The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-03


starboard side. They used every endeavor to
save those IN the water, but were swept past 80
rapidly that their exertI0Hs were without avail.
At about the same time I, with the chief
steward, one passenger, and two seamen. got
into and lowered the dingy, and were picked
up by the life-boat about half an hour after
wards. when we Immediately took the smolI
boat in tow, and stood down for the shin. bn,
the wind and sea increasing and the dingy be.
ing upset, and ourselves being nearly swamp
ed, we were obliged to let the small boat go.
and keep the life-boat with her head to the sea.
About A. M. il rained heavily.
wind shifted to Northward, decreasing sea,
confused, but going down, put the boat about,
and kept before it. At five the magazine ex-
ploded, and about half an honr afterward the
tunnels went over the side, soon after which
the ship went down bodily
After this the boat was pulled before the sea
and wind, thinking to make the French coast,
which was, as they thought, the nearest. Mr.
Vincent's monkey jacket. being mounted on an
oar, was their only sail, and the boat was kept
dry by bailing her with his boots. So they
proceeded until rescued by the Marsden.
The adventures of Mr.. Thomas Sislev, one
of the passengers taken out of the dingy, and
saved in the after lifeboat, on board the ANA
z7on, are almost fabulous. Mr. Sisley was in
bed when the fire ragged, and was awakened by
the berth being filled with smoke; he jumped
out Immediately, and, snatcbing up the near
est garment, coat belonging to his friend, has
tily rushed throug h the cabin to the deck. The
horrible scene which now presented itself
seemed, as in the case of most of the survivors,
to have paralyzed his senses, and to have tenn
porarily disturbed his recollection. Having
got from the burning ship into one of the boats
which fouled her tackle, he was precipitated
into the sea, and, providentialy for him, sues
al
dingy. On landing at Plymouth, in a state of
nudity, he sent for an old friend, MIR. Henry
Seaman, by whom he was speedily provided
wlth the necessaries he SO much required
MIR. Sisley's surmise as to the cause Of the fire
IS, that it commenced among the coal, which,
being slowed away in tarred bags, would be
readily ignited when placed near the engines.
The cause of the destruction of the Amazon
IS unknown; she was under steam from the
time OF her departure to the period of the acc-
dent. As is usual with new machinery, water
was kept almost continually playing on the
bearings of the engines. On account of the
heat OF these bearings, the ship was stopped off
the Bill of Portland on Friday night, between
the hours of 8 and 12 and about the same pc
rod on Saturday night, she was stopped for
two hours and half; however, the necessity
for the operation of wetting these parts was de-
creaslng, as the main centre bearings were get
ting more suent, and the engine altogether in
better order. John Shearing, an intelligent
fireman, states, that in playing the water on
The crunks quantity fell on the wood and felt
of the boilers, and he conceves that these sub
stances, when the water was dried from them,
would ignite the quicker for the operation, ana
hence the accident.
The value Of the Amazon when ready for
sea was about f100, 900, and she is understood
to have cost the Royal Mail Steam Packet
Company fully that sHm. 1t is said that she
is not insured, and the loss will consequently
fall entirely upon the insurance fund of the
company, a fund exclusively devoted from an
nual grants derived from the profits of the COM
pany toward casualties ofshipwrecks and loss
of their vessels. The value of the specie,
quicksilver, cargo, &C., when added TO the
value of the ship, will give total loss ofprop-
erty of little less than f200O00 sterling. The
wives, families, friends and connexions of most
OF the crew of the Amazon reside IN South
ampton, and the melancholy event has caused
deep gloom in the town. Many of the off
GERS, engineers, seamen, &C., have wives and
families depending upon their exertions for
support; and to the loss OF their husbands,
sons and brothers, as the case may be, is added,
In several cases, the proxlmate loss OF the
means of subsistence. But prompt measures
of relief will be taken. subscription has al
ready been commenced at Southampton for
their benefit, the Mayor of Southampton, Mr..
r. Andrews, heading the list Of donation with
the sum of fl0. 1t is hoped that subscription
will not be confined to this town alone, but
that contributions from other parts of the
kingdom will flow in when committee has
been formed. A public meeting has been
called TO facilitate this, for Monday, at the
Guildhall, Southampton.
Captain Symons was only Professionally ap-
pointed to the Amazon, in consequence of the
absence from England of Captain Chapman,
OF the Tay, who was destined to be her perma-
manent commander, the Directors having in
tended Capt. Symons to assume the command
of the new steamer Oronoco, now in the
Thames, and nearly ready. Just prior TO the
sailing of the Amazon, Captain symons re.
ceived a complimentary letter from the United
States Mail Steamship Company, of N. York,
accompanied by magnificent silver speaking
trumpet.
Lieutenant Brady, R. NJ, the Admiralty
Agent of the Amazon, was sent on board to
take charge of the mails at the last moment,
in the place Of Lieutenant Wilkinson, X. ~,
who was prevented from embarking by sud-
den indisposition, and whose life has thus been
provideniially preserved at the expense OF
that of Lieutenant Brady.
The following is an extract OF letter to
The Morning Chronicle, dated at Brest, Jan.
D. The letter states that the Dutci Vessei
Gertruida, Fundeler, arrived on that day, with
twenty five of the shipwrecked persons from
the Amazon, picked up in two boats. The
first boat was fallen in with on Sunday even
ing at 81 o'clock, and the other at O'Clock on
the following morning. On their receiving
intelligence Of the disastsE, the French auin1-
rites, on the applicatio1If the British Consul'
Immediately ordered outfhe steamer oouheuf,
in the hope that it might fall in with some re- o.
The other boats, the fate of all which was 'nen
unknown. The letter proceeds to state ,ns
following particulars relative 70 'he pe'soAs
rescued, list Of whom is gwen.
IT. ,.ho,e of the sbipwrecked passengers
"a a.a,v wbo arrived by the Gertrude, have
asen @ broue ht ashore in boats, and more mel,
sncholy spectacle than they presented conlo
not be pictured. Among them are two = ladies' saa
and @ a child and their sufferings may be con-
ceiyed from the fact that, besides all the o'nei
horrors they have gone through, ,ney n,ha. we.. Ca