New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-17
THE LATE COLLISION on TIE ONO.
LOSS OF FIFTEEN OR TWENTY LIvEs-TliE
CINCINNATI FUGITIVE SLAVES.
From The Loui.tiLls Coz, ler. MarsA 10

We have to record another terrible steamboat disas.
ter On our waters. involving the loss o1 iuny hheen
lives an the destruction of vast amount OF prop
cry by the collision OF the steamers Henry Lewis and
r. HoWerd.
The disaster occurred on the Ohio river, about
O'Clock ON saturday, clear, starlight morning. Inc
Hemy Lewis. with full cargo for New-Orleans from
Cincinnati and about 40 passengers on board was de-
sccndDc the river Just below Troy, "hugging the
kentucky Shore, at the head of Audersons bar, when
the f. Howard, ascending up, rather out, from
h,biud th point and collision occurred sinking the
Henry Lows in three minutes in about twenty feet OF
water.
At the moment of the collision the widest scene Of
tcrror and excitement ensued among the passengers
and crew of the Inflated boat ever conceived of or
perienced on the Western waters. The passengers
were all asleep in their berths but moment before,
and at the next instant were hurried forth amid the
crashing of timbors the Kissing of steam, the huryng
TO and fro. the alarm Of fire and cries OF drowning
wIetcbcs To find themselves surrounded by death in
its most hdeOus forms. The shock Of the collision
threw the boat around with her bow up stream, and
b, entire cabin broke in two; or was rather crushed in
by the great weight of freight upon the root and az
the time it careened over portion OF the root
IN one side being entirely under water. The passen-
gers, including a number of ladies and Children es-
caprd in their night clothes and took refuge ON the
hurricane deck, exposed to all the incemeny of the
weather. Many of them were sorely bruised by the
boxes II glassware and other articles that fell 10 upon
them from the roof. The boat also caught fire, and,
amid the smoke falling ruins and rush of waters their
chance OF escape seemed hopeless indeed. Jhe boat
luckily settled to the bottom OF The rNef, leaving thS
hurricane roof above water, and there the survivors
coDgrcgated 20 await assistance
Among hose known % be lost were two children on
deck, belonging to poor rirh woman, going to New
Orleans. A woman, name unknown, was also lost
from the deck -Four of the fugitive slaves OF Mr..
Chimes were on the boat including Margaret and her
infant child The child was drowned and the others
saved. They taken on the boat last Friday nom
this city. ana were their way to Gaines Landing,
Mkausas. The mother exhibited other feelings
than jov a the Oss of her child She was accompanied
by .c two Simons, father aud son, all in charge of
MAMMAL Butte II Coylngton. He had a narrow
cape nom drowning having entered his room after
the collision 10 get something, and was got ont by
hole cut through the roof.
Il thought TINT two cabin passengers from Ports
mouth Ohio, were among the drowned and two others
missing. All the rest, some tbiItyiye in num-
b,r were saved including several women and children.
The captains wife, daughter and small child were on
board and all saved though at time il was thought
they los. The Captains wife, during the terri
Die excitement that prevailed, calm and perfectly
elf possessed, urging upon her husband TO be collected
ana firm, exhibiting no fears of the awful death that
threatened her. She, like most Of the Others, in
her night rCs S. and with bleeding, naked feet stood
upon their narrow foothold patiently awaiting reli
and ia momcntary expectation Of seeing the wreI0s-
appear and leave them to the mercies of the <yes.
William Jacobs, of La, the second steward and
Dane McCutcheon, of Steubenyile, the second cook,
were both drowned. A. Bunis, the steward, and the
rest OF the cabin crew and cooks were saved and ar
rived here yesterday the Il. Howard and proceeded
10 CINCINNATI on the mall DOat Eight OF thc cahln
passengers, who were saved in their night clothes,
losing AL their baggage, after being rescued by tho
+. Howard, were taken on to New-Orleans on the
Hungarian. Ofthe crew OF hands and ireIDen, soma
ten or twelve are supposed 10 be lost. They shipped
AZ Cincinnati and we did not learn their names. Tho
engineers, mates, pilots and all the officers were
say cd One of the mates, Samuel Taylor, swsm
ashore and good many others, who Were atoat on
the river on boxes cOOps, barrels and other boatng
articles were rescued by the crew Of the r.. Howard.
JOHN McGeary, the cook Of the boat, caught
woman just as she was sinking, and saved her from 9
wetery grave. lie also saved his brother, who had
fallen into the river and much bruised by being
struck by the falling packages that were knocked from
the roof. vast number of chickens in coops, tho
whole valued at 50 600 the roof, and ell lost
in the general crash. The books papers and several
package of money got out of the Office by
Mcteary, who went down through hole cut IN the
roof and brought out the articles and gave them 70
Smith Of the firm of Smith s. Hawley, Cincinnati.
he lo<t ell his baggage and q valuable watch, and,
ike ell the re,t, truly glad to escape with he:
He went back TO Cincinnati yesterday on the mai
boat.
The loss Of life by this disaster VIII probably never
BE- known. Many OF the survivors think that twenty
or twenty-five were drowned; but, from all the in-
formation We could get, We enumerate bnt hteen.
il is the most complete wreck ever seen; with mex
chinneys overheard cabins crushed in, and the nvc1
for five mile. covered with articles and portions q
tho wreck. .,.
tho signals of the respective pilots misunderstood.
The plot Of the L. Howard who was at the wheel was
Doc Wood The boat coming up under sort o.
pont ut the head of Andersons Bar when be discoy.
arcd the Other boat descending along the kentacky
shorr She YVES 40 much covered up with freight
around decks and the roof that be did not imn,e-
distely discover her lights. He blew the whistle once
tgIiiyng 70 20 to the right when the other boat an
sgered by blowing the whistle twice, which was TO So
TO the left. The boats less than one hundrea
yards apart, aud collision inevitable. Bohr re-
yerscd their engines and were backing when tsey
struck, the bow Of the Howard taking the H. Lews%
the -tsrboard quarter just in front of the forward ees
Of the boilers crushing through her guard AMI ino ~
hull, square on. large quantity OF reigh, On a..
decks of the Lewis fell over on the forecasus F" VIZ
Howard. -,
Several q the passengers and crew OF ins hy ~
Lewis state that the boat going down aone - ~
Kentucky shore when the other boat was dloe9'. ~,
coming out from the came shore below, anu ~ -
whis;led twice, but were answered by one I'-s "os
rom the other boat. Twas then too late to mans
After the eOlUsion she made two or three reVViat
al cad. and sunk in about three minutes, with he' ".
up stream within 75 yards of the shore, and the
out in the river. -
The only harm received by the Howard vast knosn
down her iack-saT, and spring her stern little, caao
ng her to leak but rot enough TO damage her sssv.
The loss Of life on the Henry Lewis would not hsse
been 80 Great if her cabin had not been brokeo "
accumulated mass Of freight Of all kinds slowed on ~
roof She had about forty passengers anu Gre"
twenty-our men, in addition 30 the officers ana eao
crew. The books Of the boat and al ere sun ".