New-York daily tribune., 1856-09-29
STEAMER NIAGARA BURNED.
OVER EIGHTY LIVES LOST.
TIE SAVED AND THE LOST.
PARTICULARS OF THE CATASTROPHE
TOTAL LOSS OF THE STEAMER.

Cf
ed0e of port Washington, wbe on nj nsr WY ,us .
city with large load of passengers. ln VI ''ie
te,y;hlc catastrophe was mt receiNcu ny "ogiaPn
go sknhovcan and later particulars were learned
trOln ~ the steamer Traveller which reached
~; Ga' ,ot ono about 7 O'Clock a. m. From Mr.. c. C.
WI eiIer Cerk of the Traveller and the passengers
W to",d the III. f4ted Niagara which were brought by
,be TrsvtIer we cleaned the following facts und incl
dents Of the calamity:
The Niagara left Coningwood on Monday afternoon,
., o'clock in place of the Keystone State the regular
ss,amer for that day. She started with from one
hundred and fifty 10 hundred and seventy-fve
passengers twenty-five 10 thirty Of whom she landed
q: ShC boygan, the greater portion Of whom were
steeragc passengers. At about O'Clock p. IN. OF
"wednesday the Niagara eft Sheboygan, anda bout two
hours af,erwad was discovered to he on fire When the
fire was frst discovered there but little sea on aud
the wind was abou southeast and light. AT THIS tune
the Niagara from three to four miles OIL North
Pon, W Washington, and some ten miles or more TINS
side Of ShcbOygan. As soon as the fire was dlscov-
cred Capt. Miller who was asleep, wa' called and the
steam. pumps set TO work. few moments after this,
the unssenecrs became that the boat fire,
and Il scene ensued. which said passenger " beg
"ears all descrption-eOnsternatiOn seized upon almost
"every one, and men women ana chiidren Tusued 10
"sud fro about the boat shouting aud crying Not
bafa dozen passenger gave any aid to the crow, and
but few attempted TO make provision FOR their 1wn
or friends escape. Ii was but Il short time from the
frst discovery Of the fire until the whole upper cabin
IN flames. During tins time large number OF
passengers lad jumped overheard without anything to
support them in the water and in few moments sank
Mocrs threw their children into the like and wildly
spraug after them. The wass was intensely cold, and
but the hardest perons sou~ hive III it but few
moments. A large nunbtr - passengers, before the
Sot into the siern boat aud lowered + whea instantly
syamped and all in il were drowned Another por-
ton o the passengers filed the sarboard quarter boat
and lowered that also and all found watery grave.
Bcfnre the upper cabin in flames, II portion of
ne more selfpOssessed of the passengers wrenched
the state room doors oil ana threw teh INTO me water
tooe,her with tables chairs, stools, &c, and upon
tbese many OF those III the water saved themselves
After il had become useless to remain on board any
Ionper the second engineer carpenter and portion OF
tbe crew together with number OF passengers
twert, two persons in all-owered away tie arb0ard
nuarr boat and pulled to the shore, where the passen
,ers were Iapded and the returned with the boat
fo render any assistance they might be able. Capt
Miller with number of others, saved themselves by
clncno 10 the wheel and were picked up by the boats
Tie stesmer Traveller propeller Illinois, schooner
Dan Marble, and two small scho0nels and the life
boat at Port Washington came to the assistance OF the
Eiaeara and made every possible excrtiOn to save
life Their boats were all manned and lowered ns
soon they came near enough the burning wreck to
be of service and kept at work until nearly O'Clock
nj NIGHT when all tue persODs who could toe found in
the water after thorough searching for considerable
distance round the wreck were carried into Port
Washington.
