New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-18
COLLISION on TIE NORTH RIVER
STEAMER EMPIRE WRECKED.
LOSS OF ST. LIVES!
TX. OH TWELVE PERSONS INJURED I!
Names Of the Dead and Wounded
Incidcnts Of .he Disaster, &c.



On Saturday morning the City startled b. the
Il port that tie steamboat EMPIRE, Capt. Les, Smith
IF The New-York aud Troy line, had been run into
by sloop, near NevIIamburgh while on her
dosnwa1d psssoge, having left Troy on Friday evening
ard that large number OF lses lost. l, was
further rumored that the boilers tad exploded thar
the beat wos Oh FIRE, &C. and the greatest excitement
prevailed AL tie horrors Of the Lexington, the At.
lantc the Henry Clay and the Empire itself (in 1850
rushed upon be memory and added imaginary t. ors
10 the reality.
We at once dispatched reporters to the scene Of dis
aster, whose statements are as follows:
We found the Empire mOored to the shore immed-
aely below Clinton Point; and, going on board iould
her upIerwOrks from the plohouse TO the wheel house
perfect wreck hrboard boiler gone, suspension frame
or hog frame" as it is termed by steamboat, men,
composed Of timber sixteen inches in dametr broken
and partially carried away. The large brace pu in
10 strength, her when the boilers pur in
wear afo and Of larger timber than the lpelsiun frame
was aso much shattered and broken The heavy guard
brace of wrought iron, three inches IN dHrirr vas
twisted I'D as If il were rope yarD; and in tie clasm
were mixed Up promiscuousy remnants Of joiner work
81 ANS sofas. pals, mattresses lamps, crocksry ware
portions Of the steam pipes and connexions, clotho!
packages freight, carpets. tatl Do kng 9asses and
1uunerabc articles. tie whole giving ocular demon
OF the trt ldOhS pNcf az iAt c'lrus,lpu
From the evidence before the Coroners Jurles and
from the various statements Clinton Point aud POUCH
k,eVsie make up the following reliable account OF the
unfortunate occurrence: The Empire le- Troy ~ fix
oclCch, with Gas stated by the Captain about - Pcs
.,ln.rf I'm unusual small amount 81 freight anon!
Which were some half dozen horses She hal her usual
crew. Nothing unusual occurred until when close up u
q west shore about u mile and half above CLINTON
Poh and six miles below POughkeepsie It being about
balfTaff o'clock. a NJ. The wind Father fresh from
4 IL. Il. s.s nil lf
he wheel mir Hudson) discovered sloop coming To-
wards tAem. ~ the tine she fist discovered sue
VAT about half mile Oh. Thin king of course. there
would te ticulty he laia BIS course the usual way
10 cross over 20 Clinton Point aud on down. When
tie distance had been decreased about one hail De lho
po; of the T. thOCglt he saw disposition The pa
o those board Of the oop crowd him. and b. essed
her mp little more 10 the shore Matters remained
II rs ill the space between them was reduced to about
100 yafds-Wten the slcop was luiied up 90 the wind
ard ran square into the course Of the Empire. FROM
his moment collision became inevitable. The s0oP
struck head running her boWspnt into the arboard
boiler OF tte l., either causing IL 70 explode or knocA
ing overheard nstantaneousy The whole Of the guard
and braces under IL were taken out as smoothly as u
could be- C.rc with a saw About eight state rooms on
each side. wh ile whole of the ststero0ms and upper
decks were conf ete carried away. together win tne
braces described above. Beth smoAe-pipes came down.
I'll I'm p es. cLuneysin fcj al Ter upper WoTAs I'D
Tie space before ment0ne. except sarbosrt boiler
sLtpcLs.,n frame and a bracc.) giving her me p
peaiance OF pretty general wreck. From ail &C.
counts tie scene that osTed among the passengers
(NLo had nearly all retired 20 their bertts Tor me
ugh) and crew Is beyond accurate description The
CONSERVATION and confusion WAS intense The aghlslug
sToans Of The wounded and 5inzhe shreks OF the ie
males and ehutFenthe vAilng and erisg OF rea'iVes
the rough, hoarse voices of lac officers issuing orders
to prevent further destruction OF le-all made mp
scene most appalling ard heartrenlnE 10 the extreme
and such one as many heard TO pray they never
night witness again
In the midst Of the excitement the steamer a. DIS
covered to be on FIRE the casing of the sEArboau boiler
having caught from the excessive beat Of tn furnaces.
The force pump snd hose wss brought in relus'!on'
and this source of danger iHmrdistey checked.