New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-08-16
TIKI ACCIDENT ON TuK POTOMAC.
Additional Pnrticulnrs-scvrn
Missing.
WA.HIsGrOy, Friday.


Missing.
WA.nIaeroy. Friday, Aug. H. i's,.
The following is received from our correspondent
at Acquia Greek Landing, Va, dated Aug. H. 1862:
The ed affair OF Wednesday night has caused q
deep fee ing OF COMMUNICATION for the fate of the ga
liant soldiers, who, having recovered from sickness
were ell route here to JOIN their comrades.
II would he Il very sharp latie in which seventy
soldiers were killed. yet that Dumber here ngloii-
ously persisted. One Of the Fad features OF the nf-
fir slso the drowning Of three tsdies, and the
child Of one If them. The ladies were wives of Oh
fcers IN Gen. Buruside's command, and had been
Wis ling and attending their sick husbands in the hos
piral at Ne~por' News.
j Tie survivors of The accident describe the scene
which ensued upou the Striking OF the steamers as
hsarircndiug in She extreme. With the first thock
the rush o, the water was heard making its way IL
through the yawning gap at the bows, and soon the
hold and cabins were Hooded. Immediately all was
confnsloD. The alr was rsbt with cfics, exhoria-
liour. and prayers
TIE boats were lowered away, but in the confu-
sion the aoies, who were 10 have been placed 10
them iirsi could not be fonad, or else the frantic
men gave them little heed. Some diveried them
selves If Their hing and btldiy Ilunged into the
waier with the Intention OF swimming drifting to
the shore aud othe fnlntlcnlly cung TO the wood
work until the vessel WAS II, last engulphed.
The steamer John Faron from Newborn, with
quarterIn,.siers stores, ard in charge OF Captains
Biggs ana Hall, was lying at anchor mile or more
from tire scene Of the accident, and the cries If tie
diowiug couid be distinctly heard. AZ first it Wa
supp osed that party If soldiers were bathing IA tue
river from some transport, and that the noise war
their Joyous exciamsii NJ.
The George Peabody, however, soon fired two
gus and the true state OF affairs war coDectured,
though the whirlng OF the shot from the guns which
happened To be loaded al the time created az
prcheunioms frat something oil an entirely different
na ure ibnrpirlng.
The Earon tie gunboat Reliance, and an unknown
bark or rcho"ner, to the as-ista.ce Of the Ill
starred ,es-,l AID by their eAertion- 20J persons IN
all were re-curd. Capts. Biggs aud Hall and the
Captain Of the Faron did MI in their power. aided
by their ofcs,s 10 relieve the unfortunate men.
a. fact 10 they came aboard they were provided
with warm. dry clothing and blankets, and ratons
were deaf out t. them from tie s,eaners stores.
Tie damage To- the PeabOpy If jus, forward OF the
port wh,elhoGse wner. the tow OF the other steamer
entered pusbUg IN it, progress an iron bar between
the paddles, thur locking the wheel and preventing
its revolution. For tbs reason the Peabody Was
unabl, to render any assist,nce except with her
small boat She diri,ed down the s,ream. and for
soyer4l hours. until tbe iron bar Was Withdrawn,
fIonird at tn. mercy Of the tide.
The saved were then put on board Of her, and
wheu Capt Biggs, with ms boats and lanterns, bad
made tour Of vicinity, striving TO catch through
the dArkl-ts sIy sound voice Of n sti surviving
swimmer, size started up the river and came to
anchor of thi. place yesterday morning.
Before finally leaving this spoi, Capt. BigB- visited
tie wreck, aud from between the submerged deoks
dre forth the body of drowned -o.dier. lie ALEC
picked up 1. hody which wa- floating by. Neither
hns been identified aud they have been since buried.
The totul nunocr ulirsipg is 70, not ~, az tel
cgrnphei lost night. 1hs number may lie reduced
,onewhat, n. several were observed floating away
on boards and Lsnks Ia the surrounding shore. Who
uiav turn up in day or two. The lst OF the
missing which sent Won is as full as Can be OH
tanned at present. The lif rent aboard with the
sooicrs w.ut down with the ets ,mer; and until re-
courrc can hc had he records Of the surgeons ia
cnar,e OF tho hospital nc Newport News. the re-
msiuing names wil not be positively AID fully
known.
Dr. Newell OF tie iS;h Pennsylvania, one Of the
victims, wss b-loyel by all who knew him. for bis
professional, SOCIAL and genliemanly qualities, nnd
tire survivors tcrlfy TO his gallant conduct IN en-
davoring 10 las 10 rercue tie unfortunate ladies'
He remained by them, excrting himself for their
safety, AMI tai he been less cnivalric might have
escaped with bis lie.
Lieut. Col. SOFT, whose wife was drowned, hav-
ing r. en- all the boats carried away, dlvested himself
81 portion If clothing aud sprang into the water
with the intention -. swimming 10 one Of the wee
sells nrai by ana bringing relief but biore he con Il
yuccrcd tie steamer had gone down, aud hIs wife
sus borne away by the tide.
ne inv,s,g ,tion, which was commenced before
Col. Wclso commuudaut of the post, last night, has
been transferred 10 Washington.