THE ILt-FATED HEN SllEHttOD, nr a surrr.nKn. "On Sunday moriiing the 7th.flay of May, 1837, flic steamboat lien Sh'cirdd, urttler the command of Capt. fC'astlcnian, was "repairing to leave the lcvcev at New Or leans. She vas thronged with passengers. Many a beautiful and interesting woman "that morning was busy In arrangeihg the little things incident to travelling, and they all looked forward with high and certain hope to the end of their journey. Little innocent children played about the cabinj ' and would run to the guards now and then to wonder in infantine language, at the next boat, or the water, or something else that drew their attention "t)h, look here, jnumy"!. Ulilli liivu tiiab uuut uuaihi;li;u "I wish I was going by her," said Henry musingly. The men too were urgent in ' their arrangements of the trunks, and get ting on board sundry articles which a ten idays pas'sage rendered necessary. In fine, -all seemed hop6, joy, and certainty. ' The cabin of the Ben oherrou was on 'the upper deck, but harrow In proportion to her build, for she was what is techni- 'cally called a Tennessee Cotton Boat: To those who have never seen a cotton boat loaded, itis a wonderous sight. The bales arej)ilcd from the lower guards whenever there is a cranny until they reach above the second deck, room being merely left for 'passengers to walk outside the cabin You have regular alleys left amid the cot- "ton in order to pass about on the first deck Such is a cotton boat carrying from 1500 to 2000 bales. The Ben's finish and accommodation bf the cabin was by no means such as would begin to compare with the regular passenger boats. It being late in the eea ion, and but few large steamers being in port in consequence of the severity of the Times, the Ben Sherrod, got an undoe num ber of jJasscngers; otherwise she would have been avoided, for her accommodations "were not enticing. She had a heavy freight on .board, and several horses and carriages 'on Ihe forccasde. The build of the Ben Sherrod was heavy her timper being of itho largest size's The morning was clear and sultry -so much so that umbrellas were necessary to ward of the sun. It was a curious sight to see the hundreds of citizens hurrying on board to leave letters and to see them coming away. When a steamboat is go ing oiTontho Southern or Western waters, the excitement is fully equal to that at tendant upon the departure of a Liverpool Packet. Aboilt 10 O'cldck A. M. the ill fated steamer pushed off upon the turbid current ot tne Mississippi as a swan upon the waters. In a few minutes she was under way tossing high in air bright and snowy clouds of steam at every revolu tion bf her engine. Talk not of your nor thern steamboats! A Mississippi steam boat of 700 tons burthen, with adequate machinery, is one of the sublimities' of poetry. For thousand of miles that great body forces its" way through a desolate uuuiury aguuiai uuiuuiuai luaiauuaa i;uui;iii, and all the cvidenco you have of the im mense power exerted, is brought homo to your sense by the' everlasting and majestic burst of exertion from her escapement pipe and the ccaslcss stroke of her paddle wheels In the dead of night when, amid the swamps oh cither side, your noble vessel winds her upward way when not a 9oul is seen on board but the officer on deck when naught is heard but the clang of the fire doors amid 'the hoarse coughing of the engineer imagination yields to the vastnessof tho ideas thus excited in your mind, and if you have "a soul that makes you a man, you can not help feeling strongly alive to the migh tiness of art in contest with the mightiness of nature. Such a scone, and hundreds aucn nave oocn reauzcu witu an intensity . I , I - 1. 1 ... . . . that 1 A .1 M 1 1 1 cannot oe uescriocu, always mauc mc a better man than before. 1 never could tiro of the steamboat navigation ofthe 'Mississippi. On Tuesday evening, ofthe 9th of May, 1837, the sleamboat Prairie, on her way to St. Louis, bore hard upon tho Ben Sherrod It was riee'esgary for tho latter to stop at Fort Adams, during which the Prairie pas scd her. Great vexation was manifested 'by some of the. passengers that the Prairie should get to Natchez first. This subject formed tho themo of conversation for two or three- ftoUrs, (he Captain assuring them that ho would boat her any hpiw The Prairie is a very fast boat, and under equal dliaiKsos could have beaten the Slierrod. So soon as tho busiuess was transacted at Fort Adams. for.,which she stopped, orders :i ' . t " .1 "J r were given 10 