r
t
The whole art ok Government consists in the art of being honest. Jefferson.
VOL. 2. STRODDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1841. No 20.
V
il
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
THEODORE SCHOOL
TERMSTwo dollars per annum m advance-Two dollars
and a Quarter, half vearlv.-and if not paid before the end of
the year, Two dollars and a half, xnosc wno receive their
papers by a carrier or stage uc i.hovi..i.v;vu U) ; (jiuimic
tnr vL-mJha y.r 57 1-2 cts. per year, extra.
No papers discontinued until all arrearages are paid, except
anne option of me ...
rnAririi.mcnts not exceeding one, square (sixteen lines)
will be inserted three weeks for one dollar . twenty-five cents
for every subsequent insertion ; larger ones in proportion. A
nzPAll letters addressed to the Editor must be post paid.
POETRY.
Forget Me Not.
BY W. H. HARRISON.
The following little poem was written by the
late President in his early days. It has a singular
force at the present juncture, especially the simile
introduced in the last two lines.
The star that shines so pure and bright,
Like a far-off place of bliss,
That tells the broken hearted
There are brighter worlds than this ;
The moon that courses through the sky,
Like man's uncertain doom,
Now shining bright with borrowed light,
Now wrapped in deepest gloom,
.Or whence eclipsed, a dreary blank,
A fearful emblem given
Of the heart shut out by a sinful world
From the blessed light of heaven;
The flower that freely casts her wealth
Of perfume on the gale;
The breeze that mourns the summer's close,
With melancholy wail ;
The stream that cleaves the mountain's side
Or gurgles from the grot
-All speak in their Creator's name,
And say "Forget me not!"
Forget me not," the thunder roars,
As it bursts its sulphury cloud ;
'Tis murmured by the distant hills,
In echoes long and loud ;
'Tis written by the Almighty's hand
In characters of flame,
When the lightnings gleam with vivid flash,
And his wrath and power proclaim.
Tis murmur'd when the white waves fall
"Upon the wreck-strewn shore,
As a hoary veteran bows his chest
When Hs day of work is o'er.
We copy from the Bucks County Intelligencer,
for the information of our loco friends, the follow
ing: General Orders.
Head Quarters Harrisccsg, July 21, 1841.
The musicians will play,- Old rosin the bow."
And then,
Ye Boss Loco Focos attend me
And all my good "Collar men" too,
I've need of you all to defend me
And tell me what next I must do.
And tell me &c.
I've signed near a dezen of Vetoes
And granted of pardons a few,
But how am I to be re-elected
Is a matter I cannot see through.
Is a matter &c.
I've play'd many tricks lor my friends,
And shuffled till I've got "blue,"
But the Democrats still show a Jack,
Oh! what in the world will I do!
Oh! what &c.
"Ye Camerons all gather around me,
My guardians so watchful 'and true,
And come along Ovid and Jimmy
And tell me what I'd better do.
And tell me &c.
You know I depend on my Presses
For keeping my acts out of view,
And if they can do it by lying
I'm certain they'll carry me through
I'm certain &c.
So come along Hutter and Cantirie,
And all of my libelling crew,
I'll give you a. pardon heforehard
If Judge Banks you'll help, me to "loo."
If Judge &c.
"He will coitie To-inorrow."
The following pathetic story is extracted from
an English periodical, and well illustrates tlie
Btrength of a mother's love.
I always ride orr the outside of a stage coach
from taster as well as' from economy because
I like to see as much of th e landscape as I pos
sibly can and I try to sitnext to the coachman,
because he knows not only to whom the seats
-fftt pass on the roadS belong, but can sometimes
teIone interesting anecdotes of the owners
theiitse65 so I am; s.ure of being entertained
on my journey, if so placet.
Well, I was so fort;imate on my last journey
from London to C as to get my favorite seat,
and it vrae next to afn unusually pleasant'drirer,
I found he was rf' family man; had a wife he
seemed fond of, anMe cll,,d a ,itlle by whom
toe was afraid of and as he saw lnat 1
sympathized in Jj&usWf Was rnore dis'
posed to gratify my curiosity. At length after
a very prosperous journey, wo saw the abbey
church of C in the distance and we were not
long in reaching the inn.
When the coach was about to stop, my atten
tion was drawn towards an elderly woman,
meanly, but neatly clad, who was looking Up to
the coach with an expression of anxious impa
tience in her eye, which forcibly interested me.
