The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-07-02
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Thurs lay Mornirs, July ,, 1857.
THE CALAMITY ON THE at. Law
RENCR.
pariic ulars Of the Burning Of the Steamer
Montreal.
HEART RENDING SCENES AND INCIDENTS.


Three Hundred Persons supposed 10 hare Persisted!
Names Of the Los, and Rescued.
The pariieulars OF the terrible calamity on the
S.Lawrence river have come to hard by mail
The III. fated steamer Montreal left Quebec on
Friday evening at 4 o'clock, bound for the city Of
Montreal, with about FIVE hundred emigrants and
thirty cabin passengers. The Montreal papers
give the narrative of Mr. Jos Hayes, Of that city
who was on board:
NARRATIVE or MR. HAYES.
when the steamer reached at 1ul twelve miles
from Quebec, above Mr. Atkinsons place, at Ca
rcse Bay. MIR Hayes came outside the saloon al
the after part of the steamer when he observed q
smoke rising up from the mid.hps Of the boat
over the saloon. In a very short time a number
Of persons were rushing with jugs of water to
extingush the FIRE. There was one boat on
board the steamboat on the hurricane deck, and q
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 go the tackles, He then got into
her. and in a minute or two a number of persons
crowded in and the boat sunk. Mr. Hayes then
held TO 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 iumpiug
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
shore, and she ran until she approached the shore
TO about one hundred and fifty yards from it,
where she appears TO have sunk in deep water or
to have struck a rock some persons believe -
at any rate the water was so deep tha at there was
no possibility of reaching the shore otherwise than
bys1mmng or in boats.
The flames, after the smoke at first per.
ceived dill not take more than ten minutes TO en-.
velope the whole vessel. and in two hours she was
utterly destroyed, so that hardly vestige of the
vessel could be seen The Napoleon had started
at the same time with the Montreal and was at
the time OF the accident at distance Of about
half a mile frem the Montreal and above that yes.
sci. Probably from fear of taking fire the captain
of the Napoleon did not Judge 1t prudent TO ap
prosch the burning vessel large boat or bait
teaux was Ia tow of this vessel and after some
0 ontention, ssit 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 despatched to the
seer G of the disaster.
There were also some boats which came from
the shore but none of them could approach very
close 10 the steamer, so that every one who was
saved was obliged to make some attempt to swim
for their lives. Mr. Hayes, himself after remain
Ing, as he believes, nearly half an hour hanging
on to the vessels eide, found 1t too hot to remain
there any longer and struck out boldly for boat
which he approaching. He swan to this
beat, but as the men on board saw a much larger
number of persons in jeopardy of their lives hang
ing round the wreck, they neglected Mr. Haye9'
cali 10 be taken ip, and twas not till he succeeded
in clutchilg the boat and raising himself up by
his own muscular force that he felt himself safe
The boats. with the persons who were saved, all
went on the Napoleon, in which were received
one hundred and twenty. five passengers and six
teen dead bodies
OF the passengers saved great number were
sadly burned, and many of them greatly bruised
RI show u era tQ1 U a air
with every attention.
Besides those who were taken on board the Ma
poleon. few persons, Mr. Hayes thioks not more
haa tweuty, succeeded in swimming shore or
to some rocks In the immediate neighborhood OF
he beach.
Mr. Hayes was acquainted with none Of th pas
'engers on board the Montreal, except Mr. Leslie
# Garter, Kerry Go, and Mr. Phillips, of Nor.
,ross, Phillips & Co, neither of whom were seen
IN board the Napoleon afterwards and as Mr.
Hayes believes, were both of them drowned or
burned. Only three cabin passengers are report
ID to be saved out of the whole number.
Mr. Hayes was long in the water as to have
brought excessive cramps, which caused swell
ing in the Joints. and afflicted him with the most
,xcrutiat ng pain
While in the wafer either hanging on 10 the
eamboat or to the small boat by which be was
eventually saved, he was repeatedly grappled by
persons in ibe act Of drowning and at
he moment when he laid hold of the boats gum
lad hold of his skirts Tbese the boatBen took
n before they extended any aid and comfort TO
lim, and durpg this final struggle for life bis suf-
erings of mind and body were excessive. These
we're increased by the dreadful cries and shrieks
# drowning persons going on in every direction
around him. These he described as being awful
n the extreme. Men, women and s1ildren were
suffering the tortures of fire and drowning.
On one hand q poor creature would be seen
1erched on an outside part of the sts amer, where
I nj obtained clOHs
est hold with both hands and feet, and there hang
ng in torture till driven by the smoke and flames
be she had to take tue fatal plunge into the cold
river below. In another direction staworth men
might be seen seeking to secure themselves about
be irons of the guards or The paddles. Some of
hem lost their hold and sunk at once. Others
managed to hang on for space, but al last they
had to give up from sheer fatigue or by the press
ure Of other sufferers seeking 10 secure the same
-efuge. Here families were preparing and deter
mining to die together: there the husband or the
wife his or her partner for ever separated -
Women with children in their arms leapirg into
he water; others held on to the burning wreck
Until losing their foothold they fell and were lost
brewer
THE SCENE AT THE WHARF IN MONTREAL
The telegraphic dispatches which rcachedtown
Early In the morning had made the sad accident
Snown tbroue bout the city, and by the time of the
Sspoeon's arrival an excited crowd thrC eyed the
wharf 1t would even have been greater had not
ne Telegraph eFTOneOubty btAtcu tue tAio Vi tAc
Napoleon's passing Quebec, so that that vessel
vas not expected till much later in the day. When
he appeared ber decks were of course crowded
With passengers. She had brought up large
lumber of Norwegians. and the one bun1red and
twenty-five additions from the Scotch emigrants
,y the Mckenzie of course filled every available
pace where a human being could be slowed -
several persons who expected friends were eager
y looking among the crowd on board the boat,
md hands were grasped earnestly as one or anoth-
,r face appeared
The dead bodies were Immediately taken pos
ession of by the Coroner, and were, by his direc-
ions carried with as much decency and reverence
Is the circumstance would admit, to the church
u the Old Cemetery, in Dorcester stree.
The unfortunate persons who were brought up,
naay of them, from loss of their friends, in con-
lon hardly less pitiable than the dead, were i'm
u nediatey taken in charge by Mr. Smith, the emf
,rant agent, and conveyed to the sheds. Mr..
Ramsay, of the ST. Andrews Society, was speeds
y in attendance upon them, and, under bis direc-
ions, the st Andrews Home. in st Georges
treet, was promptly prepared for their reception,
md by four in the afternoon, all were provided
or as well as the circumstances permitted.
AT THE EMIGRANT SHEDS.
In the afternoon we took turn through the
Smigrant Sheds at Grey Nuns street. There
we're there ct the time probably some thirty or
hirty. five poor people, chiefly women and a few
who had formed part of the living
reight ofthis unlucky vessel. There were one or
wo groups of truly distressing appearance and
h. nf ha had