The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-30
BURNING OF THE STEAMBOAT BEN FRANK.
LIN-LOSS ABOUT S250,000.


From the Neto Orleans Crescent, Oct 81
The telegraph yesterday briefly announced the
burning of the New Orleans and Memphis mail line
packet Ben Franklin, above Vicksburg.
Captain Clarke and several other officers of the
burnt boat having got down to Vicksburg by the
steamer Arkansas, reached this city last evening by
the jackson Railroad. To the courtesy of the Cap
tain are indebted for the following particulars
OF the disaster:
At 3 O'Clock on Thursday morning, when the boat
was approaching Ashton, about ninety miles above
Yicksburg, smoke was discovered issuing from the
hold through the pump holes, aft the boilers The
boat was at once rounded to and landed and every
effort made to extingush the fire below. Steam
from the boilers turned into the hold; and the
| fire-pumps being manned, water freely applied
by hose through the forward part of the boat holes
being cut in the deck for the purpose At one time
it was thought the fire had been got under; but this
proving to be mistake, and the fire more unman-
ag able than ever, after two or three hours combat
with it, Captain Clarke determined to save as much
of the boat and cargo possible, by the last re-
sort of scuttng. The boat scuttled; but it fail
| ed to save her. At about o'clock, the fire broke
through the deck in flames, and in the shortest pos
sible space of time the boat burned to the wa
ters edge with the whole of her cargo, consisting of
3036 bales of cotton and p or 80 tons of bacon and
! other freight.
| The boat was landed so soon after the discovery
| of the smoke from the hold that nothing was lost
| except the boat and cargo. The crew and passen.
! gers numbered 200 altogether, and all got ashore
with their baggage and everything. Quite a nun
Der of ladies were board, and among the gentle
men was Senator Sldell. All the boats books and
papers saved. The manifest had not been
made OUT but from the bills of ading, ETC., which
! Capt. Clark brought down with him, the manifest
will be made out and submitted to the public to-
| day. The United States mails were put on
board the Princess, which boat will get down to-
morrow
The origin of the fire could not be accounted for
by any of the officers of the boat Her cotton was
piled on the guards to the hurricane deck, slowed
I,nTt hstln ot,A nptIn Mt IN ha
hold. 1t was from the cotton in the hold that the
fire started. The matches were last open at I
| o'clock the previous evening; and the only lights
ever used in the hold, and used there then, were
| glass lantern. No torches used at any landing
during the night, the moon giving all the light that
necessary The rgin Of the fire was, therefore,
and is, perfect mystery.
The Ben Franklin was worth about $40 ,000 and
her cargo worth about $50 900 or $780, 600. Capt
| Clarke unable to give any information as to
| the insurance on the boat The Captain and other
| officers signed protest, which will be drawn up
and submitted to-day.
BURGLARS ALARM-H. r. Robbins, of Baltimore,
| Md: claim the manner specified of combining and
| arranging relatively to each other door q,
! and door frame g., other structure, the alarm
movement, cap nipple, X, exploding spring ham
mer, H. and stop set pin, j, for the purpose set
| forth.
| fBy this invention simultaneously with the oper-
alton of setting the hammer as to explode cap,
the verge of the alarm movement Is caused to lock
the verge wheel, and thus prevent the running
down of the spring, and simultaneously with the
opening of the door and the explosion of the cap,
! the verge wheel is unlocked and the alarm move
inent caused to give continuous alarm. This ar
rangement differs from and is superior to all devices
before used it being readily attached to any door
and costing very little more than ordinary
cheap clock movement, and serving to give sud
den start to the sleeper when a burglar enter the
| room, and then keeping up continuous alarm I'M
| til he is fully aroused, and made aware of his dan
! ger 1-.Scientifc American.