Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-08-04

doned, and the steamers head was turn
ed towards the east bank of the river in
order to run her ashore. The necessity
for this movement at the earliest moment
was fully apparent. Already were the
wheel-houses wrapped in flames, the en-
gineers had been driven from their posts
and the devastating element famed by
stiff south wind, was sweeping rapidly To-
wards the after saloon, where the greaSoi
number of passengers were located Inc
dense volume of smoke, too, was blown
directly aft, laden with burning cihders,
and subiecting them to imminent danger
of suffocation.
In the meantime, the despairing shrieks
for help appeared to be redoubled. 1t
was instinctively seen that, as the steamer
would strike the shore bow on, there be-
ing no communication from aft to for
ward, even the approach of the rivers
bank gave but little hope to the helpless.
women and children who were astern.
And there they stood, the young and the
old, battling inch By inch with the hame
suffering a thousand deaths in the terri
bic struggle for life, until the vessel struck
leaving those who were aft some goo or
800 feet from the shore. At this time, 1t
is estimated, there were nearly 800 per-
sons huddled together on the after guards
hesitating in agony of terror whether to
meet death by the fame or the flood
these dread alternatives, apparently, be-
ing the only bitter choice.
The place where the steamer struck is
on the river bank, two and a half miles
below Yonkers. No boats were to be
had there of any description. The Ar
menia bore rapidly down, and sent out
her boats, as also did number of sailing
vessels which were near but at least
quarter of an hour elapsed after the Clay
struck ere any assistance came. In the
meantime, the panic-stricken unfortunatcs
had nearly all been forced over the stern
into the water, where many of them sus-
tanned themselves by swimming, or by
the aid of few floating boards, until re-
scued from their perilous condition. 9th
ers chung to the guards of the vessel with
the energy of desperation. The rudder
and steering gear furnished temporary
safety to Others. A number succeeded
in getting hold of the braces on the under
side of the guards.
Several ladies threw the end of stern
|
the water, and sustained themselves by it
until aid reached them; fortunately be-
fore the line, which was on fire, had be-
come to weak to support them. But
many others jumped frantically into the
water, and sank to rise no more. "A gem
tleman who was forward, and who got on
shore soon after the vessel struck, says
not one of number of ladies-some with
children in their arms--whom he saw jump
from the larboard side, were saved. He
expresses the conviction that some fifty
or sixty lives were lost. We wish
we could add that but little reliance
could be placed on his statements but OF
all those with whom we convcrsed, he
seemed the calmest and most likely to be
well informed,
We heard of but one person who Is
supposed to have been burned to death /;
one child, we are told, was seen to fall be-
meath the flames in the after saloon. A
Mr.. Way, of Wellesvile, Ohio, was among
the passengers, When the the Clay first
struck he swan ashore, procured raft
of several loose boards, and returned to
save his wife. The drowning creatures
about him, in their struggles for safety,
|
abandon it. The loose boards sustained
quite number of the Sufferers above wa
ter until help came, Mr.. Way got under
the steamers guard again, and sustained
his wife and two other ladies until tue
small boats came up.
Before the engineer { Mr.. Jacob Zim-
merman) was compelled to leave his post
he arranged the valve properly, and lett
the machinery in full motion, The en-
CINE worked we'll until the vessel struck,
when the machinery stopped with crash
probably from the giving way of the tim
bers supporting it. When the engineer
and fireman reached the forward deck,
they fell overpowcrcd by the heat and
su6ocation to which they had been sub
jcctcd,
FURTHER PARTICULARS, ONE HUNDRED
LIVES SUPPOSED TO BE LosT.-New York
July 90. You will find in the New York
papers this morning extended accounts OF
the burning of the steamer Henry Clay.
l send you whas additional matters have
transpired to-day in relation to the awful
disaster.
A meeting of the surviving passengers
of the steamer Henry Clay was held this
morning at the Astor House. Resolutions
were adopted strongly condemning the
officers of both boats, and committe OF
investigation was appointed, instructed to
draw up a full and accurate account of
events preceding the disaster. The fact
of the Henry Clay and Armenia having
been racing for several hours was asserted
and fully proved, and that the furnaces
had been filed with tar, and pitch, which
led to the conAagration of the boat. 1t
was also asserted that the boat had been
on fire before under similar circumstau.
ces.
Up to noon to-day, 50 bodies are repor.
ted to have been recovered from the wreck