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.
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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-
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Choice literary selections will be furnished from
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TERMS OF THE CHRONICLE.
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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