Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-11-08
tFrom the Chicago Tribune, Sept. 27l
The Burning of the Steamer Niagara
Heroism of Mother.

Inc burning OF the Steamer Niagara
Heroism Of Mother.
The greatest herosm displayed Of which
we have any knowledge, was shown at the
burning of the steamer Niagara, on Lake
Erie, by mother in her efforts to save the
lives OF her eight children the oldest of whom
was only fourteen, and the youngest only one
year old. She was picked up by the TraV-
eler insensible, and nearly perished, but was
restored by great exertions, and brough to
this city. She did not know, last evening,
whether or not any of her children were
saved, but heard that three were taken ashore
in the only boat that pulled off from the
burning steamer. If SO, they will reach her
this morning by the Arctic. She and her
husband are at the Merchants Hotel.
The names of those afflicted parents are
Mr.. and Mrs. Hamilton Chalmers, of Clous-
ter county, New Brunswick. They had, by
great industry and economy. laid up few
hundred dollars, and we're moving to Mime
sofa to buy small farm, and lost everything
they had in the world on the boat but few
shillings in their pockets. But they say they
care nothing Tor that; if they had their
children they could begin life again at the
bottom Of the ladder with good heart. We
sincerely hope that some of their lost ones
may be restored to them.
Mrs. Chalmers says that when the fire
broke out she was outside the steerage cabin
on the main deck, with her husband and
children. She saw the stern boat lowered,
and observing in it a woman whom she knew,
she thought ii the boat reached the shore
and she herself did not, that woman would be
like mother to her children. so she com
menced throwing her smaller children into it,
intending to keep the baby by her, because
she could easier support it in the water than
the others. She had thrown two into the
boat when it showed off. She had one in her
hands to throw, but it was too late to throw
so large one to the boat, accordingly she
seized the babe. supposng she had strength
10 throw 1t to the retreating boat. She had
not, however, the baby fell into the water a
foot from the boat she screamed to the
woman in the boat to save it, and had the
satisfaction of seeing her reach out, grasp it,
and draw it into the boat.
She then directed her efforts to the five
children about her. She pushed the Oldest
boy OF twelve years into the water, with
directions to swim after the small boat and
cling to it if they would not take him in
She thinks he did actually reach il. but can
not be certain. She then put her eldest
enid, girl OF fourteen, into the water. in
hopes she could cling to something-She
has heard since arriving here that girl of
that age was rescued and thinks may be it
was this one. She then had three small
children remaining. Her husband got into
the water, and she passed them down 10 him,
and he placed them on one of the capsized
boats floating near She then got down by
rope. On reaching the water she found the
waves had washed two of the children off the
small boat. She managed to catch them
I'll -rith vne arm and hold them up. still
cilngiig 10 the rope with the other hand and
uiaihtalneu her hold in tho nidot of oil! the
desperate struggles around her At last the
rope burned off above, and she sank down,
down, down, with others who had been cling
ing to the same rope. When she came up
again, she had lost one child She managed
80 throw her dsengaged arm over stick and
hang on to it with the child in the other.
She then looked for the child she had lost,
but although many heads were around her.
and some Of them children's heads, they were
all so begrimed with the oil ard ashes and
SCOT OIL the surface Of the water that she
could not distinguish their features, and they
sunk one after another, without her being
able to recognize her own. She then directed
oil her efforts to save the one in her arms,
and she feels confident that she could have
done so, but some man-she thinks ne was
an old man-pulled her arm off from the
stick which supportedher. She regained her
hold, and her hand was again pulled off and
herself pushed away by the same man, Then
she sunk down, down, down again. She
struggled to RISE and finally did rise. but the
last child was gone, though she thought
until she reached the surface and saw to the
| contrary, that she had it still in her arms.
She was then alone on the water without
support She had floated some distance
away from the steamer but she saw her
husband upon the capsized boat, holding one
OF the children. That sight inspired her with
| fresh courage. Alas she knew not al that
moment that the little one he held in his
arms was already liteless, but it was even So
she threw her arms around it and tried TO
reach her husband, but could not propel
herself in the water.
She felt her strength now rapidly failing
| She was entirely alone she saw the schooner
and the Traveller, but saw also that they were
far, far away she knew she could not hold
on to her buoy until they came up; but she
remembered having heard that persons in
drowning always shut their teeth firmly. She
| therefore seized her dress at :he bottom, il
front, brought it up aronnd the plank, aut
put it between her teeth, so that it held the
plank fast across her breast. She found thai
it would support her thus, and settled calmly
back to await the result. She remembered
nothing more. She was picked up by the
lHaveler and when restored to consciousness
bad the pleasure of finding her husband a.
her side. But her children, where are they
The presence of mind and heroism this
poor mother displayed under the circumstan
ces are indeed remarkable. She related the
circumstances to us yesterday, without any
apparent conviction that she had done more
than others, but with the evident wish that
she could have dcne more for her children.
The New York Herald gives us the fo
lowing description of the last Wall street