, 1865-04-06
Mtltragp Wrtbn1tes
TIE FEARFUL CALAMI-
TY AT SEA.
Burning Of the United States
:: Transport Gen. Lyon. .
Over SOC Persons Burned
or 1Towncd-<Culy 80
Enowu to be Saved.
/ Dotachment of the 5Gth Illinois
Regiment among The Victims.

By the arrival Of the steamer Gen. Sedg~
wick ct this port yesterday, ne are put IN
possession of the facts Of one Of the most
appalling calamitics by fire ut ses that mas
occurred for Qsny years, Involving the loss
Of life of some five hundred ana lity-one
souls, including men, women and chi1dren,
nearly iour-hfihs of whom were burned to
death, owing to the dastardly conduct Of
st1ce few who were on board the ship and
had no thought but for se1fpreservation.
We gire below all the particulars that could
be obtained.
On "wednesday Inst the United States steam
transport Gen. Lyon sailed from Wilmington
t.,r Fortress Monroe, having on board 204 of
the Seth Illinois regiment, Sd division. I'd
brigade, 18th army corps, who had served
out their time, about 200 paro1ed and escaped
prisoners. and considerable number Of re-
1ugecs, making totnl, including the crew,
OF about $50 persons. The Lyon proceeded
rs fur as the bar where she retnained over
tight, and about o'clock On Thursday morn
ing resumed her course. Nothing Of Interest
occurred until about 10 O'Clock on Friday
morning, when, in sboa1 water off Cape Hat
1elas, The thrilling CRY Of fire was raised and
ut once the scene mas heart-rcnding. Women
ran screaming On the decks searching Tor
their children OF friends, while men were
quite as appalled, or frantic, and. In The Ian
auace Of ono Of the survivors, 1t seemed rs it
every cne had suddenly becone bereft Of
1ueuiun, Solditrs who had been with Sher-
man through all his hard-faught battlea, aud
ha6 never been known ia falter In the thick
est OF battle, became as helpless as little
cbCdrcu.ES.s
The ire vas caused By the bursting of d
barrel Of coal oil in the porter's room, direct
II ever The boiler, end IN less than nve min
utes the laure were beiching out on deck,
and, with Tie assistance cf q strong gale,
| sMead very rapidly. The mate Of the ship
al oncc wtnt to work to get out the hose, but
| the alarm and excitement wero so great that
| tinguishing the fire. In the meantime. the
captain OF the ship came up, and in The most
fraptic manner exclalmtd, "She's gone
sbc'g gonet there's no use trying 10 save
le1!" 4 rush WIS then made fer tat
life-boats, ol which there were but thret
Oh board, aud they were soon launched. Twt
OF the beats were on the bcW OF the vessel
ard IS soon as one WAS launched, the captain
eptaus into It, aud puf he'd of. intent on aayio!
| his oT n life. Capt. James Weber, Of Co. 4
Seth Illinois regiment, succeeded in gettin|
into the came boat, which In moment atte
was struck By the wheel, and the captain G
the ship was instantly killed. Capt. Wepci
being nninjured, cluns to The swampcd boat
but subs< quently, as he WIS being hauled OF
bead the Gen. Sedgwick, about quarter Of
mile distant, lost h}sho1d Of the rope and wa
drowned. Our informant, Joseph Fitzgerald
ca E, Seth Illinois, got into the other bta
launched from the bow, together with twely
olhels, and, while endeavoriug to get o
board the scdcwick, nil but five were browne
in consequence Of the rough sea. 4 nnmbe
: | Of other Persons get into the third launc
and we're ssavcd, while Others tossed owe
beard doors and planks. and were subsequent
picked up.
soldiers were below, as but q few were q
lowed On deck ut one time and as coon l
t the alarm was giyen the ladders were pulle
up Fl ON the latcles, thus precluding Il
possibility OF escape, and there can be
: doubt TINT they were burned 10 deaf
Those remaining on deck jumped oyerboal
and were drowned. The whole numb
known to have been sarcd was twenty.n:n
Of whcm twenty we1c soldiers, and nine Il
= crew Of the slip. or the 304 Of the s.
Illinois regiment, all but fur perished, I
GLIDING all the officers. George Wi1liams,
!. company F, 56th Illinois, conveyed Won't I
Oh plank 10 The Sedgviek, but upon artt
ing there she was dead !; he WAS saved. II.
d james Flies, Who was IN command Of Il
Seth Il1ino1B, refused to leave the shfp, 81
: ing he would stick by her as long as the
4 WAS piece left as large as Ills two hands.
) In three hours from the time the fire bro
out, the ship Nas entirely destroyed. 7
:. Gen. scdgwick lay BY until towards night =
then left, the officers and crew having do
everything In their Tower toward rcscui
the unfortunate beings Of the Lyon. but We
y, ursb!e to do more than they did In con-
g quence Of the rough sen and the close PIT
q Unity to the breakers. The FIRST engineer
. the Sedgxick was lost overheard while I
:Hs' deayoring to rescue enc OF the sufferers.
i 1hc following arc the only names our
15 fo,mant could give us Of persons known
,, have been saved: George Williams, Brock
I Osborn, and Joseph Fitzgerald, all Of the *
Illinois regiment.
81 NAMES or PORTION or TIE LOST.
e The following names Of members OF
& Seth Illinois are furnished By Il Surviving CO
Il latc: