Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-02-02
Tho Catastrophe on the Bay.

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The Norfolk and Portsmouth papers Of yester-
day bring full particulars of the loss Of the North
! Carolina Through the kindness of friends in
Baltimore, we were enabled TO place before our
readers yesterday morning all the particulars then
! known in Baltimore. and Ia anticipate much since
received from Norfolk. Tho transcripts account
is rs follows:
On Saturday morning, about n quarter after
o'clrk the steamer North Carolina, Capt. James
Cannon. when nbcut five miles south of Smiths
Point Light Boat on her why from Baltimore to
this place, was discovered To be on fire in the for
war part of the upper saloon. The alarm
immc lately given 10 Capt. Cannon by nm odd and
faithful steward, by whom the fire was first dis
covered. The captain Immediately struck the bell
for stopping the wheels, and to whore the fire
WAS raging which by this time had gained consid-
cradle hendwny, and was spreading 80 rapidly
through the upJ CIR works of tho vessel, which
of light and combustiblc material thar it
/ found utterly impossibloto do anything more thnn
| to save tho lives of those on board and even to
accomplish that seemed doubtful. The cry Of fire
wa hurrcdly sounded throughout the steamer.
! boats lowered with the utmost dispatch, and
every ,psshlc arrangement for escape made
that could be in the brief space of time allowed
| for PREPARATION. Most of those ON board being
asleep in their rooms. particularly the ladies. had
! barely sufficient time to escape in their night
| clothes.
There were sixty-six persons on board twenty
six passengers. aud forty attached To the vessel.
all Of whom were saved. except two, passenger,
| Rev Mr.. CARTS Of Chester, S. c., and Isaiah
! Winters (cplored dining room waiter. 1t is not
positively known whether Mr.. Curtis was drown
ed or burned in his state ROOM but rs he was not
during tho coningrntion, it is most probable
that he was suioca,ed. We arc told that feeling
ndsposcd to sleep the evening previous. it WAS
quite late before he retired to his room. The re-
maindcr of the passengers and crew, after great
eiton aud some scorchng succeeded in reach
inL the life boats, four in number. and east off
from the burning steamer. There was very
dense fog at the time which prevailed during the
whole night; but, fortunately, Capt Cannon, who
Wa perfectly self possessed during the whole
| scene, had the prccnuton to take with him, on
| leaving tho wreck, his compass and lantern, by
which means he was enabled to judge in what di-
r,''on to steer in order to reach the lightboat,
for which. himself taking the lead, they started.
After rowing until halfpast o'clock, A. NJ. n
bout thrcr and half hours guided at first by the
compass, and afterwards by the constant ringing
Of the light boats bell. as is the custom during
| flgv weather, they came alongside aud were
kindly received by tho captain, who rendered tho
sufferer. all the assistance in his power.
At about nine o'clock the same morning. Sat
urlay,) the steamer Locust Point, Capt. French.
one Of the Parker Vein line, plying between Bal
timorc and New York, nearing the light-boat, WINS
| hailed, and informed Of the catastrophe. She
came to anchor and remained there until about
! O'clock in the evening. at which time, the Fog
clearing away, she took the rescued on board and
| brought them to Hampton Roads, where they
were taken of by the Bay steamer yesterday NOR
ming, and brought to this city and Norfolk.
Scarcely anything was saved from the burning
s'camcr-all the baggage, freight. including that
in charge Of Adams& Co.'S Express Agent, mails.
a. being totally lost, Most of the passengers
were left with barely enough clothing to coy
err their nakolress, A part of the passage money.
we understand. was saved The fire originated in
a small in the forward upper saloon. used
for the storage of bed clothing, &C., in which
candle may have been left burning.
On the first alarm of fire, the steam pumps were
put ia operation by the engineers, aud every means
possible used. by officers anc men, to subdue the
flames; hut all could not avail. The utmost Goodness
and perfect discipline prevailed. evorv order was
promptly obeyed and not a man attempted to en-
ter til" boats or leave his post until the passengers
were safely embarked.
The following are the names Of the pas
scngcrs So far rs we have been able to learn
| them
Mr. Troupe and two daughters, of Geo; L. {.
Clayton and lady, OF c; Mrs O'Brien, of Phila.;
Peter Adams, Greensboro, n. e; .Ino. A. Boyden.
y. c.; T. II. Gregory, Goldsboro', n. c.; John A.
Green. baltimore; J. q. Rives. Edgecombe, \. C.;
Isaac l.urch Wilmington. N. c.; d. A. Wickers.
Raleigh, \. c.; NJ Crapop. wife and child, Will
mington. ~ c.; Mr.. DENLY and sister, and Capt.
fitzgeral1,o of Norfolk; s. I. Hart and NJ. w. Ayl-
win, of this city; and th~Rev. Mr. Curtis, of s. C.;
who was lost
Fifteen sixteen of the above, on their arrival
here, proceeded to the Macon and Ocean Houses,
where they found good quarters Mayor Grice call
cd upon them soon after their arrival and finding
them-the ladies particuarly--in rather dcsti-
tute condition, took the necessary steps to relieve
| their immediate wants.
| The Dav Book says
1 1t is believed that Adams & Co.'S Express loses
| by this catastrophe, somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of $1,000. But we understand, bya fortunate
accident, they were prevented from losing $780,
| 900, government funds, which were expected here
| to pay off, but did not get on board in time, and
consequently came down on the steamer Georgia
| this morning.
The Argus publishes the resolution of the pas
sengers in which. by pnblic acknowledgment,
they return their unfeigned thanks to those whose
presence of mind and cool judgment they owe
their safety.
The Mayor of Norfolk called a meeting Of cti-
Gems at his Office yesterday at III O'Clock, to inqure
into the condition ofthe passengers and crew
eued from the wreck cf the steamer North Carroll
ma, and to take measures to afford any relief that
NAV be nece ssary
The Argus reports the following thrilling
scene:
After the fire broke out in the upper saloon. it
spread so rapidly that no time was given to awake
those sleeping in that saloon aft of the machinery
mr. Crapon, his wifs and infant sleeping in
this part of the saloon. After the fire had made
fearful progress and nearly every soul had left
the aft of the boat. Mrs. Crapon awoke and arous-
cd her husband; he jumped up and attempted to
open the door of his state-room, the smoke and
flames drove him back
With great self possession he Jumped out of the
window and helped his babe (of twelve months)
and wife out The deck seemed rted he thou CHI