ino men 10 Keep up we nrus at the extent. It was now a little past 1 1 1 M. Tho Captain retired to his berth, With his clothes on, and left the deck in charge of an officer. During tho evening a barrel of whiskey had been turned out, and permission given to tho hands to do as they pleased. As may be oxpectcd they drew ubon the barrel quite liberally. It is the custom "on all boats to furnish the fire men with liquor, though a difference exists as to the mode-. But it is due to the many worthy Captains now on the Mississippi to state that the practice of furnishing spirits is gradually dying away, and where they are given it Is only done in moderation. As tho Sherrod passed on above Fort Adams towards the mouth of the llomo- chitta, the wood piled up in front of the furnaces several times caught fire, and was once or twice imperieciiy extinguisneu Dy tho driiiikcn hands, tt must be under stood by those of my readers who have never seen a western steamboat, that the boilers are entirely above the first deck, and that when tho fires are well kept up for any lengtli of time, tho heat is almost insupportable. Were it not for tho draft occasioned bv the speed of the boat, l would be very difficult to attend tho fires As the boat was booming along through the water close in the shore; for ascending the riv'dr, boats go as close as they can to avoid the curent, a necro from the beach called out to the firemen that the wood was on fire. The reply was, "go to hell, and mind your own business," from some half inidxicated hand. 'dh, iviassa," anwered the negro, "if you dont take care, you be in hell befdre I will;'' On, on went the boat at a trdmenduoiis rale, quivering aud trembling in all her length at every revolu tion df the wheels. The steam was created so fast, that it continued to escape thro. the safety valve, and by its sharp singing told a tale that every prudent captain would have understood. As the vessel rounded the bar that makes off from the Ilommo chltt'a, being compelled to stand biitinto the middle of the river in consequence, the fire was discovered. It was about one o'e'rek in the morning. A passenger had got up previously, and was standing on the boiler deck, when to his astonishment the fire broke out from the Uo of n.00(J A little presence of mind and a set of men intoxica ted, could have saved the boat. Thq (pas scngor seized a bucket and was about to plunge it overboard for water when he found it locked; An instant more and the fire iucreased in volume. Tho Captain was now awakened. He saw the fire had seized the deck. He ran aft and announ ced the ill tidings. No sooner were th words out of hiS mouth, than the shrieks mothers, sisters, and babes, resounded through the hitherto silent cabin in the wildest confusion. Men were aroused from their dreaming cots to experience the hot air of approaching fire. The pilot bem elevated on tho hurricane deck, at the in slant of preceiving the flames, put the head of the boat shoreward. She scarcely got under way in that direction, than the tiller ropes were burnt assunder. Two miles at least from the land, the vessel took at sheer, and, borne upon by the current, made sev eral revolutions, until she struck across the river. A bar brought her up for tho mo mcnU I ho flame's had now extended fore and aft. At the first alarm several deck pas sengers had gotte'ri into the yawl that lniii suspended by the davids. A cabbin pas senger endowed with some degree of tour age1 and presence of mind expostulated with them and did all ho could to save the boat for the ladies. 'Twas uslcss. One took out his knife and cut away the forward tackle. The next instarft. and thev wptp. I .r. t0 the number of twenty or more,-launch I . . , ed into the angry waters. They were soon fib more. 1 lie boat being lowered from the other end filled and was useless. Now came the frying moment. Hundreds leaped from the burning wreck into- the waters. Moth ers were seen standing on their euanls with their hair dishevelled, praying for help ' o ' Jhoir dear little lmio'ecnts clung to tho sidds of their mothers, and with their tiny hands beat away the burning flames. Si ters called out to their brothers in unearth ly voices save me, oh my brother wives crying to'husGands to save their children in total forgctfulness of themselves, every second or two a desperate plunge of some poor victim falling on the appalled oar, thc.dafching.tcand fro.pf the liorsca on ine forcastlc, groaning audibly for pain of the cvouring elementthe continued pulling