The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1860-05-23
THE CAMDEN CATASTROPHE

We have not the heart, say the Charle=-
ton Cyirs-. to offer comments and TeAec-
.tious on the memorable and melancholy
calamity by which nearly the whole town
OF Camden, and many families in its Vi
cinity, have been placed in mourning
The C51.risr publishes the following let
ter;
CAMDEN. ). c.. MAY 6.-We are in the
/ midst Of one Of the most awful and mys-
| FERROUS providences an the annals Of any
/ people. A fishing party, Of some fifty or
sixty. started of yesterday morning full
| of life. and twenty-five OF the number have
met a waterv grayc-all Of them quite
| Young. the eldest being about thirty or
/ thirty-hve. such a sight never witness
/ Ell. May God grant ] may never see an
| other such ! have not had an hours
! sleep since Friday night, and am almost
| broken down with fatigue and excite
mcnt You will probably see the parti-
culars in the papers. and will only add
| that ia one family tho-e were four. and in
another Eve victims We took them to
| their respective homes last night. and oh,
such wajli9g and screams / never heard.
/ MAY the God of Justice De a God Of Mcr-
| cy, and pour the oil Of comfort into their
/ hearts.
From the Sumter is. O. WafciB1l we
extract the following particular, Of this
/ distressing affair
On saturday morning the 9Th inst. a
I most happy company, composed of young
/ ladies and gentlemen, children and pa
/ rents left their homes IN Camden for a
/ day Of pleasure and amusement at Boy
/ kius Mill Pond, about ten miles from
/ that place and upon the line of the rail-
road. These were joined by others from
/ the neighborhood. forming party Of con
siderable size.
4 tlathoat had been placed upon the
| pond for purposes OF pleasure. The COM
| pany embarked upon this boat. intending
to pas over and around the pond. These
consisted chiefly Of young ladies, there be
ing but sufficient number of gentlemen,
As was supposed, 10 manage the boat.
They had been out some time. and
were near the center Of the pond, when
tine boat ran on a suag. This excited lit
tie or no fears a. Il was supposed that q
| speedy extricItion would be Effected
Soon il was perceived that the great press
ure of the boat upon the snaE lin con>e-
vueuce Of the number 10 ContaInedl was
puncturing its bottom, and that the water
was making is way inside. Momentum
lv the danger became greater, and mo.
mcutsrily the excitement Of those on
board. as well as those on shore. became
more intense. II seems that delIyerance
would have come. and that the boat would
have probably been pushed off and run
! near enough to the shore for many If not
] II hot fIHF,s1
who stood nj each end. "a white man and
a negrol with their poles. laboring with
an their power. showed each in the same
direction. thus mutually destroying the
effects of their efforts. Soon she began "a
/ sink. When this was seen. and the fact
that she could not be Woved became SC
apparent. the scene became tnghtiul in
decd The widest excitement and feal
seemed 70 seize every heart, and but few
fauv were sufficiently collected 10 enable
them TO employ their efforts for rescu,
aivaulageou-ly. Ia few moments sh'
sank. when the scene may be better i'm
agined than described. Piercing erie
and shriek,. and calls for help, both from
those on shore and those ON the boat
} filed the air.
The boat seems to have committee
together. mainly. in a mass. The waite
Is supposed to have been about twentl
feet in depth. Thus thrown together, on,
? clincing 10 the other, with that gra-l
. | which belongs only To those in a drown
ing condition. there was little opportuni
/ tv for the male, in the company to rescu
the ladies. or even save themselves.
p But a few I'VE have not been apprise,
I Of the exact numberl were saved, Of thos
upon the boat. One act Of daring, mani,
and gallant rescue. demands especial nc
tice. Mr.. Jones. fireman upon the Cam
b den train. rushed to the spot and by al
a most .uperhuman efforts. coupled witt
most cool and manly courage, brough
4 three of the drowning persons to Ia
shore. We have not learned the name
J. | Of these.
Mr.. Richburg, with noble devotion, los
his life attempting TO save another. These
with two negroes, complete the meian
choly list
r Efforts to secure the bodies Of the un
p fortunate drowned were Immediately EN-
ployed Some were taken from the wa
70 ter. Others could not be found. Tn
r iloodgate OF the pond were soon hoisted
r but the body Of water was great. and coul,
o. not be soon run Oft.
o. At halfpast three yesterday eight bod
les were At the Methodist Church, wher
" funeral ceremonies were being performed
p in the presence Of large congregation
- Almost every eve was moi-tcncd by th
e tear of sympathy or bereavement.