;y with which the flames spread wa
! owing in great measure to the intense hea
around the boilers, and the fact OF their ferdin
the furnaces with some other substance bu
anthracite,
lie further stated that he saw several chi
dren with their clothes on FIRE, on the stern of th
q boat, and has no doubt that large number 9
them perished in the flames, together with severl
females who tainted in the saloon when the fac
Of the fire became terribly real"