The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-12
Airllmonn pispatfb.
THE HURNiNG OF THE srEAMER
CONNAUGHT.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Ireland, on the 25'h ult., and arrived al st.
Johns, N. +, on Wednesday evening. the 3d
inst, where she landed the passengers and
mails for that port, and sailed in q few hours
for Boston, having on board 462 passe gers
and $4,000 In gold. She took fire on Sunday
when about l4o miles from Boston. The fol-
lowing is the statement of II. Witell. of New
York, one of the passengers
About eight r. NJ. Of Saturday. the 9th inst ,
while heading westwardiy, the wind blowing
nortnerly gale, the ship began to roll TO the
larboard with singular motion, going tar
down, and keeping hat way a ioEg time which
caused much alarm Meantime the captain
was heard giving orders about steering man.
ming the pumps, &c. Firemen under the lea
OF Inc paddle bcx Were observed whispering
ana there We're other NANTES ations that
some hing was not right. Considerable water
was observed through the gratings. The EN-
gine somewhat stopped for a while After
strenuous exertioEs by Capt. Leitch and crew,
Inc ship righted and the wheels commenced
turning, when the passengers became more
composed. The sea was rough, the wind was
blowing what sailors call an ordinary full
gale. Most OF the passengers turned in, but
passed a restless night.
On Sunday, at eight a. M, the ship began to
roll again, with hat staggy motion simuiar to
the evening previous. The captain and crew
could neither tack nor wear The ship. Soon
after the engine stopped, and steam could not
be raised in the boilers. The ship rolled fright
man ned and gangs OF men commenced bailing
with buckets. AT ten O'Clock IL was reported
that The water was not gaming, but The
contrary that the pumps ana boilers we're
gaining on the leak, and if the wind would
sutfen we would reach Boston that night but
these hopes were soon changed to extreme ter
ror, when the word WAS passed around in low
tones, The ship is on ire"' accompanied by
the smell of burning wood. The fire apr cared
between the decks. Gangs Were Immediately
formed, with pumps and buckets, TO extinguish
the flames, taking the water from the sea ana
passing IL in buckets. As the fire gained the
sailors began to siacken work. All eye, staring
around the horizon i'll hopes TO see some means
of safety. Several talse reports of vessel in
sight were made, but at last we discovered Il
sail to the northward, and soon after another
10 the westward, both very low down but IL
became plain at one O'Clock that both We're
nearing u.s. and the vessel steering north had
three masts u, the one west only two. We
soon found ont that the latter was passing,
while the other stiil neared without showing
any sign that she noticed us, which kept US in
extreme anxiety and doubt until she bore di-
rectly tor us, evidently showing that she OBJ
served the steamers flags OF distress, which
had been hosted since midday. We then COM
menced to steer away and launch boats, which
was a very difficult job, the ship lying almost
on her sioe in the trough of the sea.
BY this time the fire had cut Oft all .commu-
nicatiOu with the saloon. The first quarter
boat lowered was struck by the counter and
lost, which caused hesitation about launching
thar, supposing the boats should ride the seq,
" hich theD showed signs of moderaling and
that we could safely launch and fill them with
passengers, there was no chance of remaining
out shCrt time on board, The fire making
such progress. The flames were momeutariiy
expected TO burst out and sweep the decks the
fire gangs having given up all hopes OF extin-
gushing them, but continuing TO apply we
blankets, &c. The side OF the ship was then
so hot that when she rolled it would hiss and
make steam of the sea water.
