Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-07-09
The Burning of the Steamer Mon
tYeal

The Burning of the Steamer Mon
treal
The Montreal Herald of Monday morning
has further PARTICULARS of the burning
of the steamer Montreal on the Riv-
er St. Lawrence The Montreal left
Quebec on Friday night with about thirty
cabin, and some four hundred and fifty
or five hundred emigrant passengers. OF the
subsequent disaster and fearful loss of life,
Mr., Andrew Hayes, of Montreal, gives the
following account:
"When the steamer reached about twelve
miles from Quebec. above Mr.. Atkinson's
place at Carouge Bay, Mr.. Hayes came out
side the saloon at the after part of the steam
er, when he observed a smoke rising up from
the midships of the boat over the saloon
in very short time number of persons
were rushing with jugs of water to extin-
guish the fire. There was one boat on board
on the hurricane deck, and hand belonging
to the steamer went up to try TO Get her into
the water. Mr.. Hayes did the same thing,
and between them they got the boat over the
side and let 90 the tackles. He then got in
to her, and in minute or two numbers of
persons crowded in and the boat sunk. Mr..
Hayes then held on the boats tackle, and
maintained himself in that position for
long time, till the heat from the burning ship
became too great In the mean time,
crowds of persons were constantly jumping
into the water and climbing down the guards
to get as near the water as possible.
At this time, the boats head was turned
towards the north, and she ran until she APP
preached the shore to about one hundred and
fifty yards from it, where she appearc to have
sunk in deep water, or to have struck rock
as some persons believe. AT any rate the
water was so deep that there was no posi-
bility Of reaching the shore otherwise than
by swimmingo or in boats. The flames, after
the smoke was at first perceived, did not take
more than ten minutes to envelope the whole
vessel, and in two hours she was utterly de-
stroyed, so that hardly vestige of the YES
sci could be seen. The Napoleon had
started at the same time with the Montreal
and was at the time of the accident at a dis
lance Of about half mile from the Mon
treal, and above that vessel. Probably from
the fear of taking fire, the Captain of the
Napolean did not judge it prudent to APP
proach the burning vessel. A large boat or
batteaux was in tow of this vessel, and after
some contention, as it is reported, with the
proprietor, she went off to attempt to save
the passengers from the burning vessel. She
also had two other boats of her own, which
were dispatched to the scene of the disaster.
There were also some boats which cameron
the shore, but none of them could approach
very ose to the steamer, so that every one
who was saved was obliged to make some at
tempt to swim for their lives.
While in the water, either hanging on to
the steamboat Or to the small boat by which
he was eventually saved, he was repeatedly
grapped by unfortunate persons in the act
of drowning and at the moment when he
laid hold of the boats gunwae he believes
that six persons, chiefly women, had hold of
his skirts. These the boatman took in be-
fore they extended any aid and comfort to
him, and during final struggle for life, his
suflerings of mind and body were excessive.
These were increased by the dreadful cries
and shrieks Of drowning persons going on in
every direction around him. Men, women
and children were suffering the tortures of
fire and drowning. On one hand poor
creature would be seen perched on an out
side part OF the steamer, where resting
place could be obtained only by the closest
hold with both hands and feet and their
hanging in torture, till driven by the smoke
or flames, he or she had to take the fatal
plunge into the cold river below.
In another direction, stalwart men might
be seen seeking to secure themselves about
the irons of the guards, or the paddles. Some
OF them lost their hold, and sunk at once.
Others managed to hang on for space, but
at last they had to give up from sheer ia
tigue, Or by the pressures of other sufferers
seeking to secure the same refuge. Here
families were preparing and determining to
die together; there the husband or the wife
saw his Or her partner forever separated.
Women with children in their arms leaped
into the water, others held on to the burning
wreck until loosing their foothold, they fell
and were lost forever.
The Herald says the steamer was about
two years old, and was owned in Montreal.
Her engines were old, and it is said that she
has been repeatedly on fire during the season.
After the fire had been burning for IA certain
length of time, there was a kind of explosion,
which destroyed nearly all the upper part Of
the YES sci that remained after the catastro-
phe. 1t appears that there was no boat on
board the Montreal which could we put to
the slightest use in saving the passengers.
The Quebec Chronicle of Saturday eve
ming reckons the number of persons on board
the Montreal at 400, including 80 raftsmen
and 30 cabin passengers.
The steamer Alliance picked up forty-fvc
dead bodies and took them to Quebec. The
lost are estimated at between $50 and 225.
A passenger informs the Montreal Pilot
that when the alarm of fire was given, the
passengers became frantic and jumped over
board in scores, and on top of each other.
Some sank and never rose; others struggled
for some time and then sank
According to the Commercial advertiser
the most reckless disregard Of human life
was shown by the the officers of the boat.
The paper says;
fire broak out in the Montreal SHORTLY
after leaoiny Quebec, in the neighborhood OF
our furnaces; it was got under, and again
broke out the ressel keeping on her scay 'oith
her freight Of Jfce hundred passengers
tL.J t;,o a, l,.oLa for,b ,,J Aha 49,, 90,