Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-04
The Scene in Brooklyn.

DESTRUCTION OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CLIPPER WHITE
sQUALL--HER DRIFTING OVER THE EAST RIvER-sAFE-
| TY OF THE PACKET SHIP DE WITT CLINToN-ARRIyAL
TIE CLIPPER wHIRLwIND IN THE wALLABoUT
About half past one o'clock in the morning the
| people of Brooklyn were reused from sleep by the
combined noises of the fire bells and working MEM
bers Of the different companies which prevailed up
on the New York side OF the river; being added to
| the raging of the fierce storm which blew with
! equal severity upon their own snore az with us.
Upon running to the windows Of their houses
the inhabitants of the streets fronting upon the ri
! yer beheld sight not easily to be forgotten. The
| flames blazing upon this side of the river had then
attained such height that the different fiery ships
which ranged along the wharves here appeared as
if they were Just lying under the windows of the
dwellings in the neighborhood of the Fulton and
Catherine ferries. and OF those in Water street up
! on the opposite shore.
! The burning brands thrown from the Great Re-
public had then set fire the rigging of the mag
! nifcent San Francisco clipper, White Squall as she
! lay moored al pier No. 81 East River since her re-
turn from California, upon the 10Th inst. Owing
to the high wind whic.l blew at the time the flames
spread her tracery of masts, spars and rigging
in incredibly short space Of time; and all became
convinced that the only hope of saving her, or
preventing her adding to and extending the fire by
the like calamity which befe herself was to cut
her adrft and let her go before the wind This act
was performed by her mate, Mr.. Poole, who had
previously arrived on board.
Once freed from her lashing, the White Squat
was taken out by stiff NORTHWESTERN aud went
clean into the East River, advising the astonished
people Of Brooklyn that the calamity about to
approach their city.
The White Squat stood mp the river and was
soon such of flame that any attempt to scut-
tie her was found to be impossible. as the falling
previously, of her rigging and manmast had set the
hill ,,afrt
least all the space above water
Her course was anxiousy watched by thousands
in Brook YIN, and every preparation was made by
them to help her when she would touch land
This did not occur until half past o'clock in the
morning, at which time she came with her side to
the wooden wharlat the foot of the extensive yard
in rear of the works belonging to the BROOKLYN Gas
Company which are situated between the foot of
Hudson Avenue and the Walabout
She was immediately made fast to either end of
the pier, and hose pipe being laid from the engine
house of the company, tremendous volume of
water thrown into aud upon her, but still with
very little effect Owing to the existence Of anoth-
err fire somewhere in the Third District of Brooklyn,
the fircnen of that part of the city could not at
tend for considerable space of time; in fact, until
a time when their exertions would be quite useless
for the preservation of the vessel.
The thick smoke which issued from this ship was
carried up the river close TO the shore giving the
appearance Of many ships being on fire at different
points
As the White Squal was in ballast and without
cargo she sent forth a dense thick penetrating
smoke from her tifubers, but not very clear flame
until about half past five o'clock, when the sun was
about 10 peep ont. At this hour, all her bulwarks
Were burned away from the aft part up to about
six feet of the forward part of the hull which SEEM
cd as if Frustrated by the heavy gale which was
then blowing in the opposite direction. Her iib- |
+l,., 4
whole and sound, but her spanker BOOM masts, and /
every thing else, had long before crumbed into the
hold leaving nothing standing excepting the bare
and naked stauncheons ranging on either side aft.
\ stream was still kept up from the hose of the
gas company, but when the Sun came out clear it
evident that no human aid could save her; and
by o'clock, nothing remained of the White SqualI
except her shaking and cracking hull which was
being quickly levelled to the waters edge The
heat intense, that her coppers were crumpled
up like brown paper, and the water evaporating
from her hold made spray which extended half
way across the river, and upon which the reflection
of the clear sun formed perfect rainbow, which
presented very extraordinary sight
Fountain Hose Co No ., of Breoklyn, arrived
at half past O'Clock and went to work with a
good will, cutting away all that remained whole
near the jihboom. However, the flames We're then
gradually dying out for want of fuel and only a
few flashes came up and from the shaking
skeleton. All hopes of doing any good were aban-
loned, and only about two hundred people fingered
n the yard. So that the White Squall is now a
total wreck, lying with the water
The clipper ship White Squall a superbly
modelled vessel of 1900 tons burthen, and built by
he late Jacob Bell of this city, for Messrs Plat
Son. of Philadelphia. She was employed in the
-aIiiornia and China business by that firm in con-
uneton with the house of Booth & Edgar. She
'ost three years ago one hundred thousand dollars.
md the loss of her as she stood to-day, is estimated
It seventy-nine thousand dollars
Capt Lockwood, her first commander died at :
,hlna While IN charge of the vessel and She was =
eSterday otlcered by Capt. Kennedy and Mr.. Il
'oole, his first mate II
THE PACKET SHIP DE WITT CLINTON,
This favoHte Liverpool liner lay at pier No. As A
.ast river and although far removed from the al
,ene OF the contagraton, it thought advisa- Ct
lie to cut her adrift for safetys sake which was :.
one about the same time that the White Squall :