New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-10
TERRIBLE DISASTER BY FIRE.
Burning Of the Steamboat BERKSHIRE.
SAD LOSS OF LIFE.
Tortv Persons Perish in the FLAMES
or Are Drowned.
poypouT N Y. ThursdOy June 9, 1864.


BIZ the explosion of lamp.
The loss Of LIE cannot az yet he correctly ascer!ained
bt it is thought fon what has been learned that al
least forty persons have perishcd mostly burned to
death in their state-rooms.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
FAT this writing our Reporters sent to the
scene Of the disaster have not returned. We copy from
other sources the following details. I'd. Tr16l
F,om The Evening ro-t
The Fork shire new steamer, recently Dut on
the line mining hetwocn ibis city n Hudson, on INC
North River She was destroyed last night y Ere III =
point not fer from hyde Park above Foughse'psie;
The event was of the most caamtOus of the kind
that has occurred since the catastrophe Ia the Henii
Clay the river. According u The reports ROW
Mt hand tho loss of life on board tho berkshire much
exceeds et caused by the burning OF the Isaac New
ton few months ago.
II APPEARS ;ha: the BcyL shire started from Hud'nn
for this cts between and o'clock LIST evening Win
large passenger list said b! persons OF beard who
saved have numbered quite no persons. There
also many cattle, calves sheep. anu other i've
The passage down the river 10 point neer i'yde
Park Wes made without accident and IN the ordinary
time The origin q the fire - not yet known ono &C
count satos that il first appeared in bundles Of hay
pached ~ The bow OF the boat and another sso!y u thai
II originated In tho laUp-room.
When The fire broke out. nearly all the passengers
had retired To- their Rooms or befiLs and we're either
asleep preparing to res; FOR the night whom the alarm
WGs given.
few persons who had not retired. acting doubtless
under tie orders of ,he officers gave all the early warn
nes. Ii does not appear that there was any general
shout cry Of fire.
The fire eaught at about 10 o'clock according 10 the
most tn stw gr;hy reports in bales Of hay which
were packed in huge pics the how of the steamer
II il snpposed that careless person smoking
pipe cigar IN the vicinity Of the spot where the hav
had bcel placed Is Responsible for The accident Il ~
possible though unlikely. that TIE explosion OF a'1p
caused the gnniagratiun
The wind vas blowing from the south ard the flames
were rapidly carried along the main middle dcrk,
extending quickly and hercc, that little II amy
opportunity was given TO eAiiEguish them; and the
smoke end hf' passed nj once {" the gpper or Pr"c'i
cabin deck. asd 10 The lower or birth deck.
II became evident that no efforts could save the
vessel anything on board and she was accordingly
headed oT the shore. The engineer turned the valves.
and the helm fixed that the boat would rsp on
the flats ~ the eastward aud In this condition she was
driven on the beach, while the flames were making
RAPID progress and ;Ee passengers who were a"ksned
Tho seene on board at Il time is II oourse utterly
beyond Description. 10 had be-o determne' apparent
IT, la give gaerni alarm ana even the PERSONS wbo
had frends ui tusrd, and " 10 themselves making
efforts clnpc hurried u the berths sate-roonls to
their friends, but warned them to make as little
noise or disturbance n possible.
IL seems that tie expectation 0f the officers was that
all board could he saved, and they acted odcr this
Impression IL Is not known at this time however that
any definite urieTP were given.
The Or the part Of some persons on beard 10 pre-
confusion MAS probably most dsas trOgs mis-
tske Many Individuals are known 10 have been below.
the suliocaiing smoke.
one OF our infurnans states that he was bclow and
was awakened by The hasty tramp " feet ard heard the
renarf hat thr boat fire. He Immediately len
his bed aud hurried deck, whore no saw the famns
coming on the bow 10 the stern, where lac was stand
ing.
lie Ind in The evening sJiae cork life preserycrs
on the lower deck AID be hasioned back took one
o: them from tho quantity which Il did not appear had
been disturbed except By man. who preeeded him. and
hastily passing again D. the stern OF the boat emerged
from the entrance nearly suilocated.
This peTs0n heard several others cropping abon
telow and endeavOring 10 get Themselves ont OF the
cabin but none ~ them followed him and II Ia supposed
that they were lost. lie subsequently, saved by
boat Which, after he had jumped into the river ana
fOatcd down distance with the current TOOK MN
TO q point Of roc ks below.
A. the boat near,d the beach the appearance of the
middle deck with the ire extending through most OF
il, length and the passengers crowdng 10 lis frlhesl
The women and children On board comprised about
onehd OF the passengers These were assisted as far
10 practicable, 10y their inme'liiic friends and other
pcIsons WHO could IN many do nothing more than
encourage them 70 be patient or as Is understood IN
few instances help them overheard With chairs OF any
other bnOys that conld he found.
AT 'is time the confusion cytrcrnc md sbricks
and cries mingled with tie roaring VI the flames, whicn
had made I'll points Of TIE boat inconvoniety hot and
compelled many sefposse-scd persons 20 hang them
selves the ratings till the boat should reach the
be lcL shallow water.
The boa, ashore with most OF her passengers yet
on hoard She ay with her bow In two three feet Of
water 70 Tat probably half the passengers escaped by
jumping into The water and wading or swimming
ashore.
considerable proportion, however had been driven
70 the By ths extreme heat and that end Of the
boat was still Ia deep water There was. therefore, no
resource hut TO jump overheard.
Persons who could swim gained the shore. bu; many
could not heir themselves and fo.ted down with tho
tide One individual among inls number counted thirty
or forty among them some women. one OF whom had
lost three children who were either burned or drowned
one man OF The party became slupeGed. and lost his
hold Of gill whom he had Rescued from the steamer
Tic youag lady went down. Her mother Lad beea
abandoned on TIE vessel. ,
Some of the party who thus floating Gown the
river disappeared while others rescued by boats
wjich came from u schooner that hove in sight, and
also from the steamer james Baldwin
few Of these persons were taken this morning by
tbe steamer NaJy Powell from Rondout. where they |
were carried las night. They express their obligation
10 Capt Andcetpr.
4 considerable minority Of The passengers arc IN
doubleday safe Probably the number lost-.iaore ,han
half of whom are supposed 10 have been burned on
bOaTc-wiil Ioach 40 or 80
FROM Tho Albany Evening Journal
The steamer berkshire, belonging TO me hudbon
Steamboat compnny and running between hudson anu
Ncw-York totally destroyed by IRE isst evening
about eight Mics below Hudson when on EsoPns i"aho
he Berkshire left Hudson about O'CLOCK WIN NUN
her of passengers and large cargo OF merchandise and
hay.
The fire originated In the iamprcom, and was caused
by me explosion Is lamp. The ioss o. 'iie nas ~.
been correctly asceancd but IL In thought to De about
A. al OF whom burned up in their stateioo
The Yorkshire Wa frst-clnss steamer, anu was
bull: at Athens last season. She made one or TWO
10 Now-York last Fail 10 test her machinery buf shc
was not Y'rmanenty placed the river until TINS
Spring. Her engine taken out OF the huii OF the
south America, but IL was enlarged anc madc more
powerful.
We understand from those familiar with tho construc
ton OF this steamer aud the business Of the place that
every person an OF the engine when the ire occurred
was either drowned or persisted Ia tho fames. II
lie BERKSHIRE has recently carried large amount OF
hay Oh her main deck, over which tho saloon ana