The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-12
MARINE DISASTER.
Rurning of the Steamer Thames on the North
Carolina Coast.

Vs
propeller Thames about fifteen miles off CapeHat-
teras. These are these particulars Us narrated
by passenger
The Thames left the port of New York on
Sunday last bound for GulvestoA Texas, having
on board four passengers and a crew of twenty
one persons. We experienced tolerably fair
weather until the evening of Monday when a
sharp breeze set in, but with serious violence.
About half-past l o'clock on Tuesday morning
the alarm OF fire" was given and smoke and
dames were found proceeding from between
decks, just aft of the engine The fire spread
with such frightful rapidity that all hands were
soon driven from the cabins
At the time the fire was discovered the Hat
teras' light bore directly west, about twenty
miles distant, and Captain Pennington at once
gave orders to put the ship about with Il view of
running ia ror the shore. Efforts were then
made TO eXtinguish the fire, and the bulkheads
were knocked in with that object, the entire hold
was found to be in flames, and it was evident
that the ship would be destroyed. She carried
hay as cargo between decks, and this furnished
abundant fuel for the fire, burning with
great fury. Fortunately, the wind was off
shore, and in order to keep the flames aft
as much as possible, Captain Pennington
took the precaution to save three boats
from the davits aft and remove them forward,
and headed the ship for shore, but, being driven
from the piot-house by the flames, the vessel
became unmanageable, Orders were given at
this juncture to launch the boats, and two of the
lfeboats were tioated successfully. A third boat,
Il metallic lifeboat Mt the starboard quarter, was
found to be partially melted by the heat of the
flames. The two lifeboats were manned-one
under command of the second mate, containing
nine persons, including the stewardess Miss
Taylor, and myself; the other, commanded by
the captain, took on board ten persons, includ-
ing a lady passenger, Mrs. A. Marting, a resi-
dent of Savannah, and two male passengers.
A third boat, called "Whitehall' boat, was
also launched, and five men embarked in her
George Drasse, the cook; John Clethron and
Charles Mason, walters; one seaman and coal
n know A
time it quite dark the ship was in the
trough of the sea, which was rolling rather
heavily, and n strong wind was blowing off
shore. The vessel was now about fifteen miles
from land the lighthouse bearing about west
southwest. We had no fresh water or provisions
in the boats and very little clothing, the fire
burned so furiously that we were compelled to
leave the steamer as quickly as possible, without
making any attempt to save our personal effects
and yaluables
AS soon as the condition of affairs on board
was ascertained Captain Pennington took his
post at the wheel and gave his orders from that
position, he being also the last man to leave the
ship. In fact his hair was burned he
coming down the ropes over the ships side. The
two first named boats were headed for the light
on shore, that being the only guide to steer by,
us we could not see the land. We parted from
the steamer about half an hour after the fire had
broken out, and she was then almost mass of
flames, the fire having burst up through the
hatchways, and the smokestack had already
fallen. In about half an hour from the time we
left her the small boat, having the five men on
board, passed us, heading directly, as we
thought, for the Hatteras light, and that was the
last we of her. We have heard nothing
from her since.
The propeller, after burning for about four
hours, sunk in sixteen fathoms of water, being
by that time consumed nearly to the waters
edge. The boat | was in landed on Hatteras
banks, about seven miles north of the light
house, after near eight hours hard rowing. The
exact location, l understand, was Chicami-
fXUn nf of
inlet, between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic.
We had considerable difficulty in getting ashore
account of the leavy surf. The captains
boat landed about half an hour afterwards at the
same place.
We were treated very badly by the few inhabi-
tants who live in that locality, and who are
mostly fishermen. They demanded compensa-
ton for every comfort afforded US, and to realize
the money wherewith to pay them we were
obliged to sell them our boats, which they pur
chased from us at $3.50 each-their own price
although they were worth very much more. We
remained with them on Tuesday night, and they
boarded us on corn meal, salt pork, and water,
charging Us s24 for the accommodations furnished
to our party. Their beds were of course, any
thing but downy, clean, or comfortable, our
wearing apparel being the major part of the bed
clothing
Next morning we paid them $15 additional for
the of a little oyster boat and left them,
going by way of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
to Elizabeth City, n. G. We were nearly thirty
Z
our way run aground on the Roanoke marshes,
While fast we hailed schooner for relief ask
ing them to send us n boat to help us off by
lightering our load, but the schooner made sail
and left us, although we told them we had been
wrecked. On Thursday morning some fishermen
put off from little hamlet in the vicinity to our
aid and got Us off the marsh. They also gave us
breakfast, and we started on for Elizabeth. The
hamlet referred to, | think, is called Eldrdge's
| Fishery.
; We arrived at Elizabeth on Thursday night at
10 o'clock, and were very well treated there, the
| proprietor of the hotel affording us every COM
| tort, and declining payment upon learning our
| destitute condition. On Friday morning we left
| for Norfolk on board the steamer Elizabeth
| City going by way Of the Dismal Swamp Canal.
| The captain Of the steamer was exceedingly
| kind and courteous towards US, and did all in
| his power TO relieve our necessities. About
| O'Clock yesterday (Friday) afternoon we reached
| Norfolk, and there we parted company, por-
| ton OF the passengers and crew coming on to
| New York, and the remainder awaiting some
| means or opportunity of doing likewise
| While we were the guests of the fisherman on
| the shoas'-the fisherman who treated us so
| badly-we sent Il man down to the lighthouse to
| inquire II they had seen anything OF the small
| boat or her crew, but no information regarding
| them could be obtained, and the messenger was
| told they had not landed there or in that neigh
| borhood. Afterwards we saw q schooner some
| distance oil shore, with man aloft apparently
| on the lookout" We also observed larger
| number OF men on her deck than it is probable
| ehe would carry as crew, and thought that
| perhaps they were the missing boat 8 crew, and
| that they had suggested the sending of the men
| aloit TO look out for us, not knowing OF our
| safety; or il might have been that the people at
the lighthouse had signalled to the schooner that
| vessel had been burned the night before, and
that they had, in consequence instituted search