Richmond Daily Times

Loss of the Steamer America.

It was doubtless the disaster which is described in the following letter to the Charleston Courier, which caused a rumour in our streets Wednesday evening, that the Atlantic had been heard of as being wrecked off Cape Hatteras:

Office Wilmington Journal, Feb. 2, 1851.

Loss of the steamer America.—The new steamer America, Capt Broadwell, bound from Philadelphia to Mobile, to take her station on Lake Ponchartraine, was lost on the night of the 30th ult., off Cape Hatteras Light bearing N. W., supposed about ten miles distant, in seven fathoms water. Six of the crew were picked up at sea on the following morning, by the schr. Champion, Capt. Bartlett, from Boston, and arrived here last night. The remainder of the crew, sixteen in number, have not been heard of.

The following report of the loss of the steamer has been furnished us by Capt. Bartlett: The starboard after guard was started by heavy sea, which caused the boat to leak badly; at midnight broke the expansion pipe, which entirely disabled the engine: then kept the boat before the wind for 3 or 4 miles, and anchored in seven fathoms water, with 5 feet water in the hold. The crew then picked the boats, and the first boat with six of the crew on board, left the steamer about a quarter past two o'clock in the morning.— The other two boats with the Captain and the balance of the crew, had not yet left, but is supposed to have done so in a very short time afterwards.

The following are the names of those that have arrived at this place: John S. Lodge, 2d Eng.; Staten Morris, 2d Pilot; Alfred Thomas, Watchman; Chas. C. McDonald, and Jacob Harris, deck hands; and John Hallman, fireman.

The Philadelphia papers give the following additional particulars:

"The America left here on the 14th ult., and foundered during a gale on the 29th ult. One of her boats, containing Mr. Lodge, the second engineer, Staten Morris, the second pilot, and four others of the crew, belonging to this city, was picked up by the schooner Champion, from Boston, and taken into Wilmington, N. C. Nothing is yet known of the fate of the other two boats' crews but the presumption is that they have also been picked up. The America was built here last spring at Bireley's ship yard, Kensington, for Messrs. Bender and Wright, but recently sold to Captain S. Broadwell, of Mobile, as the agent of a company of gentlemen belonging to that city, and was intended to run on the mail route between New Orleans and Mobile. The boat was commanded by Capt. Broadwell and among her officers were Mr. John Wilson, first pilot, and Mr. Slow, first engineer. The whole number of persons on board the steamboat was about twenty-two, so that the two boats yet to be heard from must have contained sixteen persons. There were the following amounts of insurance effected upon the America, previous to her leaving this port: $4000 in New York, $8000 here, and $33,000 in three different offices at New Orleans."