The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-07-19

was soon performed, and the truce brought
to an end Since then nothing of inter
est has occurred, and the firing has near
ly been suspended altogether.
Burning of the Steamboat John Stevens
Loss of Life.
We regret to record the destruction by
fire of the magnificent steamboat John
Stevens, belonging to the Camden aud
Amboy Railroad Company, which occur
red between twelve and two o'clock, yes
terday morning, at "White Hill, the ex-
treme nothern landing place of the Com
pany, on the Delaware. The Stevens,
which was commanded by Capt. Kester,
a resident of Bordentown, left the foot of
Walnut street, at two and half o'clock
on Monday afternoon, and proceeded on
her regular trip up the river. She reach
ed White Hill at about FIVE o'clock, and
having landed her passengers, was Sc
c1red for the night. 1t was customary
for the pilot, Mr.. Seville Chiquoin, and
the deck hands, as well as the chamber
maid and cook, to sleep on board, and this
was done on Monday night About ten
o'clock, before retiring for the night, the
pilot took look through the boat, and
found everything safe. a few minutes
before twelve, he was aroused by the
cries of one of the deck hands, who was
slightly burned by the flames, and upon
getting Up he discovered that the fire had
made considerable progress. His first i'm
pulse was to save the women on board
and procuring boat, he broke in some
of the cabin windows, and endeavored to
arouse them, all being below decks. On
ly one was saved. the ambcmaid,
named Harriet Wright, small mulatto
woman, well known to the travellers in
the Stevens. She got through one of the
cabin windows. Three of the colored fe-
male cooks are missing, and were either
burned or drowned. The full name of
but one, Mary Parker, is known; the 9TH
ers are called Harriet and Aunty -
The flames continued to spread through
out the vessel until she was entirely de-
stroyed except the hull, which is of iron,
and could not be burnt. Not single ar
! ticlc was saved on board. During the
burning of the boat, to save the property
of the Company at White Hill, she was
cut drift and foated on bar about two
hundred yards above, where the hull now
! lies
The Stevens was a general favorite up
on our waters, and by many was thoug
the best boat in these parts. She was
built at Hoboken in S45, and no expense
was spared to make her superior in eve
ry respect. Her length was over two
hundred feet, and her breadth of beam
from forty to fifty. The cost of the boat
was one hundred and ten thousand dol
lars, besides which the furniture of the
most elegant character made considera-
bic item.
OF the origin of the fire moth ing pos
tive is known. 1t is impossible to say
where it did originate, hence the difficult
ty. Fires originate on board of steam
boats some times from spontaneous COM
bustion Of the waste material used for
cleansing the machinery. In we'll regu-
lated boat like the Stevens, this was scar
cely possible. 1t was thought to have
been the work of an incendiary, but all is
conjecture in regard to its origin.
So far as we were able to ascertain,
there was no insurance upon the boat
The Company insured during the winter
months, when the boat was laid up, but
not while she was making her regular
trips.
The destruction of the Stevens caused
no interruption to the regular lines of the
Company. The SPLENDID steamer Rich
ard Stockton took the place of the Ste
vens yesterday, and the old favorite Tren-
ton that of the Stockton-Daily Nc,cs,
18th.