New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-03
0var 500 Persons Burned to Death
or Drowned!
The Victims Mostly Discharged Soldiers,
Raroled and Escaped Prisoners.
ONLY % KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN SAVED !
Statements Of Escaped Soldiers.


facts Of one Of tic appalling calamltes by hre al
sea that has occurred for many years. involving the loss
I 81 life Of some sol souls including men, women ana
children nearly four.Giths OF whom we're burned to
death owing t. the dastardly conduct Of some few WHO
were on board the ship and had thought but Tor sell
preseryation We give below all the particulars that
could be obtained
On Wednesday last the United States steam trans
port Gen Lyon sailed from Wilmington for Fortress
Monroe, having board 20i Of tho 10Th lino' hes'
ment Third Division, Second Brigade, fif'eenth army
corps who had served out their time about 40 paroed
and ese.ped prisoners and considerable number oil
refugees making total. including the crew Oh about
80 pel,ous The Lyon proceeded "a Tar as the bar
where she remained over night and about O'Clock on
Thursday morning resumed her course Nothing OF IN
terest occurred until aboat 10 O'Clock Oh Friday morn
ng when In shoal water OF Cape llaerasthe thiiins
CRY ~ fire was raised and at once the scene was hear
rcnding. Women screaming on the decks search
ing for their children friends, while men were quite
appalled, OF frantic and 10 the language Of one cfthe
SURVIVOR IL seemed If every oDs had suddenly be-
come beret Of their senses and the place was very
pandcmonium. Soldiers who had been with sherman
through oil his fought batIes and Lad never been
known TO faer In tho thickest u battle. became as
helpless a. little children.
III
coal oil in the porters roo directly over the boiler.
and in less than FIVE minutes the fsnes were bechng
out on deck and with the assistance OF strong gale.
spread very rapidly Tho mute OF tho ship at once went
work to get out thc hose but the alarm and excite
ment were 90 great TINT but little progress could be
made toward eIingaiships the fire. In the meantime,
tic captain Of the slip up, and in the most frantic
manner exclaimed. shcs gore she's cones there's no
use irving 10 save her" rush then made for the
NE boats Of which there were but three board and
they we're soon launched Two Of the boats the
boz Of the vessel and a. launched, the
esIsan sprang into IT, and pushed off, intent on saving
hIs own life Capt James weber ofCo. H. Seth Illinois
Regiment succeeded In getting into the same boat,
which In n moment amer was stTnck by the whee. and
the captain Of the chip instantly killed Captain
Weber being uninJured. oung 10 the swamped boat
but subsequently, he was being hauIed on board the
Gen. sedswict. about quarter OF nile distant lost
his hold Of the rope and was drowned Our informant
Joseph Fitzgerald. Co. X, 10Th Illinois. got Into the
Other boat launched from the bow. together with
twelvo others ann while endsayoring TO get on board
the ss1gwck all but Ave we're drowned, IN consc
quence 81 the rough number OF other persons
got into the third lsunch and ssed while others
trsei overheard door, and p.anks. and were subse
qucntly picked M
AT the time tic fire bsohe ont, nearly 400 soldiers
we're below. bot few allowed Oh deck at one
time; and ~ soon the alarm given. the ladders
were pulled up from the matches. tins precuding the
possibility Of escape ard there can be no doubt that they
were burncd 70 death. Those remaining deck
Jumped overheard and were drowned. Tho whole mum.
Der known TO have been saved - of whom 30 were
soldiers and nne the Of the ship Of the aoi Of
the 10th Illinois RrFimcnt all but four persisted, In
Guiding oil Of the officers George WiilSms OF Com.
pary y, 10Th Illinois, conveyed woman plank 10
tho Sedgwict brt upon arriving there rio was dead;
he was saved. Major james Files, who wu In COM
mand OF the 10Th Illinois refused 10 leave the ship say
ng he would stclk by her ong A. there ~as piece
| len ~ largo US Lis two hands.
lin three hours from the time The fire broke ont the
ship was entirely destroyed. Tie Gen. Sedgwick lay
by untii toward night ord then le the officers and
crew having done everything In their power toward
escung the unfortunate beings Of the Lyon. but were
unable do than they did in consequence OF the
rough and the close proximity to the breakers. The
Grst engineer VI the Sedg~Ick lost overheard
while cndeav oriDg to rescue one OF the sufferers.
The following are the only opr Informant could
give us Of persons known to have been saved Geoige
Williams Brockef, Osborn. and joseph Fitzgerald. all
al the 3Jth Illinois Regiment.
OF tic nance tie lost no could only fecollect the
following;
Major James Files. sGth Illinois,
Capt. Tan9uii. Co. "A. 1Jih Illinois.
Iicnt. Joiner. Co. A. Goth Illinois.
Licut. Helheck co. II. Seth Illinois.
Lien. Gowdy. 40. +. 18th Illinois.
Robert Evans, Co. X. 18th Illinois.
Simon Williams Co. X 18th Illinois.
James j. Rains. Co X. 56th Illinois.
Howell Dobbs. Go. X, 5jih Illinois.
David Williams. Go. X. 18th Illinois.
Solomon Harden. Co. H. 18th Illinois.
George DugaD, Co A, 18th Illinoir.
This detachment Of the Goth Illinois Regiment had
ser, I'd out their time and were their way 10 Spring
Held. Ohio where they to be mustered out of tho
services MsIor Files had oil TIRE papers belonging to
the prva,es and consequ. ny the four survivors WHO
arrived here yesterday without any papers what
ever either upon bch TO obtain their pay. amounting
TO nearly SEQ each upon which 10 obtain transpor
tat!on 10 .hoir homes.
Upon arriving at this city Col Vincent Colyer Super
intenlent u the New.YoIk State Soldiers Depot, at
Nos. 10 and 80 Howgrdst.. had these four surviving
veterans conducted thither. where they will receive
every comfort requisite during their stay here.N ~
Statement OF . Soldier, enc OF the sSrviv.
hiah G. Colby, of Company X, 9Th Ohio Cav
airy Of the survivors OF the terrible disaster
rived In this city yesterday by tho steamer Gen
erL sedgwiek Mr.. Colby has served in the army for
the last 70 months. during which time he las had
49,