Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-21
D,rea,dful steamboat Accident.

When lust OH he@ d&YenB Rpout Two
O'Clock this a. NJ "a vessel Withon light
was observed ahead, and under sails,
crossing the steamers bow. The pilot
Of the Metropolis supposed her to be a
sailing vessel as she showed but onelight,
which is the regulation for sailing vessels.
steamers carrying two. When too near
to prevent the collision It was found that
she stranger was steamer. The pilot
of the Metropolis having steered his ves-
sci as usual when meeting sailing vessels
i'm case Of steamers the movement be-
ing different-itw was too late to change
the course after the observing Of the fact
taat the strange vessel was a steamer.
The engines of the Metropolis wereim-
mediately stopped. but before they could
be reversed, and the vessel backed, she
struck the other steamer on the port side,
Just forward of the cabin-the force of
the blow being such as to cut the stran-
ger in two, the heavy part of the vessel
going down Immediately, and the lighter
portions ofthe wreck floating off.
At this moment the scene was most
heart-rendiDg one. Most ofthe passen-
gers Of The. Metropolis were up. enjoying
the fine moonlight scene, and many of
them had watched with terrible anxiety
and apprehension the anticipated coils
sion, and when the collision seemed in
evitahle, the shrieks of the ladies on
board, and the fright of all appalled, the
stoutest heart.
The shock to the Metropolis was severe.
A passenger on board-Geo. Tappan. a
crockery merchant of New Bedford-was
SO frightened that he was taken with fit
and died in it. His wife, in view Of her
bereavement, Immediately went into hys-
terics, upon recovery from which she
seemed to have lost all sense and reals
cation ofthe death of her husband-her
senses seemed to be gone, and no reeol-
lection Of the death seemed to remain.
The commissioning passengers could not
dare to distress her by reminder, and
she remains unconscious this morning of
Mr.. Tappan's death.
AS soon as something like order was
restored on board the Metropolis, the
boats were out, and Immediately manned
by the crew, and every possible exertion
made to save the few who had escaped
the wreck of the sunken vessel, and were
hanging on the floating pieces Of the
wreck.
By this means ten men of the Inflated
vessel were sayea-five passengers, the
captain, two engineers, and two deck
hands.
Captain Smith when taken out of the
water, Immediately insisted on joining in
the endeavor to rescue any others who
might be floating on the pieces of wreck,
4 xu;t ~,
all night But the above are all. out Of
ts0enty five souls on board that were saved
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
phose who were lost on the propeller,
were mostly in the cabin and could moi
| get ont. One Of the rescued passengers
says he was in there, and when the crash
was heard and felt. he sprang for the
door, but found it iammed, and couldn',
open it. He succeeded, however, in get.
ting out OF window.
The Metropolis lay by the spot Until
day~break, in the hope Of saving more
lives. as voices were heard in the water,
supposed to be those who had escaped by
| the window as she went down.
The passengers on board the NJ. did
all they coald TO relieve the wants OF those
rescued from the ill-fated propeller, and
We understand that between four and Eve
hundred dollars were made up for the
needy ones-a committee being appoint
ed 10 raise more and distribute the pro.
ceeds.
Mr.. J. H. Hubbard, Of No. 8, Wall
street, who was sitting with Mr.. Tappan
and his wife, oonyersing upon the aoci-
cident, states that person came into the
saloon, and remarked that it was not GER
tain bat that the Metropolis was serious
~ injured. upon which Mr.. TapPsn Start
ed and fell instantly dead. His wife was
seized with eeuyulsions and remained in
sensible when the boat arrived this morn
ing.
A passenger on the propeller, We are
told, too, made desperate efforts to save
his wife and child by drawing them
through window. but so rapidly did the
boat sink that they were violently torn
from his grasp.
A woman was seen struggling IN the wa
ter supporting her infant child in her arms
"a rope was thrown TO her, which fell
within her reach, and which she might
have seized and saved herself by relin.
gushing her hold upon her child. She
looked up, saw those who would have
given almost their own hold upon life to
save hers, then pressed her child to her
breast and sank forever.
The steamer lay by the spot where The
accideut occurred, steaming slowly around
until aftsr daylight, throwing out life
preseryers. and sending boats TO cruise
around and render assistance, if possible,
to any one that mig hit by chance be found
floating upon spars or life preseryers from
the wreck.
The night was clear. and a beautiful
moonlight rested upon the Sound, reveal
inn TIA ntr,,n..rlnn lf ia loa4 "a ~ A.