Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-04

hc the smith Point Light boat bell: s.d attcr pulling
in the direction of the sonnd for nm hour and 2 iaii;
go came suddcnly upon the light boat Here ]
! wonld like TO state that the fog Was 80 thick that wher
the steamer WAS blazing up nearly nm hundred feet,
vc could not see il a hundred yard" on. We were
taken on board BY the captain. and the after part OF
the vessel given up to the saaies' Sho "e,e sooh Pr,
yid.d With fire and blankc;n-the blankets hni
b.en thrown in the boats from the burning steamer.
and made comfortable. About u O'Clock. SATURDAY.
moniny.) we heard n fos whistle, apparently aOou'
one hundred yards OF; but, oc.'iG5 unao.r !" bee any mn
thing. We dispatched y boat 20 hail the steamer. ms
proved to be the Locust Point, OF the Parker VEN
Inc in command of Can't. D.. French. who said ne
wa. bound 10 New York. We asked him u nc conia
not take III 10 Norfolk, lie replied, that II me iog
cleared up so that he could get along, nc T I5o ".a ~
ingly came alongside and invited us Oh board. Inc
gentlemen accepted, but the ladies were forced !" ae-
! Cline on account Of their ~toilettes. While lying her;
large pieces OF the burn; steamer toated by. severai
Of which were picked up. About dark, the fog hav-
ing cleared away, We got the ladies on brard the 10.
cus, Point, and proceeded to within eight miles Of
Norfolk, Which point We reached about y: III, V-
day, Sunday About a.. ~, the Georgia rlms
along, and brought us in TO this city. When We lei'
the light boa, We gave three cheers for is captain,
and when we l,ft the Locust Point We gave tnr"e
times three.
NARRATIVE OF 4. GRAFTON. OF wiIaINGToS. ~ c.
After the hrc broke on, in tie upper saloon it spread
80 rapidly that no time was given {" awake those sleep
ing in tha, saloon nj: OF the machinery, Mr.. trapon,
his wife and irfan: were sleeping in this par; Of tho
snioor. After the fire had made fearful progress. and
nearly every soul lad lcft the nit of the boat, Srs;
Cmpon awokc and aroused her husband. lie jumped
up, and when he attempted to open the door OF his
state-room. the smoke and flames drove him back.
With great self possession he jumped ont nj the
window and helped his babe tof J.. niontlisl and
wife out. The deck seemed deserted; he thought all
hid fed and left him. his wife and little one to perish.
He heard persons in the fore part Of the boat, but the
fame. presented an impenctrable barrier. Possessed
for the time with extraordinary strength he seized o
metallic life brnt which WAS left OF the hurricane deck,
and started 20 launch her, hi; found she wns fastened
below. Having left his coat in hi. room he lad no
knife 10 cut the ropes, 50 he va: Obliged 10 leave MS
wife and child and descend to ~uniasten them. The mo-
incnts seemed ike centuries. He 1T length snccecG-
Cd in loosing The ropes and ascending, showed the
bout into the water. As soon ~ she fell she filled
and dHiled under the guards. Not dcspairlng OF
reaching the bout, he threw his child into inc water
20 keep irsm injnring it in the descent and bidding
his wife to romail until he returned, he plunged AZ
ter the child to put i. in the boat. lie had no sooner
jumped in than his wifr followed HIS example. III her
fright not henring his request. lie succeeded IN
reaching the boat with his child, and placing il safely
! on board, he started 70 return 10 his wife, when he
saw q iernalc struggling i'll the water to keep herself
from browning. A. she Vas near the boat, feelings
OF humanity prompted him TO rescue her before re-
turning tor hi, vile wh"m he now felt vas safe
! Judge Of his surprise when .ciz!ng hold Of Tie fc-
male he recognized her 10 be his wife who had fol-
lowed him and her child into thu water.
Another lady, who had rushed IN the spot "iler tie
boat was launched. seeing Mrs. .Capon jump over
board, followed and would have drowned but for the
: hcroism of our fellow citizen Capt. Henry Fitzgerald.
who. coming mp 10 the place and seeing 4 female IN
the wntcr, descended 70 her rescue. a, Ca.L Fitf.
: gerald was letting himself doSn. the rope being niiTn!,
gave way and he WIS plunged into the deep. Al
though h. could Lot swim. a. the boat *as near lie
succeeded in rrscl,ing the !niy. The hvr being safely
in the boat. emptic1 it Of the water, and went 10 the
assistance OF the others. Capt. fitz.rrald. in his e.
forts to release others, left the steamer almost naked.
RAripIrY oY THIS YrHE.
The fire spread with alarming rap;dity; t!otl the
time the alarm Wa given until tile lassciigcrr were
compelled to leave the bout. j, was only II few ,hort
hours. The Are burnt towards the stern anu vtr!
room illod tho upper saloon with dense smoke and
fame. 1t was not long before the only communica-
ton between fore and Mt WAS through the lower ~
bin. AbOnt twenty minutes alter the alarm the upper
-aloon commenced falling in. What made il very
fearful waI. that those on the fore and nj Of the dccK
could only communicate with each other ~ gong
DOWN below, which it was very dangerous TO DO as
the wood wnrk around the machinery in the lower ca
hin Was burning.
LArScnS1 OF TIE EoArs.