The coachman saw her also, and dashing
away a tear, said, "Ah poor soul! there she is
agairi, and there she has been every day for
years, and now I am a parent myself, and an
anxious one too, I feel the more for her." This
speech increased my interest in the poor wo
man) who, now that the coach had really stop
ped, and the passengers were getting down,
drew quite close to the wheels, and looking up
in the coachman's face with an expression
which evidently unmanned him, said, in a hur
ried voice, "Is he come to-day?" "No dear
soul," he replied, "but he will come to-morrow,
you know!" " Yes, yes," said she, "he will
come to-morrow!" She then hurried down tlie
street, followed by a respectable young woman,
who shook her head mournfully at the driver as
she turned away.
I had paid all demands upon me, and m'ight
have gone in search of a place to N but I
could not stir till I had an explanation of what
seemod so interesting toa sentimental traveller
like myself, and I asked the coachman if I
might speak a few words with him. " I see
what you want to ask," he replied; "and as
soon as I have done all my duty here, I will
walk with you to the inn where the other coach
starts from."
I thought him a longtime about his duty; but
at last he joined me, and we walked down the
street together. "You want to know all about
that poor woman," said he. "Indeed I do."
"It is a sad story, sir. She and her husband,
respectable little tradespeople, had one child,
and a fine lad he was; but he was more fond of
play than work, and his father was a severe
man. His mother doated on him, poor soul!
and he loved her dearly. But not to be lengthy;
when he was eighteen, poor Willy did some
thing, I do not know what exactly, which put
his father in a great rage and in spite of his
wife s tears and prayers, struck his son, and
turned him out of doors. I have always heard
the poor lad did not deserve it; certain it is that
he was wrong in one thing; for he. told his fa
ther he saw him for the last time, for ho would
never comt back to be struck again ! And he
enlisted directly, and left C with the soldiers.
Oh! the agony of the poor father when he had
slept on his rage, and rose the next morning!
The poor mother had not slept at ail, and they
both went in search of their now pardoned son.
But he was gone. And by a very affecting let
ter to his mother, they learned that he was or
dered to the West Indies! and they were not
rich enough to effect his discharge! So he
sailed, and it broke his father's heart.
On his death-bed he left loving messages and
his blessings to his boy, and said he died of a
broken heart, and from the recollection of his
harshness to him.
Well, time went on, and the poor widowed
mother might be said to live only for and in
letters written by Willy; and every letter was
full of love and piety. At last came a letter
from him to say he had been at death's door
with a bad fever, and was so weak still, after
it, that the medical men had ordered him home,
as the only chance of life.
"Oh! I shall nurse him again!''4 the poor mo
ther said, all fear lost in the delight of having
him restored to her; and when the time- came
for. the vessels being due in which he sailed,
busy as a bee was she in preparing for his
coming.
At last he wrote to say that he was landed,
that he had almost recovered his health and
strength in the voyage, and should be at C
on such a day. That morning the poor mother
went to the coach office, long before fhe horn
announced the approach of the stage. It came,
but she could not see her son on the outside;
perhaps he was inside, and she ran eagerly for
ward to look in at the window, but he was not
there. "Where is he? Where is my boy?"
-she cried to the driver, who had not as yet ob
served her. Now sir, that man was a good
sort of man enough, but he did not understand
a parent's feelings, and what do you think he
replied? "Your son! poor soul he is not come
indeed!" "But he will come to-morrow, then;
is there not a letter to say so?" "No, mistress
your poor son will come no more! lie fell
off the coach coming from Portsmouth to Lon
don, and was killed on the spot!"
I, a little boy, then, was present at this scene
and I never shall forget the shriek; with
which she repeated the word 'killed' arid then
fell back, as if it had struck her 4o the heart!
She was carried home insensible, and we all
hoped she would never recover. But it was or
dered otherwise. She recovered to life the
next day, but not to reason for the first words
she uttered were, "I must get up and dress my
self, or I shall not get to the coach in time to
meet Willy!" And finding she was able to
dress herself, and walk as usual, ber niece, who
lived with her, she whom you saw to day, let
her go out, and she reached the coach as he
horn blew. Oh! it was very affecting to see
that poor bereaved creature go up to the coach
man and ask him again if her son was come!
The driver that day was a neighbor of hers, .and,
having heard the tale, he replied kindly and
cleverly, "No he is not come to-day, but per
haps he will come to-morrow." "Yes, yes,"
she replied with a smile that wrung the heart,
"he will come to-morrow," and away she hur
ried. And sir, she has come to that coach of
fice, and asked the same question, and received
and repeated the same answer, for, as I have
told you to-day, many, many years! But sure
ly, sir; she does not suffer much, does she?"
"I trust not," I replied, and this hope born of
dcxnnir. is. nrnhablv. thn merciful ordering of
j , y -J J
Divine Providence for her relief." 4tAh, so I
think," he replied, "but heaven bless you, sir!
here is your coach, and it is now setting off."
"I hope we shall meet again," I said, shaking
him by the hand, and off we drove.
From the Pennsylvania Inquirer.
AWFIIL DISASTER.
Destrnction of Exalte Steamboat E-
RIE, by Fire One Hundred aiad
Seventy-Five ILiives JLost.
XfJf'The New York papers of last evening
contain the most heart-rending intelligence it
has ever been our lot to record. The steam
boat Erie, Capt. Titus, left Buffalo for Chicago,
on Monday afternoon, with upwards of 200 pas
sengers, many of whom were German emigrants,
and awful to relate, when near Silver Creek,
she was discovered to be on fire, and of the
large number of passengers on board, only
TWENTY-SEVEN remain to tell the start
ling tale Thus, have upwards of ONE HUN
DRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE human be
ings met an untimely end, having either been
drowned or burned to death, in the midst of the
terrible confusion that must have ensued. Cap
tain Titus is among the number saved; and his
name is the only one that has yet been publish
ed. We no doubt shall receive further partic
ulars during the day.
The Erie had a large amount of merchandise
on board.
We are indebted to the New York Herald
for an Extra, from which we copy the following
particulars:
The steamer Erie left Buffalo on Monday af
ternoon at 3 o'clock for Chicago. The precise
number on board of her is not known, but it is
estimated by the captain, from a glance at the
register before leaving the harbor, to have ex
ceeded two hundred souls. Amongst the num
ber were several painters, who with their ma
terials were on their way to some port up the
lake for the purpose of painting a boat lying
there. A strong wind and rough sea prevail
ing at the time, Capt., Titus hesitated for some
time to put out, but the De Witt Clinton having
left about three hours previous, he was finally
induced to start on the fatal voyage.
At about 8 o'clock the vessel was suddenly
wrapped in flames from the bursting of a carboy
of varnish on the boiler deck, whilst so sudden
was the combustion that the passengers were
at once forced overboard, in many instances
without the slightest article to sustain them.
Fortunately the De Witt Clinton had put in
to Dunkirk, and discovering the Erie in flames
hastened to her relief.
She picked up twenty-seven only of the
whole number on board, whilst about two hun
dred fell victims to the devouring element. On
ly one female was saved, as also were the cap
tain and one of the crew.
The Erie, in addition to a full complement j
of passengers, had on board a large quantity of
merchandize for Chicago and intermediate!
places.
For I ho above particulars we are indebted to
a friend who came down in the boat this morn
ing, and they may be relied upon as correct in
all the leading features attending this most mel
ancholy occurrence.
Such are all the particulars we have yet re
ceived. To-night we shall know more of this
awful affair. None of the passengers' names
are known here and all is suspense, all anxiety.
We understand that the Erie was five years
old, was built and owned by Mr. Reed, of Erie,
Penn., and cost $90,000. She is said to be a
splendid and fast boat, and of the first class.
She was recently put in complete order, refitted
and repainted in fine style. She was a great
favorite, and had encountered many a severe
gale.
The De Witt Clinton, which rescued the
twenty persons lives, is un old boat, used for
freight and passengers.
Immediately on the receipt of the above pain
ful tidings, we issued a third edition, and the
city was thrown into deep sensation.
Not since the burning of the Ben Sherrod, on
the Mississippi, George Washington, on Lake
Erie, and the Lexington,- on Long Island Sound,
have we heard of such a dreadful, shocking,
and deeply to be deplored calamity as the de
struction the ill-fated Erie, and more than a
hundred and fifty men, women and children.
Until all the names of these unfortunate persons
who hava thus been hurried into eternity, are
known, anxiety never so great will pervade
throughout the whole country.
From an Extra issued by the N. Y Sun. 1
THE DREADFUL CATASTROPHE
ON LAKE ERIE.
Further and Important Particulars.
We are happy to acknowledge our indebted
ness to Mr. Banta, the clerk of the South" Amer
ica, for a copy of the second edition of the Al
bany Evening Journal of last evening.
From the Albany Evening Journal ve have
obtained the following additional and highly in
teresting particulars relative to this awful and
heart rending calamity which we hasten to lay
before our readers.
