The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-31

oge, being able to swim little, was saved.
A gentleman belonging TO Newark, we are told
managed to save bis wife and nioe children. IL
was an expert swimmer, and rushed them to sh
shore ms fast as they jumped overheard When b,
finished bis iask he became exhausted and had Il
be conveyed to his home He loft the scene OF dis
aster apparently perfectly sepseless:
One fair boy, of about six years, had losi
Lis mother. and bis sorrows. vehemently expressed
as be wandered around the burning embers, touehed
every heort. He was finally taken away by some
kind hearted strangers who pi,ied his sullerngs
and did what they could 20 relieve them,
Another touching scene witnessed. between a
mother and her SOD, young lad Of twelve years
| The youth was good swimmer, aod succeeded in
saving his mother from death; taking her with him
he Jumped from The stern Of the buroing boat, and
made his way courogeously to The shore. Unbap
| PLY, however, two young sisters Of the lad were
| lost. They were oil The children Of Mr.. Robinson
Of No. 90 Perry street, New York.
| Among the lost was Mr.. A. j. Downing the dis
tipguisbed borticultorsI. Of Newark, who has done
80 much to introduce ideas of taste and beauty aud
adaptation into suburban and rustic gardening
His various works have propagated better notions OF
the picturesque among our rural population. Farm
and villa architecture bas especially experienced
| the benefits Of his judicious advice.
Mr.. Oven Lynch, in the employ OF Mr.. knight,
one of the Jurymen. residing Yonkefs, is grato
fully remembered By many survivors, as the foftu-
nate instrument Of their preservation. Among
those who rescued by his humane Efforts, was
Mr.. Bancroft Of Philadelphia. Numbers of 9th ers,
whose names were not ascertaiDed owe to Mr.. Lynch
theft rescue from wateyy grave. Battling with
the difficulties Of the scene, he did hs work manfu-
~ and well.
A noble Newfoundland dog, named "Neptnne, -
belonging to tho neghbcrhood rushed into the
wa err and seized young child that was drowning,
by the dress, near The shoulders, aud bore il safely
TO = he shore. Ho returned and approached n wo
man to assist in the same way, but she was SO
frightened that tho dog had To be called off, and
he was thus deprived of the opportunity Of sxtend-
Ig that relief TO the sufferers 10 which his instincts
and his noble mature prompted him.
Before the engineer (Mr jacob Iimmcrman) was
compelled tn leave his post he arranged the valve
properly and left the machinery in full notion.
The engine worked well until tho vessel struck,
when the machinery stopped With crash, probably
When the engineer and 6remen reacl0 tho forward
dtck they tell oysrpow.red by The heat and sulo-
cation to which they had been subjected
Captain J. r. Tailmsn, commander of the Henry
Clay, vas 90 beard, lahoring under severe illness.
In hs Efforts 10 rave Others after The fire broke ont,
be was IN the water long time; when taken out.
nc was unable TO speak. He WAS brought 30 the
city in the steamer Armenia. II is feared that he
will rot recover.
TIL. pri cpsl pilot Of the Inflated steamer had his
wife III the wheel house, where shs remained until
the vessel struck, when he caught hold OF her AMI
jumped upon the shore.
James l. Jessnp. the clerk of The stasner, was in
the water, and had n escape He says that
he had record of the names Of the passengers,
and that al the books, documents and moneys in
the Office were lost,
Mr.. Radford, one OF the owners Of the Henry
Clay, was on boa the George Washington, going
UP the river, but on nearing the barnng vessel,
came OF in G small bont 10 the snOre and immedi-
attly engaged boats and grspphpgs to search for
the bodies Of the sufferers.
II is said that shortly after the steamer struck
tI L..f oIn 4 1.u
by two men, who instead Of saving fellov beings,
commenced pluI de,pg the yaluablcs Of the passcn-
gers. Several gentlemen, who witnessed the out
rage threw the beartleas thieves from the boat, and
taking possession Of her, succeeded in rescu,ng
number Of persons woman was detected in
stealing pocket book from the luggage Of one Of
the deceased
Two English gentlemen, d C. Leather, and ].
Leather, Esqs on their return from tour through
the United States and Canada, arrived ut Albany,
and went on board the steamer Henry Clay, not
being suited, they left and came down On board Of
the Armenia. On her reaching the Henry Clay,
after she was Oh fire. they personally rescued several
Of the Henry Cay passengers. They are now at
the Union Place Hotel.
There were other instances Of persons, who we're
accidentally prevented from taking passage by the
fitted boat. Among them We're gentleman and
biz wife, residing in the upper part of the city.
They came board the Henry Clay, at Albany,
when they asceItaned that their baggage had been,
by mistake. placed ON board another boat. While
endeavorIng TO procure its REMOVAL they were in
formed ba. tho Henry Clay had already east off it,
fasteniDgs, and they thus compelled to remain
on the other heat, much against their will.
STATEMENTS OF PASSENGERS.
nr. c. G. Wells, Of "a Clinton street, Brooklyn,
makes the following statement
was passenger on the i'll fated steamer Henry
Clay, on the 2Sth inst. took the boat at C0zzens'
Landing, West Point i found on board a large
inn tod hxyy
400 70 as high MS s00-the last number have no
doubt was too large; the first probably is much
nearer the truth. 1t was the general testimony of
| the passengers whom found on board, that the
| Henry Clay mad been racing with the Armenia all
| the way from Albony-that there had been a COLI
sion Of tho two boats that the officers Of the Henry
Clay had been demonstrated with by the passengers
for this racing as dangerous proceeding and that
| they were told there was danger. These facts
| have knowledge Of only from the statements of
| others; but they were confirmed by many wit
nesses that have no doubt OF their truth Parties
left the boat account of these facts, before
they reached Cozzens, whom I afterwards met on
the train which brought nae from the fatal scene to
| New York. talked with them on the conduct of
the officers Of the boat and they gave the above
their reasons for leaving and taking the cars. One
party go left, and for such reasons, at Rhinebeck
When went on board passed directly TO the up
| per deck, where ! noticed one fact which now
seems to me to have had fearful significance. The
| upper deck was literally covered with small frag-
ments of anthracite coal, in all directions, which
were not protected by the awning over head
A furled side awning was taken down from one side
Of the boat. and carried to the other, the folds of
which were filled with these pieces OF coal They
fell in little showers every time The furnaces received
new supply Of fuel, and the fragments were, some
Of them, nearly as largo as peas, should think.
examined some, and found they were entirely IN
marked By the fire they had passed through, though
1t was such fire as such draft would Keep up-a
draft Of sufficient power TO blow such bodies through
the furnace and chimney before the color could be
dimmed.
After the boat was found to be on fire, | know no
reason for ceDsUrng the conduct of the officers It
was running nearly IN the middle of the river which
nigh. be mile and half wide at the place Of the
aecident-if such word may DO employed to de-
scribe such an event. The pilot turned her towards
the shore Immediately. and ran her bows on the
beach with full force. was on the upper deck, and
at the stern Of the boat.
The fire broke out in the vicinity Of the chimney,
which was about the junction Of the forward aud
| middle thirds. When tho shore was reached, most
Of LhOae ha l0v doc of leo,