--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1840 to 1841. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 2 number: 21 published: 1841-09-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Horrible disaster-Steamboat Erie Burnt On Lake Erie; and One Hundred and Seventy Persons Lost,” *Times and Seasons* 2, no. 21 (September 1, 1841): 528–529." printed_title: Horrible disaster-Steamboat Erie Burnt On Lake Erie; and One Hundred and Seventy Persons Lost. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-09-01_2_21 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v2n21.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-09-01_2_21 start_page: 528 end_page: 529 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1841 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-09-01_2_21 publication_year: 1841 --- # Horrible disaster-Steamboat Erie Burnt On Lake Erie; and One Hundred and Seventy Persons Lost The Chicago American Extra of Snnday [Sunday] last, on the authority of the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, announces the destruction of the steamboat Erie, by fire on Monday the inst., 30 miles from Buffalo and 8 from the American shore, while on her way to Chicago, with 200 persons on board, crew and passengers, of whom one hundred and seventy were lost. The origin of the fire is thus stated, There were several painters on board who were going to Erie to paint the steamboat Madison. They had demijohns with them filled with spirits of turpentine and varnish, which unknown to the captain, were placed on the boiler deck, immediately over the boilers. At 8 P. M. a slight explosion was heard, and immediately the whole vessel was in flames.-The captain (Titus) who was on deck at the time, rushed to the ladies cabin, to obtain the life preservers, of which there were some 90 or 100 on board, but so rapid had been the progress of the flames that it was impossible to enter the cabin. He then returned and gave orders to stop the engine, as the progress of the boat increased the flames but the fire prevented it. The steersman was then told to put the helm hard a starboard. The boat then swung heavily round towards the shore, and the three small boats ordered out. Two were lowered but in consequence of the heavy sea, and the headway of the boat both swamped. The Advertiser says-"We will not attempt to describe the awfully appalling condition of the passengers. Some were frantic with fear, others plunged head-long into the water, others again seized upon any thing buoyant upon which they could lay hands. The small boat forward had been lowered. It was alongside the wheel with three or four persons in it, when the captain jumped in, and the boat immediately dropped astern, filled with water, Mrs. Lynde, floated by with a life preserver. She called for help. There was no safety in the boat. She caught the oar and was saved. "In this condition the boat, a mass of fierce fire, and the passengers and crew endeavoring to save themselves by whatever means they could reach-they were found by the Clinton at 10 P. M. The Clinton left Buffalo in the morning, but in consequence of the wind had put into Dunkirk. She laid there till nearly sunset, at which time she run out, and proceeded as far as Barcelona, when just at twilight the Erie was discovered twenty miles astern. The Clinton immediately turned and reached the burning wreck about 10. It was a fearful sight; all the upper works of the Erie had burned away. The engine was standing, but the hull was a mass of dull red flame. The passengers and crew were floating around, screaming in their agony and shreaking [shrieking] for help. "The boats of the Clinton were instantly lowered and manned and every person that could be seen or heard was picked up and every possible relief afforded. The Lady, a little boat lying at Dunkirk, went out of that harbor as soon as possible after the discovery of the fire, and arrived soon after the Clinton. It was not thought by the survivors that she saved any. By 1 A. M. all was still but the dead crackling of fire. Not a solitary individual could be seen or heard on the wild waste of waters. A line was then made fast to the remains of the Erie's rudder, and an effort made to tow the hapless hull ashore. About this time the Chatauque came up and lent her assistance. The hull of the Erie was towed within about four miles of the shore, when it sunk in about 11 fathoms water. By this time it was daylight. The Clinton headed off for Buffalo, which she reached about six o'clock. Of those who are saved several are badly burned, but none are dangerously injured so far as we have heard. "Not a paper nor an article of any kind was saved. Of course it is impossible to give a complete list of those on board. Of cabin passengers, Capt. Titus thinks there were between 30 and 40, of whom 10 or 12 were ladies. In the steerage were about 140 passengers, nearly all of whom were German emegrants [emigrants].-They were in families with the usual proportion of men, women and children.-The heart bleeds at the thought. It is singular coincidence, that the Erie was burned at almost, the same spot where the Washington was burned in June 1838. Capt. Brown, who commanded the Washington at that time, happened to be on board the Clinton and was very active in saving the survivors of the Erie."