The Yazoo City weekly Whig. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 18??-1855, 1854-03-17
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY
LIVES PROB BLYIosT.

LIVES PROBABLYLosT.
The steamer sullane bound for Louisville
| put st this port On Thursday night be-
tween thirty Or forty Of The surviving pas
sonesas from he wreck ofthe steamer John
Il. Avery. which struck anag about ten
miles above Fort Adamson Thursday after
noon The OH iusi about 3 O'Clock, aud AZ
most immediately sunk:
Those Of the passengers that arrived here
we're very generally il state Of destitulion
many Ofthem being hardly clad and eyiden-
cling their recent exposure and calamity
From conversation Of several Of them we
gather The following particulars.
The steamer John q. Avery, Richard
Robinson master EFT New Orleans 81 Tues
day evening the 7th inst. for Cincinnati
She bad large creighton board and great
many passengers. On wednesday and Thurs
day morning. she took il 40 additional num-
Der. The passengers state her to have. 50
Imueh 80 that the water would occasionally
come Up On her guards. The number on
board probably amounted tothree hundred
nearly all Of whom were cabin passengers.
They further state that the Avery had been
striking all day to keep ahead Of the SaIta-
ma, some Of her Offices freely Offering to bet
that they would beat the tier boat to Louis
vile.
The boat was about $50 to 200 yards
from the Louisiana shore when she struck a
lsnag. The forepart appeared Immediately
to seperate from the hind portion, the Chin
neys going overheard and the stern rapidly
settling. AS the stern settled, the cabin
careened rolling overheard large number
which had gathered uponit FOR safety. The
sinking was almost instantaneous; some Of
the passengers stating that it vas hardly two
minutes. and others that not more than four
Of s minutes elapsed at the utmost before
al Vas over and the entire steamer out Of
sight except tIie top &C her upper cabin on
Aioh we're congregated most of the passen-
gers that we're saved. Many were however
rescued from the water. The wind at that
time was very high and the waves rolled
with quite heavy swell
The steamer SaItana which was immedi
ateIy behind came along side in tho course
oftWenty minutes and succeeded in rescuing
those clinging to the reck and also several
found floating ID tie water, A steamer
Was lying tied to the shore near the scene
ofthis aWfnl disaster. Her steam however
vas nOtup. a yawl put out from her aud
succeeded q rescuing several from the riv-
er. The rescued ones we're most kindly
treated on board Of this boat and alsOOn the
sultana.
Our informants generally estimate that 80
to 30 Of the deck hands we're drowned Of
thirty two hands belonging q the boat they
say only Is were known q be saved. One.
81 our informanss say that Of the cabin pas
sengsrs about IS we're ladies' Of whom he es-
Inmates IL least ten were drowned and that
ia 81 tie probability the loss Of life among
the cabin passengers amounted to thirty i've
or forty. The Captain, first mate and the
firss and second clerks were saved; the sec
and Maze. and two Pilots vera drowned. -
The mate VAS drowned ii getting the life
boat overheard. OF fourteen negroes on
board belonging to passengers. only one.
child Of Eve months was saved But few
Of the passengers saved their baggage;
what was saved was cut out the state rooms
from the upper deck. AS an evidence Of
how sudden was this hOrrid catastrophy, /
Of she iremen. states that whom the Avery
struck be was aeleep on some sugar hogs
heads. behind ne Engine, and as be jumped
down be found hirsel ap 70 bis waist in wa
ter.
The sultana had on board probably from
$50 to 900 Of the survivors; among them
the second clerk who proceeded up the riv-
er: the Captain and first remaining near the
wreck,
The literally d the German Society n
Natchez, vas vel tested yesterday -thai
benevolept association having undertaken
g relieve their Immediate nscessities. It's
lived the hearty hanks ofthose
bonn they thus aided
The dark colalogue Of diasters Of the vim
Isr 81 1858 na appear TO increase il
gloom and IS The spring opens. We
ioabl wheihe ever before 50 many horFi
accidents Involving 50 great 8 loss of life
have been ded INTO lsN consecu.