Southern Planter

From the Louisiana Advertiser.

LOSS OF THE BRANDYWINE

We have been unable to obtain much additional information relative to the loss of the steamer Brandywine. The yawl is said to have contained about 25 persons, among whom were several colored men, but no white ladies as before stated. The two white ladies on board, we understand, Mrs. Walker, of Nashville, and child, who were burnt; and Mrs. Parks, of Vicksburg, drowned while her husband was endeavoring to effect her rescue by swimming with her to shore, in which attempt he unfortunately failed. Mr. Strother, a relative of Mrs. Walker, we are informed, was forming a temporary raft to float her and her child to shore, when it was snatched from his possession, the unfortunate lady and her child were left to perish in the flames, and he himself found a watery grave. Seventy persons are said to be missing among whom were eight cabin passengers.

We subjoin the following particulars from the log book of the steamer Lexington, arrived last night:—About twenty miles above Memphis we saw the smoking ruins of the fine steamer Brandywine.—On reaching Memphis, we were informed by her pilot, that about 7 o'clock on the evening of the 7th, she was discovered to be on fire, originating from the sparks lodging in straw which wrapped round carriage wheels on the hurricane deck, and the wind blowing very hard, the flames almost instantly enveloped her hurricane-roof and boiler deck. The pilot gave her a broad sheer towards the shore, and was compelled immediately to retreat from the wheel to avoid the flames. At the same time an additional quantity of steam was given by the engineer, which propelled her rapidly towards the shore, when she grounded on a bar a short distance from it. A line was conveyed to the river bank, and the passengers throwing themselves overboard to escape the devouring element preserved their lives by clinging to it. The number that perished by fire and drowning, is computed at from eighty-five to ninety souls! among whom were nine females and two children. Not one of the females were saved. Mr. Shields, the pilot, endeavored to persuade Mrs. Walker to throw herself into the river with him, but she could not be induced to abandon her child; and thus fell a martyr to maternal affection. Mr. S. while swimming to shore, turned his eyes towards the boat, and observed this unfortunate lady enveloped in the devouring element!

From the Nashville Banner.

AWFUL CATASTROPHE !!!

Burning of the Steam Boat Brandywine and loss of lives.—Never, in the annals of Steamboat disasters, did there happen a more terrible accident, than that which we record below. On Monday last (7th inst.) at 7 o'clock, P. M. the Steamboat Brandywine, being on her passage from New Orleans for Louisville and about twenty-five miles above Memphis, was discovered to be on fire and such the rapidity with which the flames spread, that from sixty to eighty persons perished in the flames or were drowned in attempting to get to shore; those who escaped saved nothing but the clothes they had on at the time. The following letter from the clerk of the boat, giving an account of the disaster was received on Saturday night by her owners in this place, who have favored us with it for the information of the public. In addition to the persons mentioned as among the missing, we have heard the names of Benjamin Murrell of Nashville, Hardin Hilliard of Franklin.

We understand that Mr. Hilliard swam the Mississippi to the Missouri side and back, in company with two other persons, names unknown, and succeeded in landing four or five miles below the boat where he expired.

Gentlemen—I wrote to you yesterday from this place "MEMPHIS, April 10, 1832. informing you of our arrival here and of our welfare—it now becomes my painful duty to give you far different tidings—at 7 o'clock last evening in the latitude of the twelve outlets the Brandywine took fire and is burnt to the water's edge—flames that in two minutes the boat was one complete sheet of fire fore and aft above and below—Never did I see fire spread with so much rapidity.

In the middle of the river when it commenced, the pilot put the helm hard ashore and run her on the bar, when all who could got ashore, and are still there trying what can be done with the wreck. I am sorry to say that among the missing are Mr. R. Stothart, Mrs. R. T. Walker, child & servant, Randall, 1st cook, Noah and Esther, besides four of the deck hands, and seven cabin passengers, the number of deck passengers we can only suppose and set down as eighty—as I could not save the books or papers or any clothing but what we had on at the time. Every effort was made by two others and myself to save Mrs. Walker, but all in vain—the fire was so rapid that we were driven from the boat in less than two minutes from the first alarm. It is supposed to have caught from the sparks from the chimneys catching the straw in which some carriage wheels placed on the upper deck were packed, as it was there the fire was first discovered, the wind was blowing very hard down stream at the time, which caused the fire to spread aft.

Never was I witness to such a scene, dreadful and distressing in the extreme,—I shall never forget it—before I left the boat I saw several drown in attempting to reach the shore, and some bodies are still on the shore some distance below the boat—we buried one man this morning, who died a short time after reaching the shore."