The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-05
THE HENRY CLAY CALAMITY.
Proceedings IN Westchsster County Against
tho Onisers Of the Boat.

Proceedings IN westchsster County Against
tho Onisers Of she Boat.
The verdict Of the Coroper jury In the Of the in
vstgations lately held at Yonkers to inquire into the
circumstances attending the death Of those who lost hsr
lives at the time Of the burning of the Henry Clay and all
the papers connected with the examination are about to
be placed in the hands Of Edward Wells Esq, District
Attorney Of wetchester county, in order that he may
lay the matter before the next Grand Jury convened in
that county. The Coroner has concluded not to is
sue warrants against the persons named In the YER
diet Of the jury having 'perpetrared act the
suit Of which the death Of all the persons named in
in the inquston The papers are now being prepared
by the counsel of the Coroner
No bodies have been found, and the search has
ceased No doubt the remains Of some Of the un-
fortunate passengers carried away by the tide and
will be recovered Those who saw the awful TRACE
dy and participated in its scenes agree in stating that
there must have been many lost than have been
recovered, reported known to be missing Indeed
under the circumstances would strange that SO
few seventy.fve persons should have lost their
| lives One Of the witnesses stated that the water
around the stern Of the boat shortly after she
struck was completely black with men, and chill
dren The water twenty feet deep and all that
saved owed their lives to the heroic conduct of the few
able swimmers who willing to peril their own lives
In aiding their fellow passengers escape drowning
The Coroners jury agreed upon their verdict in twenty
minutes after they first retired to deliberate Their pro-
traced caused by the time consumed in pro-
curing the Of the parties mpcated these names
in the possession of Esquire Chrsed and that gen.
eman being absent considerable time was consumed in
looking him up Besides this the counsel for the Coroner
the suggestion of prepared the papers (Which
be placed in the hands Of the District Attorney
with great care avoid If possible any loophole
through which the parties could escape by means OF legal
OF technical defect.
preamble and resolution introduced by Of their
number, and adopted unanimously:
a syR ss S a hsny
to the President directors and
attaches Of the Hudson River Railroad, .hereors.
pany ,or their hind and humane act in aiding
tins Of the disaster searching bodies their Offices
and trains have I'll been at service Of the p1 %
the entire community. ,., .
FAY that they have during the past week afforded every
assistance in their to render effective the work of
HERALD desire to express their thanks for the facilities
which they have received at the hands of these gentle
men while prosecuting their profes sional labors.
j. G Schoonmaker is the name Of the young man, be-
longing to Babylon L. l., who rendered such efficient
in securing those who drowning at the time
Of the disaster Mr. is member OF the legal profess
The CONSERVATION caused by the burning of the Henry
Clay has made travellers exceedingly cautious. The
Armenia went her last trip with but few passengers
on board
STATEMENT OF ANOTHER PASSENGER.
The communication. which subjoin, says BALI
Sun Of Tuesday depicts very clearly the usual over
sights and inadvertences Of such occasion and it
also reflects degree of elfhness and negligence OF duty
in the officers and crew amounting TO guilt in the omis-
sion to launch the two boats TO which allusion is made
at the moment Of danger. The sole credit due to the
officers board that which will be dp osed TO
lch from them of running the boat promptly shore
in the awkwardest manner but in such way to w
sue the safety Of their own precious lives Mr. Chad
Mrssns Allow me to correct an error which
appears in this mornings Sun awarding me the merit OF
having saved some OF the Henry Clays passengers by
swimming / cannot swim, aud of course saved no one
in that way three the south side OF
boat, who swimmers exposed themselves noby in
this way: but think that most of the men who saved
themselves from the bow of the boat, must feel a
great responsibility resting on them, on account
could have done Some of thought were
doing all that lay in our power; but when all was
over it was quite plain we needed head to think
more than hands to execute There was life boat turned
bottom up the promenade deck forward the arboard
wheel house and two men could have ptched over any
time within three four mnutss after the steamer
struck That not done before the passengers
the forward deck had passed down the bows be
counted for only the suppoton that they all thought
the boat would high of when she beached
that passengers astern could easily wade ashore This
my expectation, at any rate and the was not
discovered until reached the shore and down the
track few rods, to what going astern The
passengers swarming TO the buwarks, already
outside. standing on the guard and 1t was evident the
water deep for two thirds the boass length Looking
and across the river OF relief fany des
cIiption appeared, and then for the first time realized
the peril in which the stern passengers placed
few Of ut rushed into the to push out few
boards that al hand and when they returned with
or without passenger We sent them sgain on their
Grand But ia eagerness TO improve the first
Of assistance that to hand nothing else thought
Of till ashore cried throw the boat But
there by this time on the forward deck,
much less the promenade deck to obey the order
could the small boats have been approached at that time
Another thing that distresses to think of was
not seeing small raft ofpehaps ten pieces OF hewn tim
Der. within short distance Of the steamers bows the
south side and just above the waters edge They
fastened together in some way. but could easily have
been got apart and pushed ngy into the water and to-
wards the stern giving timely support to many until the
boats might have come to the These tmbers /
very plainly the next mcrnins when awoke, and,
in ina inaton went the terrible again We
labored mechanically. but not intelgeny, taking
time to look about unless to see IL salvation not
coming in the shape of boat from some steamer or
schooner in the river. Many standing the rail-
road track and they at least having nothing to occupy
their hands might have used their eyes and brains But
II does not become me to accuse them. have
mention Of these facts in any Of the published accounts
and would rather keep silence myself but for the para
graph which gives such unieservei prominence my
agency in saving passengers. G. CHADBoURNE
Baltimore, August Q 1862.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT.
Before Commissioner Morton