Year: 1859

The Wrecked Steamer Champion.


ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.


Inc steamer Champion was raised yesterday morning,
and lowed 70 this city by two tugs-t0 the Green
point marine railway. Search will at once be made for
the bodies Of the missing passengers We publish the
following additional particulars from the New Haven Pal
ladism Of November a.


Inc steamer Champion, Of this city, which has been
run Tor long time excursion boat from this city 70
DeghborDg places put upon the route from this City
70 New 10 take the place Of the Traveller disabled
on Aonaay night oy collision She left her wharf, Peck
shp new YORK, at three O'Clock yesterday morning,
per passage and sunk when Sands Point about
nve O'CLOCK. sne had neavy load Of freight and num-
She was run into by prope er-name not known. She
sunk nleen minutes the passengers having hardly time
70 escape with Their lives IL that George Steele,
yea merchant Of this city, lost, and it not known
but several others may have lost their lives. The pro
peer TOOK the passengers and crew to New York. where
they arrived on Wednesday noon


We visited the steamboat ofIce last evening and "a
nate occurrence


roin' Wnsn she was struck amldshps the larboard
side, by the propeller Abatross from Providence and
sank to her deck about fifteen minutes from
the 30 OF tne cohsion. In this state abe was towed
neal the Long Island shore by the propeller, which
landed lhe crew and passengers the island She now
hes with the tops Of her whsehouses just out Of
MI george steele was lodged in the cabin He reached
the deck with the other passengers ned below
Tor some purpose, and was undoubtedly drowned he





York on Monday night last He had large business in
coffee tea and spices both in this city and Hartford We
understand that his life was insured for $4,000.


fireman named Martin jackson, an American and
unmarried ded at his post II Is very probable that he
was scaded 70 death These two the only lives lost
and they the nrst lives ever lost on the line


There was fair freight and few passenqers Some
horses ana mules belonging to Mr.. G. Bishop, Of this
place, were on board aud were terribly scalded. The
they and down the lower deck with great violence
One or them IN It's agony actually burst into the ladies'
cabin. When deck hand attempted TO push II out the
poor creatures skin came of in his hand.


The officers on the boat were the the Ira
veller-Captain, j. G. Bowns clerk, William Denslow;
pilot, John Mcneil. No blame attaches to any Of the
sceys This and the accident TO the Traveller on the
preceding night the first that occurred under
the management Of the company for years. and we
stated above, the first tune in the history Of the line
that life has been lost The management Of all the boats
owned by the company has always been excellent
rested entirely with the boats making the collision In
both instances they came head and struck the steamer
full amdshipe.


srArxxxT OF xR GEORGE HorcHK,ss PASSENGER. Nxw


HAVEN.


waited at Peck slip New York, Tuesday evening
last, from eleven O'Clock until one A. NJ on Wednesday
morning, when the Champion arrived at her DOCK went
aboard Immediately, and went to bed in the alter cabin
there being saserOoms the boat suppose she left
her dock at about three O'clock being engaged
hours IN unloading and taking in freight was awaken
reaching the promenade deck saw that foul Of
propeller aud werR sinking rapidly, while the propeller





Of the smoke stack remaining mbedded in the side Of the
Champion until aef the passengers had gone aboaU of
her from the promenade deck Of the steamboat when she
reversed her engines and backed out. BY this time he
steamboat had sunk TO her promenade deck The prope
Ter Is large boat-one hundred toms burden, should
say-being about twice the size Of the Champion, and
would have cut us down, striking she did II the
Champion had been iron boat Think she must have
versed her engines before she struck U.s. she would
have gone clear through and cut In two. The
morning was perfectly clear and quite light for the hour
looked at nay watch az reached the deck and saw that
u was just i've O'Clock There was ne fog, and saw no
she was endeavorng to cross our bows not calculating
our rate Of speed EDS correctly noticed particularly tha.
Aruaroes was not injured by the collision. The Cham
pion sank TO her promenade deck in very few mnutes
Captain Downs requested the captain Of the propeller
tow the boat ashore, distance Of two miles, At
this moment the Coton of the Glen Cove lne and the
consort Of TIE Ahasross came up when the TIVE boats
tide in HeMpsisaex harbor The passengers were
then transferred 70 The Croon, which conveyed them
kindness Of the captain Of this boat, who did all in
his pewer 10 render those he took from the wreck
Of the Champion as comfortable as possible He
would take no pay from any OF US, and was very
active in doing what he could Tor We reached New
York at about eleven O'Clock Wednesday After
had reached the main deck of the CHAMPION when was
first aroused by the crash of the colson undertook
return below, when encountered volume Of hot steam
rushing from the boiler which had been stove in by the
collision, and was driven back / understand that Mr..
Steele OF this city had been deck and below
and have doubt that he scaded and sucated by





understood that another man. whose name did not learn,
was also lost There was number Of horses and mules
on the lower deck ali o which must have been scaded to
death. There twenty five or thirty passengers
board With light freight Several Of the passengers
were ladies, and all behaved with the utmost cooness


Mr Charles w. Townly, cutter, who was on board
with his family and who lost all his property by the
tasrophe is among the most intelligent and observing
witnesses Of the Affair." He returned TO New York this
morning. His account s in substance as follows


Mr.. TowNIEys STATEMENT.


Mr.. Towney came from New York about month ago,
and entered the employ of Messrs Punderord and find
ing permanent situation determined remove his fam
y here He went to New York for 'hat purpose Fri
day last and after packing all his furniture household
goods and clothing finally got on board the Champion on
and two children, and his we's mother, lady far ad
vanced in years The ladies and the younger child
Of sixteen took berths in the gentemens cabin The lad
went TO Sleep but Mr. Towney, fortunately for himself
and family did not AS he walked about the boat he had
strange presentiment that something would happen,
that he had better not to sleep that night and this
feeling was SO strong that he never took of his Clothes
but continued rowing about until the collision oc-
Cured. He went through the cabin and
counted the passengers, and states that there
thirteen males in the berths in the gentemen's
was standing by the engine room and listening TO the
engineer, who was nstructing fireman how to manage
the engine He had just stepped back into the cabin and
taken chair, when he heard the concusson and found
the steam rushing through the vessel His presenment
strongly aroused-he knew that something had hap
pened and going to tho berth and finding his son in
sound sleep, he took him bodily and carried him up
deck without waking him. The lad did not wake up
until he safe the upper deck. The water filed
the cabin quickly that Mr. Towney is confident that
had he stopped TO wake the boy he would have been
drowned He says he surprised that the noise Of the
collision was so slght-he could hken to nothing but
striking dull axe into rotten log Had he been aseepit
probably would not have walked him. On reaching the
deck he went at once to the ladies' cabin He surprised
to find confusion excitement board he heard only
one from the females, and that was from the
cbambermad and he met the ladies coming ofe cabin
deliberately and perfect order as il under the direction
Of marshal. They walked deliberately out and from
the steamer they went directly board the propeller
which still stuck to the Champion His wifes mother the
old lady already mentioned the last person to leave
the boat he thinks The Champion filled almost instantly
and within fifteen minutes she under water. After
getting safely the propeller the passengers began TO
compare notes. and found that several were missing The
passengers were finally transferred from the Abaross TO
the Croton and taken to New York.


wuIIAk RRoPHy's STATEMENT.


William Brophy, fireman aboard the boat, informs
that Martin Jackson the fireman who lost was blown
entirely pieces by the explosion by the rushing of
water into the furnaces. Mr. Steele urged by
Of the boat hands to upon the propeller but refused
saying he had left some money and his watch below He
went after them and never returned. The boat was
sinking at the ify Tha