Providence Daily Advertiser

Disappearance.—The pilot boat schooner Leopard, from Washington, North Carolina, Capt. Morcock, arrived here about the 25th of December, with a load of sweet potatoes, which the Captain has since been engaged in disposing of. The vessel was frozen in at the wharf near the bridge, on the West side.

On Saturday night, about 9 o'clock, the Captain's hat was discovered on the quarter deck of the vessel, and it is supposed he is drowned. He was in the practice of eating at a victualling house, and sleeping on board of his vessel. Just before the hat was discovered, he left the eating house to go on board. It was nearly low water, and it is conjectured that in attempting to go down the plank, he slipped, there being ice on the cap of the wharf, and fell, head foremost, between the wharf and the vessel, striking the latter and probably stunning himself by the blow, which also threw his hat upon the deck. There was a small space between the wharf and vessel, which was but slightly frozen over.—The ice there appeared to have been broken. There was but one person, except the Captain, attached to the vessel, and we understand he was not on board when the accident is supposed to have happened.—

A number of persons under the direction of Col. Earl Carpenter, and Mr. Leonard Wilcox, were engaged the whole of yesterday forenoon, in searching the river, through holes cut in the ice, but the body has not been found.

The above are all the facts we can learn. Capt. Morcock has repeatedly been in our office, and from all we know of him, he was a man of sober and industrious habits, and well informed. He was about 48 years of age, and has a wife and five children, now in New York.

We do not know to whom the Leopard belongs. She was chartered from Washington to this port, by Mr. Langdon Wilson, who disposed of his interest in the cargo to the captain, some weeks since, and left town. She is now in charge of the mate.