The gallant little Yankee brig sailed along
side ana hove TO, seeing our deplOrabie sltua-
tiou, and showing every sign OF anxiety for
us; but we began to think il would be impos-
sibe TO stow all our numbers on board she
looked so small. We have since ascertaiued
that she was only one hundred and ninety
eight tons burthen. Captain Leitch made all
haste TO get us into the boats, which was ex-
tremely difficult, being lowered one by one
with ropes Captain Leitch stood by all the
time, commencing with the women and chill
dren. But with all the exertions that could
be made, when the sun went down only about
two hundred had beer got on board the brig
Captain Wilson, OF the brig, I'D, This Is a
horrible affair 10 see the sun going down ard
SO many people yet on board the wreck, set
TING down and burning up. l will do all
In my power to save them" Several OF the
boats crews, or reaching the brig, refused to
return, when Captain Wilson said, II will go
almost alongside and take a hawser from ON
board. and then you will be in little or no dan
ger. must get every one from the wreck. -
/
confidence, ana by greatexertion all We're got
on board the brig by eleven O'Clock Z. M.
Captain Leitch and his first officer remained
on board untI almost surrounded with flames,
and until every soul was saved. Capt. Will
son then sent alongside to beg him to come
away. The flames were shooung up the
masts, throwing a strong melancholy light
over the sea. Capt. Leitch reached the brig
just at midnight
Scarceiy parcel of baggage was saved the
trunks, aud even money OF The cabin passen-
gers being left below during the confusion and
Toe alarm which called them on deck in the
morning after which communication was cut
off by the water and the flames.
LIST OF PASSENGERS.
The following are the cabin passengers by
the steamer Connaught:
William Hurry and daugh John Percy
son Rev ?; King, Rey. y. 6 Gtllagher, Bash !.
nushes, Miss Blake, H. Mills, T: .MeCandish Jas.
Far ell, lady and daughter, yrs. W Johnson. A r
Rev. .. Kelly, Miss Rose Dolan. M lss n Graham,
Mrs +. Stephenson, Miss NJ Graham, H. WHIT
H. Ash A ps1ne IN n By5ns sIsa' raf4s
Farrell s. A. smi'h. hev Father Mit,hell, Mar,
Lyons, Msrgaie ct Kans and 4as in the steerase EN-
bin and SON, WIN, II. ,Newmary. VIM ,nneI!,,
Foster, M P. Dat n, MIR Emerson, Mr.. Martin.
The Minnie SchaefTer arrived at Boston
Tuesday, with the rescued passengers. She is
a brig of about 200 tons burthen, and the
standing room on her was completely covered
with people.
The Connaught was one of the four new and
splendid steamers which were ordered by the
Galway Steamship Company for mail service
between America and Europe in January,
1859. She was of iron, which is a most re-
markable fact when considering the fate with
which she met. She was about sixteen months
in course OF construction from the time her
building was commenced until she was COM
pleted She was launched from the yard Of
Messrs. Palmer, the famous English ship
builders, at Jarrow, on the Tyne, on the 2ist
of April last. Great performance was ex-
pected from the Connaught in point of speed,
and no expense was spared TO render her sub.
stantial and com mfortabie. Her cost was over
El20,000 sterling, or $60O,UOO. BY TAR the
greater part is covered by insurance in London
aud Dublin. Soon after her launeh the Con-
naught proceeded from her birthplace to
South Ampton, where she made her trial trip
On this trip she averaged, according TO the
official report made to the Post-Uifice Depart
,nent Of Great Britain, between seventeen and
eigh Teen knots an hour. She then lay up at
Southampton, to be completed and finished,
till the latter part Of June, when she ran 10
Galway, for the purpose of receiving her car
20, mails and passengers for New York She
made an extraordinary run OF about thirty
six hours between the two ports. In Gal
way the Connaught was received with the
firing of cannon, fireworks and the cheers
OF the populace. People came in crowds from
all parts OF the country TO see the largest ship
that ever entered an Irish port, aud one
which 1t was thought would beat any of her
predecessors IN crossing the Atlantic. On the
2G Of June the Connaught started on her
first voyage but che had only steamed one
miIa W hen her piston knocked out her cylin-
der head and The steamer Parana, which the
company had promptly on hand. sailed for
New York the next day, with the mails, pas.
sengers, t, d cargo which the ConnaughI was
70 have conveyed, aud which now were obliged
TO be transferred - the Paraea q in consequences