Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-31
LOSS OF THE STEAMER AMAZON.


the dreadful loss Of this ship and the great number q
persons board her, With the exception of the twenty
persons first reported to have been saved no nte
had been received in London of the escape Of
others until Thursday the 8th when the Submarine ele
graph from Paris announced the arrival at Brest on the
9th OF Dutch vessel bringing in six and nine
Of the crew Of the Amazon This makes the number
saved nine passengers and thirty Of the ships
pany II was hoped that others might yet have been
heard Of there nine boats one of which was sti,l
unaccounted for.
OF the which led to this terrible
nothing is yet known with certainty The only coniec
ture that present be hazarded is that which CON
with the outbreak OF the fire the heated state of the
bearings All new ships suffer more less in the same
way until their engines get into working trim and as
win be from the suboined narrative the Amazon
twice stopped in her course from this very cause
The gale of wind which blowing the heavy sea and
the pressure of steam all tended to increase the danger
likely thus to arise and the point at which the flames
first appears to prove that they originated in
the engine room.
The loss of e the swapping of the boats and all the
other horrors Of this affecting are very easily ac-
counted for The position Of the fire rendered impos
sble to get at the engines in order to stop them When
the ships head to windward the flames swept the
afterdecks where the passengers chiefly Before
the wind she was going at tremendous speed and it is
marvellous how any of the boats launched under
such circumstances and in such sea. The following
written statement by Midshipman WILLIAM VINCENT has
been laid by him before the directors of the company
{. The Amazon at of the 3D. Of january in
lat 40 II N. and long. 81 w., from which time she
steered w. by s. s. till 80 p M of the same day
when she stopped to cool the bearings. At ii 20 p
M she proceeded still steering the course steaming
about eight and half knots per hour, wind and in
xla J.uaoI ~ Iii.
the 4h smoke observed coming through the hatch
way, the foresde of the foremost funnel Immediate
afterwards the flames burst through The alarm was
Immediately given and the captain and chief officer
deck The rehose and buckets of water brought
to play the fire. but that together with the attempt
stop the engine Intellectual The helm was put hard
sarboard to put her before the wind but it
time before she payed off The mail boat when lowered
Immediately swamped with about twenty-five people
in her. oil of whom were lost The pinnace when lower
ed sheered the before the people in her could
unlock the foretackle. They thereby washed out
and the boat remained hanging by the bow While clear
ing away the second cutter struck her and raised her
off the and unlocked the bowtacke The foreend
Immediately fell down, and the people in her. with the
exception of two, who hung doubled the thwarts
were precipitated into the and drowned. Sixteen
Including passengers succeeded in clearing away
and lowering the fe-boat the starboard side They
used every endeavor to those in the water but
swept past rapidly that their exertons without
avail AT about the same time Alr. Vincent with the
chief steward passenger, and two seamen got into
and lowered the dingy, and picked up by the life
boat about half hour afterwards when Immediate
took the small boat in tow stood down for the ship
but the wind and increasing and the dingy being up
set and ourselves being nearly swamped obliged
to let the small boat CO. and keep the lfeboa with her
head to the Whilst lying to barque passed astern
of us and accordingly hailed and did believe an
but did nothing of any kind assist us but stood
down to leeward of the ship, hauled wind and went
away. There was now on our quarter boat with five
in her. supposed to be the gg but could not from
tho tho
About half hour afterwards suddenly lost sight of
her. About A. NJ. it rained heavily, wind shifted to
decreasing confused but going down put
the boat about and kept before it. At the magazine
exploded and about half hour afterwards the tunnels
went the sde after which the ship down
bodily At noon we picked up by the Marsden of
London stood in for the coast of France and afterwards
wind shifting to the southwark for Falmouth and lastly
p. NJ"
The boats of the Amazon fitted with iron cranes or
crutches which their kees rested; these fittings OBJ
structed their clearance from the ship and but for this
fatal arrangement the serious loss of life would have been
lessened. Capt SYnoSDs ordered to get into the
boats This order obeyed until the people saw the
flames oyerpowering the ship He last seen with the
man at the Wheel ordering the helm to be put up
keep the ship before the wind His last words were
" 1t is all with her." She going at the rate Of
twelve thirteen knots
The deck is described as dreadful in the ex
IRENE When the flames had approached the after COM
panion, two male passengers up from the saloon
in flames, and running aft fell the deck tall lady
supposed TO be Mrs. McLARES entreated some one to
take of her child but she would enter either of
the boats Dneford, the quartermaser placed one lady
passenger in boat but She being extremely agitated
got out again, and although Henry Williams and another
used some force and begged her to 60 in she persisted
remaining on board The stewardess Mrs Scott. with |
her bonnet and shawl on and something in her hand first
asked Steer TO put her in the dingy and then left for
larger boat At the time Of leaving some Of those who
yet lived were kneeing the deck praying to God for
mercy, while Others almost in state Of nudity were
running about screaming with horror.
Among the passengers Of the Amazon is the name of
Mr.. ELIOT WARRINGTON, the weLknown author. who was
deputed by the Atlantic and Pacific Junction Company TO
come TO friendly understanding with the tribes Of Indians
who nhablt the Ishmus of Daren IL was also the in
enton Of Mr. Warburton to make himself perfectly ac
quainted with every part Of those districts and with what
ever referred to their topography climate and
an intention that has been frustrated by his untmey
dreadful death.
Another Of the passengers by the Amazon was one Of
the deputies to the Congress Of New Granada who
returning to the seat Of government Of New Granada
one OF the commissioners Of the Atlantic and Pacific juno
ton Company empowered by them to negotiate for some
notifications of the very important concessions which
were recently granted by the Legislature Of New Granada
TO the agents OF the company in reference to the consc
ton Of ship canal.
Amongst those known TO be saved the following
Robert Nelson, Liverpool; I. siscy, Chagres; John
Hawke Vera Cruz; VIM. Vincent jr., midshipman JAS.
Williamson, steward John Dunford quarermaster Miss
Ann Maria Smith; Mrs Eleanor X. McClnmore and
child Bernardo Baricoe Frederick Glennie, w. Grnus,
and j. stobas William Stone, engineer George Deal
and Alex. LANG quartermasters.
w. NIw n