First outbreak of the Fire. The boat
had bean thoroughly overhauled, and although
the wind was blowing fresh, everything prom
ised a pleasant and prosperous voyage. Noth
insr occurred to mar this prospect till about 8
o'clock, when the boat was off Silver Creek,
about 8 miles from shore, and 33 from this city,
when a slight explosion was heard, and imme
diateiy, instantaneously almost, tne wnoie ves-
sel was enveloped in flames. Capt. Titus, who
was on the upper deck at the time, rushed to
the Ladies Cabin to obtain the life preservers,
of which there were from 90 to 100 on board,
but so rapid had been tho progress of the flames,
he found it impossible to enter the cabin.
The captain then returned to the upper deck,
giving, as he hurried on, his orders to the en
gineer to stop. The engineer replied that in
consequence of the flames he could not reach
the engine. The steersman was immediately
directed to put the helm hard a starboard. The
vessel swung slo'wly round, heading to the
shore, and the boats there were three on board
were then ordered to be lowered. Two of
the boats were then lowered, but in consequence
of the heavy sea on, and the head-way of the
vessel, they both swamped as they touched the
water.
Miraculous Escape of a Lady. At this
period the spectacle was appalling in the ex
tfeme, and no language can describe the fran
tic horror of the doomed passengeis. The small
boat was lowered four persons in it the cap
tain jumped in and the boat filled with water
and dropped astern. A lady floated by at tms
moment with a life preserver on she shrieked
for help the captain threw her the only oar in
the boat she caught it and was saved this
lady was Mrs. Lynde, of Milwaukie, and she
was the only female who was saved from that
fated vessel.
DISCOVERY OF THE WRECK.
In this condition, the boat a mass of fierce
fire, and the passengers and crew endeavoring
to save themselves by swimming or supporting
themselves by whatever they could reach
they were found by the Clinton at about 10 P
M. The Clinton left here in the morning, but
in consequence of tho wind had put into Dun
kirk. She laid there till nearly sunset, at
which time she ran out and had proceeded as
far as Barcelona, when just at twilight, the fire
of the Erie was discovered sdme 20 miles
astern. The Clinton immediately put about
and reached the burning wreck about 10.
It was a fearful sight. All the upper works
of the Erie had been burned awdy. The en
gine was standing but the hull was a mass of
dull, red flame. The boats of the Clinton were
instantly lowered and manned, arid every per
son that could be seen or heard was picked up,
and every possible relief afforded. The Jady,
a little steamboat lying at Dunkirk, went out of
that harbor as soon as possible, after the dis
covery of the fire, and arrived soon after the
Clinton. It was not thought by the survivors
that she saved any.
THE WRECK.
At one o'clock, A. M. all was over. Noth
ing was heard but the low, dead crackling of
the expiring fire. Not a solitary struggle for
life could be seen on the wide waste df waters.
No trace was left on the glassy surface of the
deep of all that hrtd perished in that hour of
agony, except a portion of the hapless hulk ol
theill fated Erie. An effort was made to tow
theliUll ashore, but it sunk in eleven fathoms
water, abdut four miles from the banks of the
lake. It was now daylight, and the Clinton
headed for the shore.
ORIGIN OF f HE FIRE.
Among the passengers on board were six
painters, in the employ of Mr. W. G. Miller, of
Buffalo, who were going to Erie to paint tho
steamboat Madison. They had with them dem
ijohns filled with spirits of turpentine and var
nish, which unknown to Capt. Titus, were
placed on tho boiler deck directly over the
boilers. One of the firemen, who was savod,
says he had occasion to go on tho deck, and
seeing the demijohns, removed them. They
were replaced, by whom is not known. Im
v . J .. r .im
mediately previous to the oursting ionn ui mc
flames, as several on board have assured us, a j
slight explosion was heard. The demijohns
had probably burst with the heat, and their in
flammable contents, taking fire instantly, com
municated to every part of the boat which,
having been freshly varnished, caught as if it
had been gunpowder.
Singular Coincidence. It is a singular
coincidence that the Erie was burned at. almost
identically the same spot where the Washing
ton was burned in June, 1838. g Capt. Brown,
who commanded the Washington at that time,.
happened to be on board the Clinton, and was
very active in saving the survivors on board.
Number on board. It is impossible to' grve
a correct list of all the passengers. Of ca'bin
passengers Capt. Titus thinks there were be
tween 30 and 40, of whom 10 or 12 verer
ladies. In the steerage there were aboui 140
passengers, nearly all of whom were Swiss and
German immigrants. These were in families,
all of whom found a common grave in the yawn
ing deep. The heart bleeds, as it reflects on
the many ties of endeared relationship which
were thus suddenly, rudely, arid forever broken.
The following is a list, so far as can b'e as
certained, of
THE LOST. .
W. M. Camp', Harrisburg, Pa.
Willet Weeks, Brooklyn.
John C. Pool, New York City.
E-. S. Cobb, Ann Arbor, Mich. ,
Otto Torp, N. Y., wife and 3 children.,
Lloyd Gelston, Erie, clerk.
Mr. Joles, steward of the boat.
Mr. Giles Williams, Chicago.
Chas. J. Lynde, Milwaukie. ; v
Watts S. Lynde. Homer; N. Y.
Mrs. Wm. Smith arid child, Schenec'iady.
A. Sears, Philip Barbier, Henry Weaver, Wm.
Thomas, Evarts, Peter Finney, paint
ers, Buffalo, in the employ of Wm. G. Miller.
Miss A. Miller, Buffalo, sister of W. G: Miller-.
J. D. Woodward, New York.
Wm. Griffin, Mississippi.
D. S. Sloan, Geneva.
E. Stow, Canada.
Wm. Sacket, Michigan.
Mrs. Spencer and two children:
Mrs. Dow.
Mrs. Robinson, Ballston, Spa. N. Y:
Miss Robinson, do do
-3&
Miss King, do do
i
Mr. Moore, lady and 2 children,- from Yates
county, moving to Michigan.
Oris Green, Rushville, Yate county.
Roome Button, from near Fort Plain.
Charles S. Mather, Mt. Clemens, Mich., has
got a family at that place.
List of Swiss passengers shipped by Messrs.
P. L. Parsons & Cd.
Names, Numbers. Destination.
Geo. Zuggler & family 6 Akron, O.
John Flang do 2 1-2 do
Martin Zulgen do" 2 do
Geo. Rettenger do 3 do
Geo. Christian do 5 do
Geo. Neigold do 7 1-2 do
M. Riebold do 3 doT
Geo. Steinman do 2 do
Peter Kling do 2 dbr
L. Gilling do ' 3 ' do'
Peter Schmidt 1 - doJ
John Netzell 1 do
Peter Schendler do 5 Cleveland
J. Newminger do 4 do'
S. Scapler do 5 1-2 do
R. Filling do 2 . do . .
Mr. Ogens 1 - -. do
1. Korten 1 Dover, O.
C. Durler 1 1 1 do,
Mr. Lithhold & family 5 1-2 " do
C. Deitherick "do 2 do"..
C. Wilbur do 6 do
C. Palmer do 5 Masillon, O.
J. Garghum do 51-2 do
J. Mulliman 1 do
C. Kellerman 1 Chicago.
C. Mintch and friend 2 do
Mintch was recently from Europe, and left
his family in this city. . He was on his way
west to secure land for future settlement.
This list comprises the names of 87 persons;
as it is customary to pass children at half price,
the whole number in this list must have reach
ed one hundred souls. Only four persons of
the whole including Durler and ihree others
whose names we could not learn, were saved.
We now give the brief list of
THE SAVED.
We are indebted to Mr. Gibson, clerk of the
steamboat De Witt Clinton, for the following
list of persons saved:
Jerome McBride, wheelman, badly burnt. ,.
James Loverly, do
Hiram de Graft, passenger.
,1
Dennis McBride, 1st mate. ;
Theodore Sears, painter. -
J. H. St John, passenger to Chicago; -
C. Hogg, do badly burnt.
Wm Wadsworth, one of the band, Lne.
Alfred O. Wilkinson, East Eucled, Ohio.
William Hughes, 2d mate.
Luther B. Searls, fireman.
Thomas J. Tan, Pittsford, N. Y.
John Winchell, Buffalo.
Edgar Clemens, 1st engineer.
Son of Geo. Beebee, Cleveland.
Harrison Forrester, Harbor Creek, Pa.
Thomas Quinim, Middlefield, Mess.
Three German passengers burned badlyv
Robert Robinson, colored man, barber.
Johnson, do 3d cook.
Giles Williams, Chicago.
Capt. Tjtus, captain of boat.
Mrs. Lynde, Milwaukie.
Christian Durder, Holmes Co. Ohkh ,
Rice, Hydraulics, Buffalo, badly.burned
ft
41
1 ,i
II