Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-08-07
AWFUL CALAMITY !.
BURNING OF TIE HENRY CLAY!

lion ..hIc cu'amily. ltnppcars that the
a'ran~rs Ilcnry Clay aud Armenia
left albany for New York on the 2SIh
ulr.. the latter lille ahead. The
huars commenced rociug omlhc start,
aud such was the cngcrncss Of the
councillors that none Of the usual
landings were made until the boats
arrived at Hudson, nj which place the
armenia landed iirsr. forcing the Hen.
~ Clay To whit. From this point the
race increased in intensity, until at
EingstonHhe Clay ran into the Ar
,mcLa damaging her wheel house.
The passengers, with the exception
reckless few, had exhibited much
,mm during he entire passage thus
~ apprcltrnding some fatal result Ia
ne race. When the boats came in
rullisinn, their alarm increased somuch
that several ladies' fainicd. aud many
otl,ers gave expressiua To their fears
in load outcricS aud tears. 1t is pro-
rrcr 10 STATE here, that Capt. TaIlman
was confined To his room hy sickness,
and did not assume the command AT
all. Also, that Thomas CoIIy"r, one
uf,lIc owners of the boat. was ahnard.
We arc told that after the collision
i,ur gentlemen went to the persons in
command. stating The CONSERVATION
or the Indies, and demonstrating n
prinst the fearful risk to which the
;ra:srnrcrs yer" being INFECTED. aud
Logging that the race should ccasc.-
At tbs time the heat in the vicinity
~ the engine and boiler rooms was
50 great that it had become almost i'm
possible to pass from one end of the
rcssel To the other. This fact was
mentioned to the person in command,
as M evidence Of the great danger
to which they were exposing the pas.
scmgcrs to secure fruitlcss victory.
The reply was, that the boat was get
Ting along very well, and that there
was so danger TO be apprchcndcd,-
The race was accordingly continued.
At about u quarter before 5 o'clock,
Just after passing the village of lon-
kcrs, the thrilling cry of "Firc !" re-
seundAl from the centre of the boat.
A glance towards the engine room
showed a column of smoke pouring
IN from one of the matches. Almost
simultaneously The flames lcaped from
the hold near the boiler rooms; and
in less than one minute the entire vi
cini,y of the machinery was enyclop-
cd in flames, cutting of all communi-
cation between forward and aft. A
Western steamboat Captain, who was
on board, expresses his conviction that
tar, rosin, or some other highly III
fiammablo matter must have been
in use in the boiler room for fuel, as
wood-cvcn healed as was every part
of tho boat, near the machinery, by
the unusual fires of the day,-coult
not, by any possibility, have igniset
and rrised a dense wall Of fame, in {
few seconds which elapsed after The
first alarm. and before communication
fore and alt was cut of. This testi'
mony is confirmed by other gentlemen
with whom we conversed.
Panic and confusion now assume
tho rnips The realization Of the
gloomy, forcbolings Of the morning
seemed 10 be Ut hand. Men, women
and children were thrown into an a.
farming state of confusion. Ladies
were calling upon their husbands for
succor; mothers claspcd their chill
aren 10 their bosoms, with the energy
Of despair. as they rctreated from the
rapidly spreading destruction. Hus-
bands who were on the forward deck
strovc in vain 10 reach their partners,
left but moment before in the Alter
saloon. Groans, cries, shricks, i'm,
precautions, and prayers, were mlnglc"
in mournluI chorus. From the instant
{hat The fire wss discovered, despair
3ccmcl to settle upon the hearts OF a
larg, portion of The passengers, and
ehnt ort from view a1;ogctherlhe hope
c;Itum.cd To induce scIf-posscsslon
and cllactual efforts for safety.
= cry for the boats was raised ;
Int no boats could he found. We
c.naol ascertain that single yawl or
life boat was on hoard the steamer
If there was one such, we are assured
that none was brought in use. Nor
can we learn that there was any ct:
irct:vc apparatus on board with which
10 cxtirguish FIRE. At all events,
every effort ~ save The vessel became
so utterly hopeless, within five min
ntas after the flames broke Out, that ii
was abandoned. md the steamers
head was turned townldslhr cast bunk
Of the river in order tortn her ashore
The necessity for this movement al
% earliest moment was fully appa
..n;. Az. ady were the whcelhoQsc.
wrapped in flames, the engineers mac
bceI driven from their posts, aud '4e
devastating element, famed by Il sill
south wind, was sweeping rnplIy to
wards the after saloon, where the
greater number OF the passengers
we're located. The dense volume o.