Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1852-08-14
From the n. Y. 'rnbane
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE
Barn-ns II tAe Siean5oa. Aenry c.sy

! Our City was startled on Wednesday sher-
noon with the report that The North River stesua
er Henry Clay had blown up and tesu burnyd
and thai hundreds of lives had been lost Tbs
story was at first thought to be hoax. similRf
10 that last season concerning lhr Raiujeer bot
hy the successive arrival Of the Hudson River
| Railroad lrsins, the story was confirmed, and An
immense excitement immediately followed
The Henry Clay had beea totally destroyed
by pre- at place short disfancc belou yOpk-
ers.and great many persons had lost their lres
! By IRE or By drornilg
Our Reporters lelt Ia the r. NJ. train ard
remained on the ground until hald past 8 O'Clock
during which time t,centy.teo or tuentg,fAres
bodies had been recovered and the work Of
grappliuR was still going On.
The particulars and incidents Of ibis terrible
catastrophe are briefly detailed below.
The Henry Clay lef Albany at o'clock yes.
ierdey morning, having board, as near ss
could be ascenainsd some 400 passengers. The
Armenia left the same place few minutes Al
terwards. On ,hi passage down the river was
as witnesses testify, continuous strife or race
between the Two boats At one time the Clay
crowded The Armenia almost upon the water.
shore, and forced her to drop astern, &c. The
]
greatly alarmed ON accounl Of the racing. and
,ome time before the FIRE a number OF ladies'
were crying and running about he cabin, as IL
ssnsible that some catastrophe was impending
Some OF the officers OF The boat went among
them assured them that there was no danger,
aud TO pacify them.
We are assured tha, the race bad been 60
ho,y contested that the boats had purposely mi.-
ed some Of their landings. The runners Of thu
boals at The various landings appear TO have been
aware Of the racing, since they were freely VI,
erug bets upon their ihvotles.
However, no accident or outrage occurred
until few minutes after the Henry Clay passed
Yonkers, when II was discovered that tho wood
work near the boilers and lues was on fire, The
slarm spread, bu, the officers Of tho boat Oudi.
ciously, without doubl,) told the passengers that
there was no danger
The plol, h wever, saw that no time was 70
he lost, and hts led the boat for the eastern
shore. The rrver here Ia nearly two miles, wide.
and the boas In hor regular course ~nuld hsy.
been mile and half from ihe eaa bank.
Before reaching the shore, the flames bad
spread 40 as almost 10 prevent communication
between the fore and af parts Of the boat.
At about three or quarterspast three O'Clock.
the boat came ashore. lying at right angles sh
the river, and the bow dri.ing up aome twenty
five feet on dry Ia" 4 and plnnging with ,remen.
dous force into the railroad embankment which
is there some sir Of eight fee, high.
The shock oyenhfew the smokepipe, di,pla-
ced everything movable. and added not llitls
TO the spreading Of the flames. While the bow
was high and dry, the greater portion Of The
boat, and unfortunately ihat which held nearly all
tho passengers, was in deep water.
The passengers Immediately began 10 jump
overheard. Those on the bow got off safely.
and began to help the others. A board fence.
near BY, was insiaaily stripped, and the board,
thrown into the water. BY great etertion, a
large majority Of the passengers got ashore,
soma scorched nearly oil with loss Of clothes,
uurks, &c.
Bat the rapid spread Of the Ere, which forctd
he passengers a, The stern overheard, was the
cause OF lhs loss Of large nunber Of lives.
Inc scene was ope of iss ai5s; :=Fs:..- s.a.s-
acler. Mothers with their clothes in lamesty-
Ing to save some dear child III ldren struggling
10 the waves without hani to help ihemi hus-
bands aud wives drowning together rather ,haa
separate, and the remoneies fire rapidly destroy
ing the last standing place Of the hopeless vic
tins.
There were yer, few houses IN tie neighbor-
hood and very inls help could be bad from the
shore. BIT al who knew of. has,ened 10 lend
their hello.
When ihe o'clock trains passed (ai about ~
P. N, The boat was nearly all consummed; th.
rescued passengers had dispersed (cIcept those
who took the irain,) and the wor. was over.
A. we said before. the number Of todies re-
covered before we lef, a, O.! last nighl,wss ~ os
%. Bot two or three Of these showed any evil
fence Of burning, and bu, one appearsdt TO have
eeu burnt 10 deaih--ihis was Mary Cooper. All
he others were evidently drowned
The boa, vas eniefeiy destroyed befors : o
lack. nolhing was leR al 5 o'clock, except
,agment Of the bow, some ten or twelve feet
Ugh, which turned slowly. ike a warning ieA.
on TO gA, up The shaPecss wreck of chsHsd
imbrrs aud iron below.
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