Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1852-08-05
From tke New York Times of Thursday.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT on tue
HUDSON.
FIFTY OR SIXTY LTTE3 LOST

About 4 o'cluck yesterday afternoon
our citizens were startled by the intell.
gence that the steamer Henry Clay.
Captain Tallman, had been burnt on the
passage iron Albany. and that number
81 lives were lost. HGSdreds Of citizens
9ocked Immediately 10 the Hudson Riv-
er Railroad Station. and to the steamboat
wha'ves. 10 ascertain the particulars;
and among them Fere many who, with
keen anxiety, sought TO learn the fate Of
friends supposed to hsye been upon the
ill:iatsd boat. The particulars Of the!
sad disaster are these a.. y
] The Henry Ciay and ArmeniG left
ALBANY at O'Clock yesterday 9sqrhing
| for New York--the latter little ahead.
each crowded with passengers the for.
mer having between four and Eve hun
dred on board. The passengers testify
Ethat the boats commenced racing from
the start--tLe boats belonging 70 rival
lines. In the eagerneas Of The race, ell
the landings were missed until Hudson
| was reached. Here the Armenia made
the landing first. and the Henry Clay
was Obliged TO wait until her rivals de-
parture before she could reach the dock.
The Armenia, Of course, again got the
start, taking the west channel Of the
river-lhe channels being separated by
a grassy Cat. When the boats reached
the lower end Of tliis fst, they were
nearly abreast Of each other, each striv.
ing to make the next landing (King stony
ahead of the other. The Armenia being
nearest, the K'ngston shore, her rival
crowded upon her SO hard that they
came in collision and ran side by side for
some niiie distance, the wheel house Of the
Armenia sustaining cons iderable damage.
! The passengers. with the exception Of
a reckless few, had exhibited much
alarm during tine entire passage thus far,
experimenting some fatal result to the
i hazardous race. When the boats came
in collision, their alar n increased so much
. that several ladies tainted and many
others gave expression TO their fears in
7 |, nd 'ou(cl les and tears. 1t is proper to
state here, that Capt. Tallman was con
, fined TO his room by sickness, and dill
, not assn ne command at all also, that
| Thomas Ctllyer, the builder and one of
j., the owners of the boat, was Ola board.
, After the collision, four gentlemen went
: to the persons in command, stating the
CONSERVATION Of the ladies, and remon-
st,ating against the risk to which the
+ passengers were being subjected, and
: begg ing that the race should cease. AT
Al This time tho heat in the vicinity Of
the engine and boiler rooms was so great
that it became almost impossible to pass
} from one end Of the vessel 10 the other.
The circumstances were unavaillng. The
reply was, that the boat was getting along
very well, and that thcre was no dan :
! ger to be unprecedented. The race con :
. Llnued. #aa.
Il Passing the highlands, the Armenia
. fell lapldly astern, apparently having
> given up the contest. In the meantlme
J dinner Lad been served on board the
Henry Clay she also having somew hat
slackeHed her speed. the passengers had
become quoted of their apprehensions.
Al about quarter TO o'clock, just after
passing the illage Of Yonkers. the thrill.
ing cry Of "Esrea" rescunded from the
centre of the vessel. A glance towards
! The engine room showed column Of
, smoke pouring up from one Of the
ha.cLes. Almost simultaneously, the
Aames leapeA from Tie held near the
boiler rooms and in less than one min mir,
/. ute the entire vicinity Of the machinery
|, was enyeloped in hames. cutting OF all
3 communication between forward aGd aft.
n A western steamboat captain. who was
!. en- board, expressed his conviction Il q
' Tar. resin, OF some other highly infiama'
4 bic matter, must have been in use in the
a boiler room for fuel, as wood could not
o by any possibility have ignited and rais'
4 I'd 10 dense q volume Of flame in the
d few seconds that elapsed after the first
e alarm. and before communication lore
/. and aft was cit off, This testimony was
( confirmed by other gentlemen with whom
]. We conversed. -,
o Panic and confusion now assumed the
I reins. Men, women and children. were
. thrown into an alarming state OF &conta-
fsion. Ladies were calling upon Their
. husbands for succor mothers clasped
! their children to their bosoms with the
! energy OF despair. as they retreated from
llhe rapidly spreading destruction. Hus-
bands who were ON the forward deck
stroye in vain 70 reach tAeir partners iets
but moment before in the after>saloon.
} Groans, cries, shrieks, inprecations end
PRAYERS, were mingled in mournt1i cho'
rus From the instant that the fire was
discovered, despair seemed to settle upon
the hearts Of large Portion. OF the pas,
sengels.
R cry for "the boats" was raised !;
| hut no boats could be found. We can.
not ascertain tia. single yawl or life
| boat was on board the steamer, any ef-