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Daniel F Johnson's New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics

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Daniel F. Johnson : Volume 21 Number 493

Date November 21 1863
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper New Brunswick Courier

info The language of the text is the original used in the newspaper entry and as transcribed by Daniel F. Johnson. Records acquired by the Provincial Archives are not translated from the language in which they originate.

The steamer "Sunbury" left Indiantown (St. John) about 4 o'clock with a large number of passengers and heavy freight on board and the schr. "Ino" in tow. On arriving at Oak Point about 8 o'clock, she stopped opposite Flewelling's Landing to allow some passengers to get into a small boat that came alongside. After the boat left her, the order was given to "go ahead" and while in the act of starting, one of the boilers exploded and the boat sank immediately. The greater number of those on deck who were not killed by the explosion or blown into the water, managed to reach the schooner, but those who were below deck went down with the steamer. We quote from the "Headquarters": "Among those who were thrown into the water was John LIVINGSTON, the Steward of the boat, who, it is said, might have escaped with his death, if he had not disinterestedly refused the aid offered him in favor of a woman whom he thought more in need of it then himself. The force of the explosion tore away the side of the boat, and one of the paddle boxes along with it, knocked a hole in the bottom which let in the water, blew barrells of flour and heavy articles of freight from the lower deck through the saloon, shattered and loosened all the raised deck. and lifted the wheel house where Alfred ESTEY, one of the crew, was steering and the Captain's room, in which were Mrs. TUCK, Mrs. George ATHERTON, Jr. and Nelson CLIFF, broke to pieces the sofa on which they were sitting, and it would seem precipitated them into the bow of the boat which was fast sinking under water. ESTEY was killed, but the others were miraculously preserved. One or two were rescued through the windows of the cabin before the boat sank but most unhappily two young girls, Miss ATHERTON and Miss WILSON were over- whelmed by the water in the Ladies cabin and drowned. In the forward cabin, three of the passengers, Mr. SUMMERS, Fredericton (York Co.), George E. McLAUCHLAN, Sheffield (Sunbury Co.), Jackson BURPEE, do and four of the crew - John TIBBITS, Assistant Engineer, W.A. FRENCH, deck hand, J. GARVIE, Fireman, James LIVINGSTON, Cook met a similar fate. The following is from the "Globe" ".... Three bodies were found that of McLAUGHLIN, the trader, that of LIVINGSTON, the cook, and that of FRENCH who is a son of Baptist clergy-man and whose remains were taken care of by friends in Carleton ..." (see original)

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