Mr. Vim. Dcnby, Jr.. Of Norfolk, who was III the
aN par, Of the upper saloon. was awokc hy the sop
ping Of the steamer. and hearing a cry for buckets,
jumped up and hn-;ily putting On some Of he clothes:
! rushed ont and saw the saloon in flames. He aroused
his sister, who WIS in the next state room. and they
barely had time 70 escape out Of the saloon, -he hav-
Ing 10 leave all Of her clothes. except those in which
she slept. Forcing a negro by threats 70 aid him, he
succeeded in launching the first boat. which was on
the hurricane deck. As roon a. the boa: passed the
yuards, eighteen persons jumped in. Miss DENLY
was the last who go: in the boat. having couragcously
waited until her brother was ready to receive her. -
Much praise is due to Mr. DENLY for getting this boat
launched 80 sooi!. This bon. took several OF whom
thcv found on the II Il.
The other boats were launched rs the crew. and
both filed with those on board. Fortunately. there
was n calm prevailing, othcrwi-s tn" boats would
have been of little service.
1t is remarkable thai, in the trying. scene, the pa.-
srngcrs displayed great coClno,>, and even the Indies
rivallcd the men in courage.
The seven ladies on board were rescued without
an. injury. excepting one. whose arm "as hurt IN
getting into one OF the boats from the steamer, ou,
nearly Nil hid 10 leave III their night CLOTHES.
TIE Los-Es.
The agent Of Adams Express. in this city, informs
rs thnt their loss IL not very great, from the fact that
they always send q special messenger along, who
looks out for vauables. Two hundred Thousand dol
lursin gold reached here this morning by the Georgia.
which was to have come by the North Carolinn, but
most fortunately did not reach the wharf Friday eve
ming in time, and had n lay over until Saturday.
These funds were 10 pay ot the employees at the
(iosport navy yard. and 1t i. obvious that from "s
grea, weight il mu.; have been lost. This money
wus in the hands Of the Adams Express Company,
and they may esteem themselves most fortunate in
not getting il on board the North Carolina.
Capt. Cannon had $500 in his state room, belonging
to his private purse, which he had no. time 20 rave.
Mr.. Parks. the purscr, had not time ogc, the passage
money out Of the iron safe, but snatched up the list
of passengers, and had 10 Yield to the d~cvounng
clement, and beat a hasi.r retreat 20 some other part
Of the boat.
These boats. or rather, this line has beer running
constantly for thirty years, and thi- il the hr'' ae'i-
den. Of any note that hIs ever occurred.
Immediately upon the arrival Of The passenger. in
our citic-, the laiic, were furnished with wearing
apparel, and everything done to render their condition
ns comfortable ~ possible. Those who had lost their
C,,j. uro-a nrovil,1 v;th rnonny and Furnished with
tickets to take them to :hcir homes.
A DR.. Troupe. Of Georgia, was Oh board with two
sisters. They lo.t all their baggage ami about
I 2."oD in money. several gentlemen and one or 40
North Carolina. and were on their way home. One
gentleman, q Ar. Fields, was from Gloucester covn-
~. Va. and another, n Sir. Lively, wns from VII
liamsbu!Z, Va. and vas as one time coniiecicd "!th
the Gazette. OF that city.
The Georgia lel here at one o'clock to-day 70 re-
turn u Baltimore. There is no other boat on the
line s, this time, the Louisiana having been on Tor
several weeks to repair. reft. &c: II IL said, houe"rr,
,ha, the company will purchase q boat Immediately
TO put in the place Of the North Carolina. or which,
We learn, there was o partial insurance against fire.
4 number Of passengers availed themselves Of her
return 20 20 North. and we are pleased to learn that
the confidence in the line is undiminishcd.
Several OF our wholesale huck-ters had q quantity
Of money on board. which was generally sent down
in care Of Mr. Marshall. the mate Of the steamer; all
OF which, We are %.ratifed TO state, was saved by that
officers putting il in lis pocket in time. Thus We
SEE the officers OF the vessel were thinking OF others
At the expense Of ;heir own effects on board.
LIFT OF PASSENGERS.
The following is tho lirt Of the passengers who
were on board:
DrJ l. TrouP, Mise. TrouP, Daricn, Ga; RI
Northrup. Pioneer Mills. y C: Thomas " Field,
Gloucester, c II: = Clayton and lady. Beaufort, \ {:
RJ Gregory, Goldsboro', y Z; J Lurch, boy Will
m%ington, y {; II Fitzgerald, Norfolk; K Graig.
Baltimore, Md: John A Poydcn, Salisbury: {: DR.
John c Ricver. Edy.comb county, e Z II Lively,
Williamsburg, VA: S T Grant, t SN, Portsmouth,
Va: Matthews. Boston, Mass; John A Green, Bal
;imorc; Win De,,by. Jr. and sister. Norfolk, Va; Pc
ter Adams, Greensboro, y {; Mathew W Alywin,
Portsmouth. VA: d A Wicker. Raleigh. y G: II
Craron. wifi. anal inirnt. Wilmington, y. c; Miss
Mary Thompson. Norfolk, Va: VIM B Parks: Balti-
more, Md; Mary 4 Bryan, Wilmington, NC: Rev DR.
Curtis, Chester. Sc.