of the engine for it still continued to go, the screaming mothcr.who had leaped over- oard to the desperation of the moment with her only child, the flames mounting to the skv with the rapidity of lightning, slmirT over fnrfrct the scene the hour of horror and alarm? "Never, were I to live till memory shall forget all else that ever came the seiises. The short hall Hour tnai scneratcd and plunged into eternity 20U human beings has been so burnt into the mitmnrv that even no w 1 think of it more than half the day. T wns swiinminfr" to the shore with all my might, endeavoring to sustain a moth ei1 and a child. My strength failed mc. The babe was nothing a mere corii 3o. CO." said the brave mother, "sa . tt nnrl&1in aiinlf ..MJ ....T to rise no more. iervcu uy mu nf tlint wnmnn. I reached the shore A . ,r,l - lt 1 Pro T in saieiy. mc uauu i aatu. - reached the beach, the Sherrod had swung off the bar, and was slowly floating down, the cntrinc having ceased running. In cv cry direction'heads dotted the surface of the river. A new and still more awlul appear ntirn. tlm burninn- wreck now wore. Mo therswero seen clinging, with the iasthopc, to the blazing timbers, and dropping off one i.v ..no. The screams had ceased. A sul len silence rested o'er the dovoted vessel The flames beeamc tired of their destruc- live work. While I sat dripping and overcome upon the beach, a steamboat, the Columbus, hove iii sight and bore for the wreck. It seemed like one last ray of hope gleaming across" the dead doom of that nistht. Several wretches were saved. And still, another, the Statesman came in sight More, irlore were saved. A moment to me had only elapsed, when high in the heavens the cinders flew, and the country was aligliteu all around. Still another boat came booming on. I was happy that more help had come. After an exchange of words with the Columbus he continued on his way under full steam Oh, how my heart su'ilk within me! The waves created by this boat sent many poor mortal to his long home. A being by the name of Dougherty Was the Captain of that merciless boat. Long may he be re meiribcred. My hands were burnt; and I began to experience severe pain. The ficcne be iore me me loss oi my two sisters and brother, whom I had missed in the con fusion, all had steeled my heart. I could not weep I could riot sigh. The cries of the babe at my side were nothing to me. Again another explosion ! and the waters closed slowly and silently ovor the scene of disaster and death. Darkness re sumed her sway, and tho stillness was oil' ly interrupted by the distand eflbrls of th Columbus and Statesman in their laudibl exertions to save hiiman life. Captain Cistlnmen lost, I believe father and a child. Some argue that this is punishment enoilgli, No, it is not. II had the lives of hundreds under his charge He was careless of his trusChe -as guilty ol a crime that nothing will ever wipe out l he blood ol 200 victims is crying out frtfm the depth of the father of waters for vciv gcance. Neither society nor law will for give it. Ihs punishment is yet to come May I never meet him! i couiu ten ot scones of horror that would rise the indignation of a stone; but I have done. As to myself, I could tell you much to incite your interest. It was more than llirco weeks afier t le occurrence be lore l over shed a tear. All the fountains ol sympathy had been dried up1, and my . w MIV oiuuu. as i iay on my bed the 21th day after, tears, salt tears came to my relief, and I felt the loss of my moii;ra anu urouicr moro deeply than ever, . . u, luuy Iounu a wa. tery grave. In the course of all human events, scenes of misery will occur. it .i - -' " v niiuiu luuy arise from sheer carelessness, it requires moro than christian fortitude to forgive tho being who is iif fault. I repeat, may I netermcet Captain Castlcmah or Captain Seven thousand and ten passengers havo arrived at the New York quarantine, from Europe, within tho last ten days. nPPIflE OF THE DEMUUKAT, Next noon to Rodison's Staoe Office. The COLUMJiU'l nmmuiwu u. ..nnnn nrr ...If 7. vubliahed every saiuruay murm, Tlf'O nOLUinSper annum, payable half yearly inadmnce, or Two Dollars vseni Htnts. if not vaid within the year. No subscription will be taken for a shorter period than sixmonins; nurwty tinuance permitted, until all arrearages nrp tlisrinrire.d. JID VER TISEMENTS not exceeding a square will be conspicuously inserted ai One Dollar for the first three insertions, and Twciity-fivc cents for every subse quent mcrtion. ICprf liberal discoiliU made to those who advertise by the year. LETTERS addressed on business, must be post paid: Literature, Science, te General News. THE PHILADELPHIA SATURDAY CHRONICLE, A FAMILY NEWSPAPER. PROSPECTUS OF SECOND VOLUME. Commencing May SO, 1837. fl.n SATURDAY CHRONICLE is a family npivsnancr.imblislicd oil a sheet oftlio largest mam- mom size, ana issucu rcguiariy irom rmiauciiuim, cerv Saturday. It is entirely unconnected wttli jiavty politics, and cctnnamsm, nnil is zealously ne votcd to the cause of Literature, Science and Gen eral Intelligence, its calculaled to entertain ana irv btruct every branch of tho laniily circle. 