Mr. c. c. Wheeler, Clerk Of the Traveller who
The frst person board that steamer who discovered
that the Niagara fire, states that as the Travel
Ter came to the dock at Port Uho, about O'clock to
wool he noticed, some ten miles distant, dense |
smokc surrounding the Niagara, and few moments |
after saw the flames burst out, as nearly as nc could
tell on the starboard side, just forward OF the |
wheel-house. The Traveller Immediately started to
the assistance Of the burning boat, and reached |
her about o'clock, nearly an hour after she caught
FIRE When the Traveller was about half way TO the |
Niagara the upper works Of the boat were ai burned
off aud her arches plainly visible As soon as |
the Ira, eer arrived she lowered her boats and then
attempted to tow the Niagara into shallow water, but
the Only place where cable could be ATTACHED, with
out burning Of was to the rudder ropes and these |
pro, ed too weak, parting in very short time.
1hc following is lst Of the saved, As iar as We |
have been able to obtain their names:
PASSENGERS. |
Harvey Ainswortl, Regatta W.
j. Il. Quits, Stcubeu County, N Y.
H. Lock Washington County, VT
Nm. IIOag, Buffalo, y. y.
John Hill, ColngwcOd, c. W.
ii. Chalmers and lady, Hamilton, n r.
Sales Lock, Waterbury, VI.
Henry Lock, Waterbury Vt.
Lewis Hart, Utica, n. \.
j. Kennedy, Minnesota Territory.
Hugh Kennedy, st. Lawrence County, NY; =.
Miss Julia Kennedy, ST. Lawrence County, n. y
CD. Wesibrook, Green Bay, Wis
DIR. j. ii. Allen, Concord, N. Ill.
James Robinson, Knox County, Illinois
AmCug the saved was an old lady who WAS found
cngins to plank life preserver, nearly exhausted
with er shawl wrapped round her, binding her to it,
and actually holding on by her tcoth. She was re-
stored by the active exerons of those on board the
Traveller and is nearly restored TO her usual
health.
Two brothers from Waterbury. VI, were among the
One WAS found upon the wheel and tie oher was |
picked up senseess about halt mile from the boat,
clinging to q ladder. After nearly two hours work he
was recovered.
Captain s. s. Miller; Mr.. Gillis, mate; \. Mcken-
nan "a engineer; W. j. lhOnburn and Daniel os- |
born " alters; Andrew SNYDER John Gordon, Robert
Gillt epic, Angus Kerr ana Amos Odcl, hromcn.
MI John Leonard, lst engineer, was not On board,
hut la, his trunk containing : 900 i'll gold.
A small schooner saved SIX persons; thc schooner
anita a stff her
sehooIeIs also saved number. The nh's OF the per-
sons we have not obtained
The propeller Illinois picked up some thirty persons
and landed them at Port Washington. but when the
Traveller left it was impossible to obtain Their names
II is supposed that but two women We're saved though
there were some twenty board. There is little doubt
but that nearly all the were saved. The passen
ger list Of the boat burned that will be diff
cul, 10 obtain correct list oi TIE lost particularly OF
the steeHge and deck passengers but our next issue
will probably contain accurate list Of the saved.
Mir George Hev, il is ca,cd Is among the lost tie
has been clerk OF the Niagara ever since she has run
He was well known III ihis citS ana was CREAMY IT,
speced by all who knew him. MIR. lelys son. Henry,
who was second clelk, was picked up 10y one of the
Tfavell,,s boats anu taken into Port Washington,
where he was lei, in Il clitical condition.
The Hon. John Il. Macy Of Wisconsin took passage |
The MAJ ara at hacAnac andi Supposed 10 be lost
hr Hugh Kennedy, whose name Is III the above list Oh
sayod, lost his wife AID daughter, and Mr.. Ii. Chal.
iost three children. Tuc dead bodies OF three |
wouor picked up by the Illinois, were left at Port
Nsshi gjon On The ir-'rOf one OF them was gold |
ring Oik cd with tho n,'ias ~. Il. -. and there
wor, marks about e others particularly to Identity
fhen. Tie body oi q utdR, supposed to be aboui ~
yeaiS oi age, wa picked NJ hy The Traveller He hsd
aw6't' containing = ga M po, hCi, but nothing by
Whth us age or siOcnVc could be HSceriancd. The
his' , ne'T end the md lnaic O! the Niagara
no; on iOard.
Coltein Miller informed M Wheeler that he sup
posed hCie were about l30 psssenc crs ON bna,d ih,
a. .,ffN,