Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-23

THE BURNING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA.

| C. B. Hoop, Sec.
THE BURNING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA.
The Petersburg Erpress o Saturday has the following
| particulars Of this disaster
The fine, first class freight and passenger steamer
| Peansylvamia, Capt Teal, was burned on Thursday
| night, on James river, of jamestown, while at an-
chor during the storm which ragged with some violence
| on the same evening in tlis city. The storm
with such violence duringte passage OF the steam
er up the that the captain compelled 10 bring
il to anchor and they found themselves in the locality
above mentioned Everything seemed safe at the time,
but Of the coal passers about eleven o'clock gave
alarm Of fire. stating that the vessel ablaze between
decks forward the boiler The alarm thrilled tn, small
bevy Of passengers aboard and the whole bus
" 10 work suppress the flames aud afford the means
of escape In short time the eff Ir to the ship be-
cam, useless and body Of fire burst up through the
darkness, between the forward deck and the aft.
There was no time to be lost, and though the
waves running high the wind blowing, and the
storm howng all hands set TO work deck, building
RATS of everything they could lay their hands upon
Presently raft completed aud let down, and pas
senger Mr. G. T. Graham, of PHILADELPHIA took the chill
dren -four in number eaped upon il together with the
pilot Three Of the children washed from the raft
and drowned the other washed away also but caught
by the pilot and saved The following particulars of the
affair we received from our kind riend Thomas G.
Broughton Esq. of the Norfolk Herald, by the Norfolk
train The narrative will be read with interest
"The steamer Curtis Peek, Capt. Moore, which arriv
ed at an carly hour yesterday morning. from Richmond,
brought down Capt Teal officers and crew. and four pas
sengers saved from the wreck Of the Pennsy
vdnid which vessel regret to learn burned TO the
waters edge the night before while lying ut achor of
jamestown. The Curtis Peek was on her u ull night
trip down the river and learn from Capt Moore,
discovering the light the burning steamer, when about
five miles off Immediately crowded steam and hurried
to her relief Both the boats Of the Curtis Peek, in
charge Of Mr.. George Clifford, aud Mr. Cam, st and Cd
officers were despatched the and passen
xho vere on raj 10 Dl lauks II
which they far successful to save all except
three small children Of Mrs Deitz passenger who
washed from raft and drowned before the Curtis Peek
came up.
The children four in number had been placed on the
raft with Mr.. Smack the pilot Of the Penns syicdnid and
passenger but the raft capszed alongside the
sell aud they slid of into the The three eldest
l. and 10 years OF age, were drowned-,he other an
infant seized as il going down, by Mr.. Smack
who then kept hold Of until picked up by the boat of
the Curtis Peek, about mile from the ship The moth
er ia almost distracted with grief and her peous amen
taons heari-rending in the extreme The persons
swed taken bard the Curtis Peek and received
every attention and sympathy which their distressed
condition suggested.
Capt. Teal and the officers Of the PennsybGnia return
ei to the wreck yesterday morning. The only parcu
lars could obtain from them contained in the fol-
lowing sta ement of Mr.. Thomas Calon the chief eng
neer made under oath before the u s. Government In
spector G. b. Davis, Esq:
Left Norfolk on Thursday, 10th, at noon. About 9
o'clock p. NJ came TO anchor opposite jaime mestown. in
heavy a,orm of wind rain and lgh.any. was duty
at the time About / 7. NJ, Pat Riley a coal passer
discovered fire between decks and forward of the boiler
and Immediately reported the fact 10 me- ordered the
hose the fire pumps and the pumps TO be put work.
but only succeeded in getting the forward pump work.
In one minute after the fire discovered the flames
burst through and the boiler driving from the
engine room Il was the only person then left IN it. y
Went forward and got all hands forward pumps
which was then working on the fire. Tue flames made
such rapid progress however that discovered
was useless work the pumps attempt in any way
to check the fire. An attempt then made 10 get
the boats but the lmes had burst through the engine
room sky lights cutting of all communication between
forward and aft and surrounding the cabin and boats
which ashed to davits and swung nwarjs the
top of the cabin, and consequently could not be got
All hands now, voluntarily commenced constructing
RATS and other floats from gangway planks wood gra-
tings and spare spars The first raft launched was the
gangway plank, and this Mr. Smack pilot and one
passenger placed themselves taking with them four small
children Of lady passenger who travelling without
her husband expecting meet him in Richmond. They
then left the ship and ded away in the darkness Next
Mr. Bell second officer, left the ship plank don't
know if he bad any one with him. The next that left
he ship, of the deck bands raft they in-
vited passenger to 20 with them but he being fearful
declined Next Capt Teal went on to raft taking with
him two lady passengers and the chambermaid-one OF
the ladies, the mother Of the four children who were
placed on the first raft.
Mr. Harris the I'd Engineer, with the fremen aud such
other hands left board together with myself
commenced to build raft from old spars aud lumber,
and got finished and overheard and two three
it, when discovered the lights OF the Cur
s Peck approaching on her way from Richmond TO Nor
folk Directed the ships bell to be toed which was
done until the Curtis Peck within hundred and
fifty feet and stopped. Captain Moore of the Curtis
Peck, Immediately launched his two boats and them
to our relief First officer Clifford, OF the Curtis Peck
came in boat TO the ship and took off TIE two lady
passengers chambermaid Capt Teal self and of
the returned to the ship with Mr.. Clifford and
one fireman. and took of Mr. Harris % engineer and
the balance of the crew. and landed them safe on board
the Peck. During this time the other boat from the q.
p, 10 charge OF Mr. CAIN second officer, engaged in
picking up the passengers and who had ded away
on RATS plsnks &c, and succeeded in doing by the
light OF the burning vessel
At the spot where the fro first observed spark
from the boiler could have caused it occur. All the
coal slowed below anthracite and not in contact
with the boiler, consequently could not have taken fire
believe the fire must have originated from some CON-
bus,ibe freight, slowed where il occurred At the
time the ship came to anchor. | hauled in front and
banked all the water in the boicr-fled ash pans with
water-opened hue caps-pump boiler up wi steam
pump and thuswise worked steam down TO 10 pounds
lifted safey-valve and let the slowly escape all
lights in engine and boiler put out except
the light fronting the water gage in the engine room
examined everything-then went 70 lie down, leaving
fireman and coaheaver watch.
MULES, MULES AND HORSES have ~
I Just received direct from Kentucky very choics S