The Evansville daily journal., 1852-07-13
From the Newsorleans Picayune July 9th.
MOST DISTRESSING CASUALTY!
Loss OF THE ST. JAMES.
Judge Preston, j. VI. w OFF, and Fifteen
or Twenty other. Lost

her boilers at POlnte AuX-her0eS, on Lake
Pontchartrain, and some fifteen or twenty OF
her passengers, among whom were Judge
Preston, of the Supreme Court, J. Nj. Wolf,
Mr.. Gates, and John l.. Sheed of the Mint
were lost.
A gentleman connected with this office was
passenger on board the steamboat California,
and within a few hundred yards of the st.
James when the explosion took place. From
him we derive the following circumstantiai ac-
count of the passage from Bay st. Louis, and
of the awful casualty.
The st. James lett Bay st. Louis at half
past 10 O'Clock last night, and in about
twenty minutes afterwards the California,
Capt. II. p. Ensign, also started for this city.
The passengers on board the California got
sight OF the St. James on entering the Rigo-
lets, and soon after passed her. On getting
into shoal water at this end of the Rigolets,
the 1T. James again caught up with the Cali
fcrnil and passed ahea The ill-fated boat
had not gone more than quarter of u mile
in advance when her boilers exploded. The
scene which ensued was terrible beyond des-
cription. The upper part of the st. James
was literally shattered to atoms, and the wreck
WAS almost instantly in flames.
The shrieks of those on the burning boat
were heard by the passengers on the Califor-
MA, ana as t.Ic tidieS rose ana extended the
suspense and anxiety became agonzing.
Capt. Ensign steered directly for the wreck,
but the fire was so intensely hot that he was
compelled by due regard for the persons i'm
mediitely under his charge to haul off short
distance. The boats belonging to the Cal
ifornia were launched, manned and went to
the assistance of the sufferers. Some were
in the water and others on the wreck, and as
many of the former as were discovered were
rescued.
The flames rose from the centre of the st,
James, and Capt. Ensign made a second at
tempt to reach the persons on the wreck, He
succeeded by skilliul management in getting
and gentlemen gained the decks of the Cali
fornla. We give the names of those saved
below
We learn from Mr. Archibald Binney that
Judge Preston had his berth over the boilers
No24. He was seen retire to rest and i'm
Imcdately after the explosion occurred theplace
where he had been lying was observed to have
been shattered to pieces, and he was nowhere
to be seen. Ii is presumed that he perished
instantly, although faint hope, which will
cling to one when the destruction or safety OF
friends are concerned, was entertained that by
some miracle he might have reached the shore
which was not far distant.
j. NJ, Wolf and his son, lad abont four
teen years of age, were seen standing on the
wreck ofthe st, James together. The boy
urged his father to jump into the water and
declared that he could save him. The father
refused to jump in the water and the boy left
him aud struck out for the California, which
was then approaching. He reached her in
an exhausted state and cried out that he
could struggle no more.
John l., Sheed, OF the Mint in this city,
was On board the ST. James with his lady.
Mrs Sheed was rescued, and her husband is
supposed to have perished,
COL Palirey was among those taken from
the water, having swan from the burning
wreck. His hands were slightly burned
Two members, John Malloy and Nicholas
Read, of Protection Fire Company No. 10.
and the hose of the company, were lost,
A negro boy belonging to DIR. Pennington
was lost The doctor himself was indefatieab-
lie in his exertions for the relief of the woan-
d I'd, md his conduct exc ted the admiration Cf
all who observed him.
1t is supposed that about twenty lives are
lost. The wounded, nj leteen in number. we
re left at DIR. Luzenbnrgs Hospital, and it
was thought by DR. Pennington this morning,
tnat ten them would die of the injuries re-
ceived. The steamboat ST. Charles had arriv.
ed. at Milueeburg, but the light of the bur-
ming st. James having been seen, the cap
tain get up steam and steered for the wreck.
He arrived there, however, after all who could
be were saved.
We learn that Capt. w. Fl. Wright, the
owner CT the st. James, is badly scalded
Capt Ensign is entitled to great credit for
his manly tirmness anu gallant efforts to res
cue the persons On the wreck.
Capt. Clark is also among the wounded, hav-
ing been severely scaled.
The st. James was hi III pressure boat was
built liz Cincinnati in 1850 and has been en-
| ployed on the river until about moth ago,
when she was placed in the lake trade.
The persons lying wounded in DIR. Luzen-
burg's hospital present about as horrible a
spectacle as one can witness. Outside the |
buildingin which number ofthem are living
are cotes covered with blood, having been first |
placed upon them. 1t is almo t impossible |
TO distinguish the negroes from the whites.
| A yawl in which were some OF those who |
had been picked up out OF the water, was
swamped under the stern of the California,
and a Mrs. Asher and her three daughters
were among those drowned. Mr.. Paul, the !,
I engineer OF the p. +. kimball, was also in ,
tls yaWl, anu perlsheu Ill brave attempt to |
save the ladies'. Mr. J. A. Noble, of this ci-
ty was, we learn, badly hurt i'll the leg.
| LIST OF PASSENGERS SAVED.
! Capt. II. Clark and children; VIM Har-
ris; John Duncan; DIR. Peniston; Mrs. Will
son; Mrs ]. l.. Shecd: Mortimer Turner and
son; Miss Gilmore; Miss Fonda and little
child; Julius a. Blanc; James Hyland; G. w.
. Gregor; James Stewart; Z. IL. Dillingham;;
&. A. Clarke, captain of Choctaw; Archibald
Binney; George Woolf; j. A. Noble; Miss
Shepard; Daniel Shattuck; Capt. Graham, of
? Caddo No. 2: Francois Froment: Paul Barot: