The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-03-19
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Burning of the Ferry Boat New Jersey.

"Wednesday nIornins, March 10, 1850.

Terrible scenes on Board.
The Philadelphia papers of Monday contain full
accounts of the dreadful calamity there on Satur.
day night The ferry boat New Jersey, belong.
ing to the Philadelphia and Camden company,
started at halfpast o'clock from Walnut street
| wharf for Camden. The number of passengers
on board is estimated At 100. many of whom were
women. The Dispatch says:
When the boat started, she was run into the ca.
nal through the island; but finding II blocked with
Ice, the pilot turned the head of the boat up the
stream, for the purpose of passing around the up
per end of the bar. When nearly opposite Mar.
ket street, the boat came in contact with cake of
'ce. which checked her progress for moment and
almost ~ the same instant the appalling cry of
fire was raised.
The fire had broken out amidship, in the imme.
diate neghborhood of the engine 1t is believed
that il originated in the fire room. The flames
spread with fearful rspidity, and in instant al
most, the FIRE, waited in that direction had envel
oped the entire after part of the boat in flames,
driving the passengers forward.
An attempt was made to extinguish the flames,
but the fire ragged with such fury that the effort
was soon relinquished. and the pilot determined
to run the boat ashore at pier below Arch street
The boat was accordingly headed for that point,
and came within two feet of the wharf, when she
sheered off, and iioated with the tide up stream.
The ship Morning Light, lying at Perots wharf
was in imminent danger of being set on fire. as
the blazing boat fioated past her, but the two ves
| sails did not come in contact
Before reaching ine wharf the fire raging
around the pilot house and the engine, and both
the engineer and the pilot were driven from their
posts. The boat was strscred by tiller chins but
| the pilot aud the engineer being unable to main-
| tain their stations, the steamer became uumanage
| able, and when she came within two feet of the
| wharf sne slew ed off and ho2ted up tho stream
notwithstanding the efforts OF tho persons upon
| the pier 10 pass rope to thosc on board
The pilot and two or three other persona sue
eeeded in ioaping safely ashore when tns boat
neared the wharf but others fell short, and wero
either drowned OF were rescued by those who
were on the wharVes and upon the vesaels lying
along them.
! AS lie burning beat slowed eff, the flames ere
driven around among the terrified passengers
who wero clustered upon the bow. and the greater
portion 0I them leaped into the water. So close
! had the fte come that the clothes Of many Of the
passengers were in blaze before they jumped in
TO the water or are showed overheard by the
/ throug behind them.
! The scene had now become most terrific. This
boat was floating of up the river with the flames
licking over her from stem to stern and illunina.
ting the sky and both sides of the river. The
! face of the water was dotted with human beings
| struggling for existence, while those who were
| looking could see the passengers leaping into
| the water with their clothing on fire
Boats were put ont from the shore as promptly
| as possible and the State House bell having rung
| first Northeast and then East, as the burning
boat neared the shore, number of fire companies
| were upon the wharf, and some of the members
were instrumental in saving life. Hose was laid
| in readiness for putting the water on the flames
| in case the boat was secured to the wharf.
| Several persons were rescued by those in the
boats, and were brought ashore, while some were
| saved by those upon the wharves. The persons
| who were saved were generally taken to the pub
| lie houses along the wharves, where every atten-
| ton was paid to their wants.
The persons saved were SO much scattered that
IIn~ Ahasx ,hnr
degree of certainty but from careful inquiries,
are satisfied that not more than fifty persons were
rescued, leaving the number of the lost not less
| probably than fifty souls
| Statement of the Captain.
The boat started from Walnut street wharf at
| half past eight O'Clock, intending to 60 through
| the Windmill Island Canal. When we arrived
| there we found the ice too heavy, and steered
northward, in order to cross the bar. When about
opposite Arch street, the fire broke out near the
smoke steak. was In the pilot house at the time.
| There was q strong ebb tide running and setting
| up the river. This circumstance prevented US
from turning round and heading towards the north
| ern point of the Island l thought it most Judi
cious to steer straight towards Arch street wharf
| and instructed the engineer to put on all steam,
and press the boat until she struck the wharf.
| was in the pilot house until we were about 25
| feet from the wharf when went below to get =
| rope, hoping to catch 1t the wharf, and Snub
| the boat. had scarcely got below, before the pi-
lot house fell in. / was unable to throw the line
the wharf, and the boat having lost the govern
ment of the helm, sheered right off from the wharf
and was carried out into the river, towards the
| island The passengers had mostly all jumped
| off before this
| stayed ON board until was driven off by the
flames, when jumped into the river, and succeed
ed in getting on cake of ice, and was finally ta-
| ken off by batteau. l think there as at least
| hundred on board. do not remember the names
| of any of them. They came aboard in the dark,
and was engaged in my duty. There were pro-
| bably twenty ladies among them. Phe fire few
through the boat like as if it Under it not
ten minutes after it was discovered before the
flames enyelopedit.
Statement of a Passenger.
Mr.. Agnew, gentleman residing in Camden,
| states that the New Jersey" had passed through
the canal when finding the ice thick that it was
| impossible to force passage, the boat was COM
| PEELED to put back. He was standing conversing
| with Mr. Muschamp, conductor on the Camden
| and Amboy Railroad, when he discovered the
| flames bursting out around the "smoke stack
| Making an exclamation that the boat was fire,
| he sprang forward to the windward. He saw the
| captain in the pilot house with the pilot. Almost
the moment the fire was discovered, the boat was
| headed for the Arch street wharf A wild. heart
| rending scene of terror ensued There were, as
| nearly as he could remember, over one hundred
| persons on board including twenty or twenty five
| ladies. By a common impulse they rushed to the
| windward to avoid the intense heat OF the hames,
| which had now enveloped the whole after part Of
| the doomed vessel Mr Agnew clung to the guards
| as long as he could. Around him. franticaly en-
deavoring to wrench loose the stauncheons which
| were yet free from the devouring clement were
the horror-stricken passengers, who but few
moments before had been SO full of hope and hap
piness There was nothing that be could see save
| a bench or two that could in any way be made
available as float or fe-preserver The flames,
| as the wind drove them about, increasing in vol
| ume every moment caught the dresses OF the wo-
| men, whose shrieks for Assistance were appalling
| Mr. Agnew saw several with the clothing almost
| entirely burnt from their persons before they
| plunged into the dark waters beneath. One young
| Girl. Miss Carman, was the only one he recogniz-
| ed and the last he saw of her she was enveloped
| in tire and screaming piteously. The scene was
| now almost too awful and appalling for reality
| One by one--sometines five or six at time-they
made the fearful leap from the burning wreck into
the scarcely less terrible chances of death amid the
| ice and water.
The boat had struggled up to within twenty or
,xxentv6ye feet of the wharf when the pilot house
ie and all command of it being lost, 1t swung out
| hesd down. There were at this time not more
than six or eight persons remaining en- board that
| he could ses He leaped into the stream and says
| his onlv fear at the moment was Of being struck
| bv the wheels He swam about one hundred yards
when he proyidentialy reached the bow OF clip.
- -tir srd was rescued by the promptness oil