The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-08-18

winch occurred Oh saturday morning, between the
steamer Metropolis and the propeller j. N. Harris
The Metropolis was bound from Fall River to New
York and belonged to the regular line Of passen.
ger boats; and the J. N. Harris was on her way
from New York to New London. The cutwater OF
the steamer struck the propeller a little forward
OF miiships, causing her to sink almost imme-
diately.
The Metropolis received severe shock but was
not seriously injured. On the propeller were, as
nearly as can be ascertained, fourteen passeu gers
aud crew of eleven persons Of these twelve In
all were saved including the captain first and &C.
cond engineers, two deck hands, and seven passen-
gers.
LIST or THs DROWNED.
The wife and child of Mr.. A. l.. Smith, of Brook
lyn. New York.
Miss Gordon dan ghter ofGooros Gordan of Nau
York.
John Smith, aged nine years, Eliza Smith. aged
seven, and Hary Smith, aged five, children of the
captain of the propeller.
stephen Prentice mate of the propeIler
Geo. Allen deck hand.
Mary Withers, chambermaid.
Ann Willis, cook
gentleman, wife and child name and residence
The propeller had miscellaneous load of iron.
provisions, fruit, &c Not an article was saved NV
any ol the crew or passengers, except what they
happened To have on. As soon as the accident oc-
curred the Metropolis was stopped, and large
number OF ife-preservers thrown over Roats were
ais" lowered and cruised about the spot till day-
light. " '
SUBSCRIPTION for the relief of the survivors
ana amilies of the lost was taken I'D on board the
metropolis, reaching $495.
STATEMENT OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE PROPELLER.
The Metropolis reached her landing at Pier No.
East river at half past nine o'clock this MORN
ing, aud intelligence of the disaster immedjatsly y
spread over the city. Our reporter at once soupht
an interview with Captain Smith of the lost nro-
peiler in order to obtain his version of the caIami
" o"l ne was TOO much overwhelmed by the loss
OF MS children to be able to give a correct account
lie says that there were fourteen passengers and
ere" OF eleven on board but the passenger list has
gone uowh with the propeller, and there is no
means at hand to obtain the names
The propeller WAS three years old n stapncb
ooat valued at S22,5O0, and owned by q company
VT. \. Harris, from whom the boat was named
owned fourth, and he Capt. smith, had 81 $50
invested In her She was insured against fire. but
there was no marine risk on her She had a val
uaoie cargo of merchandise consigned to different
parties III New London, and probably uninsured,
The cargo consisted chiefly of provisions groceries
iry goods, and some 40 tons Of pig chain and bar
iron
The metropolitan struck us just forward of the
pilot house, and probably cut completely through.
we had sail up at the time. We had stopped
some ume when the collision occurred. | have
nothing to say as to how it happened 1t was
h
ne women and children were all lost They were
abed, and those that were asleep had hardly a
chance to save themselves. The propeller went
down. within less than five minutes from the time
she was struck. have lost three little children;
that viii be hard news to carry home"
While Capt. Smith was giving his statement an
old gentleman walked into the cabin of the Metrop-
olis, and approached with an agitated manner
'Iio" do You do Mr. Gordon?" said the Captain, ex-
tending his hand, and at the same time ayertinp
old gRnflpmHn took tl,a 4
hand. and said i'll a tremulcus voice: II came to
1ek about my daughter-is she alive or mott" She
IS gone said the Captain. ''Oh! my God" ex-
claimed the old man. us he burst into tears There
were no dry eyes in that cabin.
Afterwards the Captaia said to our reporter-
Shr was a beautiful girl, only Is years old Mr.
iordon gave her into my charge snly yesterday af
ternoon, to take her to her friends in New London
but now she has gone with my children"
Mr. Gordon is Il merchant tailor, doing business
at No. 65, Chatham street
CAPTAIN BROWNS STATEMENT
Captain Brown, Of the steamer Metropolis makes
the following statement of the disaster
Captain VIM. ii. Lewis, the first pilot had charge
II the steamer at the time of the collision lie has
been on the line ever since ID WAS established and
there is not reliable pilot lie feels as had
ls Captain Smith. and does not wish to make any
formal statement himself, but he l,as reIatel the
whole affair to me.
We left Fall River about O'Clock last evening.
y
utes before o'clock between Falkland Island and
New Haven the pilot saw q vessel about a point
md a half on the starboard bow, which he supposed
TO be Il schooner. She showed very little light
ATT but 10 head light at all. She was going east
haf southwest and we We're in the exactly opposite
course.
When steamers meet, head to head, the rule is for
both to port their helms to port and pass to the
right but sailing vessels we must give their course
80. supposing this vessel to be a schooner on free
wind, our pilot kept of to the loft irving to pass
IN the south side, but she saw that we were n
steamer and trying to pass to the right, brought
inevitable in collision The bell was rung to
stop the engines. but in about minute we struck
between her masts. had got up and got to the
window when she struck. The fOremast went on
0ur larboard bow and the mainmast on the star
board bow. We were probably running at the rate
Of II miles an hour, aud have cut her through
It bright star light, little haze in the water
but If there had been head lights we could have
seen them. / think the engines were reversed
but am not positive. The collision did not shake
our boat much-persons aft might not have been
awakened by it. The only damage to the Metropo-
liz is the loss of her Cutwater She does not leak
drop on account of it, and we shall run back to
Fall River tonight The ive-oak stem is scarcely
scratched, but we may have TO put her on the
ways, when il is convenient, because the cutwater
is carried away under water.
After the accident there WAS some confusion
about getting the boats over, but We had "a little
dckey boat i'll the water in about tive minutes,
aud two others in five minutes more The crew
threw ropes to the propeller, and saved all they
could III that way, and the passengers threw over
life epreseryers, and whatever else would float We
have ten boats on board. We could hear men cry
ing and struggling ia the water the moment We
struck We hauled in three men over the bows
One saved himself in the wheel, and Capt. Smith
clung to the brace. The propeller sunk in about
sixteen iathoms of water.
After this We laid to till daylight, and did not
lose the ground, We could see the ''slick" on the
water, caused by the oil on the propeller. We had
hopes of finding somebody floating on bales or
boxes, but none Were to be seen.
DEATH ON THE METROPOLIS.
Among the passengers on the Metropolis was
Mr.. George Tappan, merchant of New Bedford
and "A man of considerable property. He has been
subject to fits, and on his way. with his wife
to visit the South for his health. When the disas
ter occurred, he was very much excited, and while
making some enquiries, he fell back in an apoplec
tic fit, and expired almost instantly.
INCIDENTS, ETC.
Among the thrilling and heart-rending incident.
connected with the disaster passenger relates the
following
woman was seen struggling in the water, sup
porting 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 relinquishing her hOld. upon the child. She
looked up, saw the rope, 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.
These were the only persons seen in the water
that were not saved; all the others appear to have
gone down in the propeller. The husband OF thu
woman was among the lost.
An old man, IA years old who could not swim got
upon plank and was saveiby one Of the boats
His name is Daniel Ayres.
The clerk of the boat heard that his wife was sick
and went to New London yesterday in the steame
Connecticut, by which means his life was probabl.
saved. lie is supposed to have the freight list IL
his possession.
Capt. Smith has wife and infant child in New
London. The child is the last remaining of min
children
About two years ago the J. n. Harris ran agroun
on Norwalk reef. She was then commanded b.
Jonathan Smith, Leonard smiths father, VIII
died in consequence of over exertion ON that oecs
sion.
MIR. Stephen Prentice, the pilot of the propeller
leaves wife and son in New London.