The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-02-19
THE Loss OF THE AMAzON!

CAPE.
The Royal Mail steam packet Amazon
from Southampton for the West Indies,took
fire about sixty miles west of Scilley, and
was-entirely consumed, with the mails, Off
GERS, crew and passengers, except twcnty-one
persons, viz: Mr.. Vincent, midshipman,
seventeen of the crew, and two passengers,
who succeeded in getting off in one of the
boats, and were picked up after being by her
twelve hours. The total number of persons
on board is said to have been one hundred
and fifty-fve. The fire is supposed to have
originated from spontaneous combustion.
The Amazon was on her first voyage, be-
ing the pioneer steamer of the new line re-
Gently projected between Southampton and
tho Isthmus of Panama, intended to convey
the English mails from port to port, and also
to touch at the Island of st. Thomas on her
trips. She was built in most suburb man.
Rer, with capacious accommodations, and
machinery designed TO enable her to make
the voyage in eighteen days, instead of con-
suming twenty-five days, the ordinary run
ming time of the old English mail steamers
now on that line. She went to sea on the
I'd Of January, amid the cheers of thousands
who had assembled to witness her departure,
and who little expected the final catastrophe
which was so soon to follow. The mass of
coal, 1888 tons, which she carried, took fire.
it is said, from spontaneous combustion.
She had on board 100000 sterling in specie,
and 800 bottles ii quicksilver, valued at Co.
$50. This is one of the most deplorable
catastrophes in the annals of ocean steam
navigation. The foundering of the Presi
dent with all on board is the only case
equally distressing; even then the number
ofpassengers was not so great
We take the following incidents of this
terrible catastrophe from letter in the the
London Times:
The steamer Grand Turk, Capt Smith ar
rived here to-day, from Havre, bringing The
majority of the survivors of the wreck of the
Amazon, who were landed at Brcst on the
9th inst.
Out OF the twenty-five saved by the Dutch
bark, twenty-one have been brought to
southampton. They consist of Mrs. Mac
lehman and child, and Miss Smith, passen-
gers; Mr.. Jacob Allen, foreman of Alcssrs
Seward and Cabcl) Mr. William Stone
Qourth engineer of the Amazon,) and
michael Gould, (thc second steward) the
remaining fifteen being seamen, firomcn, sc.
The whole of these unfortunate people
who escaped, many of them in state of
semi-nudity, have evidently experienced
great hardships since their providential de-
hverence from the burning ship being ex-
posed to the inclemency of the weather.
with insufficient clothing to protect them
from the cold, and from the hcavy sens
winch constantly washed over them, nearly
ssiI'4imphig their frail boats. For forty-eight
hours they were tossed about, having n5
provisions or water TO sustain their sinking
spirits and being almost left to despair of
ever reaching port in safety. Some of the
men look very i'll, and bear the appearance
OF having undergone much SUFFERING and
trials. When nearly ready to give up their
painful and almost hopeless task at the oars
the men were sustained and prompted to
fresh efforts by the kind and cheering words
OF the ladies, whose painful situation, dcsti-
tute OF all comforts and necessaries, it is al
most impossible to appreciate
The sufferers were received and treated
at Brest with the utmost kindness, and hos
pitality, both by the French authorities and
also by the British Consul and English resi-
dents. At Havre the English residents
made subscription to the amount of nearly
EGO for their benefit, with which to supply
their most pressing necessities.
The escape Of Mrs. Maclennan was almost
a miraculous one---she was twice separated
from her child, an infant of tender age; vet
the courage she displayed in recovering It
in the midst Of the scenes of horror attend
ing the rapid conflagratiou of the ship, show
the enduring love of mother, which no cir
cumstances of danger to herself could cause
her to forget. We regret to add that the
husband of Mrs. Maclennan is among the
fearful list of the missing by this terrible
catastrophe. Shc,however, cntertaing firm
conviction that Mr.. Maclennan escaped in
ono Of the boats which has yet to be ac-
counted for, and we understand expresses
an expectation that he may yet be heard of.
Ms; Maclennan is severely bruised, and her
hesn1 is considerably shaken by the fearful
suner'hss through which she has passed.
on @r,dnsNt southampton to-day, she was
powsriuily ah"ted She was met by her
Dr0'her-in-iaw' am left Southampton to Join
her relatives by the Aree o'clock train
Miss Smith, the o:h~ female passenger
had displayed heroism md intronid;ty
throughout these painful scene, which nloce
her almost in the rank of Grac. n.r,;no
She is very prepossessing young lsv and
We understand took passage by the ~,
zon to join family in Porto Rico, wit.