1 lie iic smn ofthe publishers is, to furnish n newspaper Uiat shall instruct as well as amuse, and enlighten the middle-aged, as well as entertain, alld direct to prop er objects of study, the mind of youth. Their un precedented success during tho past year (having obtained a very extensive circulation not only in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, but In every State ofthe Union) induces them to believe that their plan of publication is a good one, and during the succeeding year, they will continue to pursue it zealously, with such improvcmdiiU and moduica dons as may from time to timo be suggested. General Contents of the Chronicle. Talcs and Essays' dn Literary, Scientific and Moral subjects Sketches ofllistory and lliography Reviews ol new publications Stones from the Classic writers Popular Statistics of tho Woild Ladies' Department Original Communications from some bf the best writers of Philadelphia and eiscwiicrt! Mcuicai lectures Kcience and Art- Agriculture and Rural Economy Popular Suner. stitions Curious Customs and Manners Euro pean and Domestic Correspondence Articles on Music, the Drama, and other amusements Varie ties, amusing incidents, &c. and a carefully prepared synopsis oi me current icws oi mo Day, both t or, ;. i t it . tigu uiiu uuuiesuc. .Attractions ofthe first Volume. A regular correspondence from Europe, furnished ny an aoio anu eloquent writer, now on a tour through Luropc, and engaged expressly for tho Uliromclc. Ui this correspondence more than forty letters have been furnished. A series' of articles on Medical subiccts. cinbrnrinir lectures on Anatomy, in familiar lancusEC. from tlm pen of a distinguished Physician of Philadelphia. , Tho republication, id n supplementary sheet, of ue cuoicesi anu uesi articles ol the several London Annuals, lor 1HJ7, embracing articles from all the prominent English writers of tho present day. The costoftheso Annuals at retail is about S30 their principal contents have been furnished tho readers of the Chronicle cralii. The republication of tho inimitable Pickwick Pu pcrs, from the pen of the best comic writer ofthe cge, Charles Dickens, Esq. Original contributions on Literature, Science, Law, Education, Poetry, Political Economy, etc., from a number of the very best writers in America. Extra Jlttructionsfor the second Volume- The publication of the original articles, written for the Premiums of $250, embracing a great num ber of compositions of merit. The original tale, to which will be awarded the prize of S100, will proba bly be published in tho first number of the second volume. The European, Correspondence will bo regularly continued, as will also the Stories from the Classics, and indeed all tho attractive features ofthe first vol time. The notes and observations of a literary gen tleman, now on a tour through the Western and Southern States, arc also promised for publication in the Chronicle. Choice literary selections will be furnished from the London Monthly, Dentley's Miscellany, Black wood s, and other European -Magazines, ciro being taken to select the very host nrtiln ..,: the wheat from tho chair," from tho great mass of Lnghsh Literature, and not to allow their number to ...,..uumui our usual variety. Advantago will be taken of every circumstance calculated to add in terest to. tho columns of the Chronicle. Tho pub hshers being determined to allow none to outstrip them m tho "March oflmprovcmcnt." During the past year the publishers have paid, for original con thin I,re'",Um3, corr'csPidcncc, &c., more . , . lOOO Dollars, And a still larger sum will bo expended for similar purposes, during the publication f tho second"" TERMS OF THE CHRONICLE. corSs "f'fer ,hr 0ne yc-ar' ?' ,n ttJva"fC. copies lor glo; or threo conies for S5. For .1 months, ono dollar. eu (OrSmall notos on all solvent Hani par, m payment of subscription-. am.ZZtL" paid.) MATTHIAS & TAYLOR, Publishers. Philadelphia. WANTED.' A iLT ANt?IC? ,0 ,h DlaitWng bu. JulyS, 1837. JOHN HAZLET, Jr. m3 y, Out & Pottos, July 8, iW7, W- T WALTERS. AND WIXiKJESBAIiRE fit LINE OF MAIL STAGES I observed a notico in the "Keystone." fmJ OIlC which i puuiinueu,! sjgiu-u ny nir. 1. U,Ci christ, Agent, stating that the Sus(uehannah Iui Line would carry passengers in less time than Mail Stage which is not tho fact. It will 1 A dcrsioou inai uiu uuiu nayi-s iiarnsDurR one frl before tho Slago ; yet wo linvo taken IWi J through to Wilkcsbirrc in timo for the MoiitrJ stages, notwithstanding tho tardy manner in kIJ the mail is brought from Harrisburg to usal jf, thumberland. If any other persons had tlicconvJ anceofthc mails from Harrisburg to orlhumlri land than those connected with tho Boats, J vot cilg'age to start nt tha samo hour with the Uosil liarriuurg, aim uumi man anu mc parwiwa TWELVE HOURS sooner than the Uoal LLJ possibly can do it. I When the Company runs a stage from Nonfcl hcrlaud to Wilkbsbarrc, the mail can arrive at XJ thumberland from Harrisburg by 11 o'clock, A.ll but when the Boat runs above, they thcnUJ back tho stage at Northumberland until 4 o'clock 9 M. and sometimes as late as 7 o clock, P. ,, 1 These are facts, which, if the Post Master OVtI i not uwnre of, it is timo ho was made acqucl with them. I fXjVlny passengers wishing to tale it icgt. Northumberland, to go through to Muntmt,t be taken on in time to secure teats in the ifaJn stage, notwithstanding the delay nf the 0);.j in arriving at Northumberland provided Ihi; upon a regular nmejor sinning. i IJloomsburg, June 10, 1837. I SUSQUEHANAH LHSE OF PACKET ANI) F11EIG1IT BOATil From Philadelphia, by Hail lloadfr Cr to Jlarrtsburg, v or t number laml, Jmi ville, Cattawissa, Dloommtrg, Ecrwick, IVilkrsbarre, Mil ton, If'illiamsport, and intermediate places. PASSENGERS can have the West Cltfl Hotel, 11 road street, Phil.ulelphia, daiir.il o clock, A. M. reach Harrif-burg at 4 o tiook, f.l of tho same day : Northumberland at 10 o'tlsll M. of tho next day ; and Wilkrsbarre on It cecding morning at G o'clock ; when (. oacta j immediately start for Carbondajc, Tunkhanrca! I Montrose, ttnd thence to tho Western partclJj l ork state, I RETURNING Tho Iloats leave iU.'l daily, at 10 o'clock, A. M., and arrive at b'.3 burg ut -i o'clock, P: M. It arrivcx at Harris' .-I 5 o clock on the I oil owing morning, ami "1 Columbia m tunc to take the niorimiiT uiri Philadelphia. Tlio lloats also arrive nt Williamsport r West Branch, at ahput 0 o'clock, P. M. ol tt"t day on which they reach Northumberland cl urn daily. Tho Boats on the nbove lines havp been rt::l and aro now confidently recommended to the 1 1 LIC us a pleasant, comfortable, and coiivriiir' of travelling. SEATS may le taken in PhiUJ at the north-east comix of Fourth ifc (.'licsnutH at No. 'Z00 Market street, and tit the WcJ-Cbl Hotel, Brpad street. FREIGHT may be forwarded by Rail Haul Orrich & Nobles and J. J. Lewis Sc Co llroaJd and by Cfpl. McCabis Linpnf I nloii GnnalBj to Harrisburg, where they will he received H Susquehanna Line from Jabcz Ilurrusdin. wefj Wharf, Schuylkill. P. Mc. C. GILCHRIST Vv ilkeslarro, June 10, 1837. .'- To Travellers up the North Ernnchejl Susquehanna. PASSENGERS by the Susquehanna Ikaill from Northumberland, arrive at Wills!! KlGlir UOUllS sooner than A.y the Jtall of Wages, and reach Montrose TWE'N 1 1 ' horns sooner. P. Mc. C GILCHRIST June 10, 1837. A&l CATTAWISSA HOI'S nfqilE SUBSCRIBER returns his arlnorj .H. menu to his friends for theirl.'icral patrol and would respectfully inform (ho publir i f"D that he has fitted up his establishment, in Cjsi a, near tlio bridge, and SICS f I TH C3.0SS n a very superior stvlp vliil, will rmderre- Oild COnvelllCIICO to nil ivlinmnv f.ivnr him niiliM custom. His TAIU.K I. toil ivitli ries ofa bountiful market; his UAH well stored' tlm rlinipnc T i i otntiil IVO u tains plenty of provender, and Is attended by a J 4i"iuui; aim ni adiihi" m in nosner. no solieiu nil to givo him a can, eels confident that Im will Wc,iikf;irtion. S. UKODST1 Cattawissa, June 17,1837. THE Independent Troop will meet at the k; I of JohnMcItcynoldsiiiIU.Mi.ocK toJ " "muruay uioutli or Sciitciubcr licit, ai 1fir All . . . . . 'ii I v.v, n, uti.ermru ana couhipcd toriinn. Uv'onlpr nf ili n , T. W, DRAKL', 0.l "luomsuurg, Aug. 10, 1837. F a superior quality, just rcccned JC by t leSllbKrrih, ' ' n H. l lSHt! in . loomsinirgr, Ani;. 0, l37
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers