Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-10-31
loss a. TnE RAMsnIr COAAALGiiT,
PULL PARTICULARS.
B0srON, October q

The steamship c0nnaught, if0r
Galway, via St Johns, sprung a leal
Saturday, and took lire Sunda.
morning, about lao miles from Bns
ton Light II is reported that al
her passengers and crew We're save,
by the brig Minnie ShaeiIcr, an,
brought To Scituate, 4 steam ia.
has gone there to tow the brig ~
TO this city,
Captain Leitch, of the Connaught
reports on the 9th, at 3 in the even
ing, l5O miles east of Boston, spruns
II leak in tho engine room. He sue
ecoded in keeping il below the iirg'
till 4 o'clock Sunday morning, wheT
II gained rapidly, cNtinguishmg th,
fires. Al $50 ho discovered smob,
issuing from ail the stack hole, and
Notwithstanding the utmost eNer'
tiOns, the fire gained and soon drove
the cabin passengers on deck, rs
the water and fire were both gain
ing, the boats We're got ready
There was at the time heavy sea
and the first boat lowered was stove,
Six others were launched successful
ly and filled with passengers.
About II o'clock the brig Minnie
SchWilcr saw our signal and bore
down. About seven in the evening
we commenced embarking our pas
sengers. The brig having n hawscr
TO the steamers starboard side. 1t
was now very hot. At $50 got all
the passengers aboard the brig
The mails were all saved. Captain
Leitch was the last to leave the
wreck. The weather was pleasant
after leaving st. Johns ON Wednes-
day =. NJ, until Saturday, when il
blew very heavy from the South
west.
The last seen of the Connaught
she was n mass of flames. She had
80 cabin passengers, All stceragc,
and 134 crew, all saved. The pas
scngcrs saved nothing except the
clothes in which they stood. Capt.
Lcitch and Mr.. Cox, a passenger,
landed at Scituate this morning, and
arrived at Boston at IL o'clock. 1t
is supposed the fire had been smoul-
dering for a long time, from the
rapid progress made by the flames
after being discovered. Captain
Leitch is unable to account for the
leak, which filled the vessel rapidly
against all efforts Of the pumps.
The Connaught is valued at f120,-
Geo, and is fully insured in England.
She was of IRON, launched at New
Castle, on the Tyne, in April last, of
over 1000 tons burthcn, and had
five water-tight compartments.
The brig Minnie Shptfer arrived
at one o'clock. She is about 200 tons
burthen, and the standing room on
her was completely covered. by the
rescued passengers Of the Con
Mr.. II. Wittcl, of New York, u
in the Connaught, fur
nishes the following statement as to
the loss of that fine steamship.
Passing the circumstances Of the
voyage from Galway, which port
we left at 5, p NJ, 18th ult., until
about 8 o'clock, p. NJ, of Saturday,
the 9th inst, he says, while heading
westwardly, the wind blowing a
portherly gale, the ship began to
roll to the larboard with a singular
going far down and keeping
that way " long time, which caused
some alarm. Meantime the captain
was heard giving orders about steer
ing, manning the pumps, &c. Fire
men under the lea Of the paddle
boxes were observed whispering,
and there were other manifestations
that something was not right
Considerable water was obserevd
through the gratings, and the en-
gines soon after stopped for while.
After strenuous exertions by Capt.
Leitch and crew, the ship r.ghted
and the wheels commenced turning,
when the passengers became more
composed. The sea was rough, the
wind blowing what sailors call an
ordinary full gale. Most of the
turned in, but passed
restless night Sunday, at 8, A. M.
the ship began to roll again with
that shaggy motion similar to the
evening previous. The captain and
crew would neither tack nor wear
the ship. Soon after the engines
and steam could not be
raised in the boilers. The shiproll
ed frightfully to the larboard and
the pumps were manned and gangs
of men commenced bailing with
buckets. At 10 O'Clock it was re-
ported that the water was not gain
ing, but, on the contrary, that the
men and pumps were gaining on the
leak, and if the wind would stiffen
would reach Boston that.night; but
these hopes were soon changed to
extreme terror when the word was
passed around in low tones, "The
Ship is on fire, accompanied by
the smell of burning wood. The
fire appeared between the decks
Gangs. were Immediately formed
with pumps and buckets to eHtin-
guish the flames, taking the water
from the sea and passing it in buck
cts. As the fire gained the boilers
began to slaclen work. All eyes
staring around the horizon in hopes
to see some means of safety.
Several false reports of a vessel
in sight were made, but at last we
discovered a sail to the northwafd
and soon after another to the west