Particulars of the Loss of the Steamer May Flower. ~From the Buffalo Express.~ We received last evening by mail from Girard, Pa., the following particulars form Capt. Van Allen of the loss of his splendid Steamer. LAST TRIP OF STEAMBOAT MAY FLOWER. We left Detroit for Buffalo, via Cleveland o the night of the 13th inst., at 11 o'clock. Wind west, severely cold, thermometer 12 above zero, with 160 tons freight on deck. Arrived at Cleveland at 7A.M., wind S.W., snowing. Took on fuel and left for Buffalo at 11 A.M. Snow continued heavy all day, and until 12 o'clock Sunday night, when it cleared away. Made Buffalo light dead ahead, about five miles off--this being the first object we had seen during the thirteen hours out. Arrived safely, discharged our freight, and took on coal with all dispatch possible, with a view of returning immediately, without any regard to passengers or freight. In the early part of the evening of Monday, received a telegraph despatch from Mr. Books to say we must hurry home, for it was doubtful even then whether we could get up the river. Sailed at 10 o'clock P.M., wind W.N.W., with all the appearance of its hauling more northerly, calculating to have rather a smooth passage up the nor! thern shore--but extremely cold. Two hours out, wind backed around W.S.W., with heavy squalls of snow; wind, sea and snow increasing; laboring and making ice rapidly on our deck. We bore up for Buffalo after being three and a half hours out; we stood on this length of time, intending to have daylight to make a port. We ran off before the wind four hours, judging in that time to have made about the same distance. Daylight came, but no cessation of the storm. Not knowing our position, we were more likely to go on shore than any other place; consequently 'bout ship, and stood up the lake; storm increasing. In about two hours we parted our rudder chains, and the vessel fell off in the troughs of the sea, which made a clean breach through our gangways, carrying with it what little was in the way. In this position we lay two hours, endeavoring to repair. At last, succeeded in finding blocks and lines to reeve through them. Secured the tiller with a tackle, from each quar! ter; had to work them with six men, three to each. In this way brought her head to wind; very soon after got better chains and repaired. The tackle was still used to relieve the strain in the tiller chains. The men at the tackle and the wheels had to be relieved every twenty minutes; but cold as it was, that man of Iron, my first mate, stood thirteen hours, being only twice relieved; 2d mate attending to other duties quite as important, and equally exposed. During the time occupied in repairing, the storm broke away for a moment, as if to warn us of our perilous situation. Land ahead! Close into the breakers, was called out by the 2d mate. Without thinking of other consequences than the loss of my beautiful vessel, I backed off easily, taking every *** over our taffrail: men standing aft holding on to the fall of each tackle, up to their middle in water; brought head to wind and stood up the lake. Very soon after this our starboard hog-chains forward parted: this, ! of course, weakened our vessel, which began to work her upper cabin on that side very much. Storm increasing; vessel laboring heavily: the braces to our starboard chimney gave way, and the chimney went adrift. We were now in danger of fire, but we managed to extinguish the fire in the starboard furnace, and we were now left with the one chimney and half steam. The attempt to stem the elements with half steam was doubtful, and we attempted to wear ship--in the mean time getting up all the steam we could, for this was our only dependence, for the little head sail we had was covered by this time with six inches of ice. We fell off in the troughs of the sea and could make no headway. We made three attempts during Tuesday the 16th, but gave it up. Our only object was to keep her head to wind and sea. With the steam we made we were able to keep steerage way on, and her head to the sea. The wind backing round to the southward, we crawled over towards the south shore, hoping to make a lee when we reached there. We smoothed our water, about 7 o'clock. Tuesday evening, and hauled off, steering west to keep clear of the land--(satisfied ourselves since that we were under Erie Peninsula.) Stood to sea 30 minutes, then hauled up southwest; expecting soon again to smooth our water. We expected to keep her off sufficient to clear the land. In this calculation we were unfortunate for the sea was running more from the westward than we had supposed, consequently in our great anxiety to reach the furtherest point up the lake, with the fact we had hugged the shore to get smooth water and save ourselves in case any further accident happened to our vessel, for at that time she had all the ice on she was able to carry--both log chains gone forward, every seam in her main deck, was working the oakum out, and the upper cabbin weaving forward and aft 28 or 20 inches and falling to pieces. In this condition we went ashore about 18 miles above Erie, at 10 o'clock Tuesday night 16th inst., Thermometer ranging from 8 to 10 degrees below zero. Weather thick all day with snow and dense fog so that one could not see 30 feet. When we went ashore our bow was within 150 feet of land but we could not see it. We waited patiently for day light, and when it came it was apparent that if the sea continued our beautiful May Flower would be a total loss. By 9 o'clock by ringing our bell we had brought some of the inhabitants to our assistance--meanwhile we had made three attempts to run a line to the shore and failed, by which we lost our first boat, and after attempting with the second were compelled to hoist it on board to save our men.--Several persons had collected on shore and a young man threw a stone with a twine attached on board. Attached to the twine we sent a small heaving line ashore and to that a large one which was secured to a tree and the slack hauled on board. When this was accomplished, our third boat, a large one, was to be cleared away and lowered. This boat was on the weather side, and had to be got on the lee side. To do this we cut away two state rooms on each side and hauled her across the cabin. Before putting her in the water, passed the painter over the line which ran to the shore and back to the ring bolt, made a line fast at the same place to be used on shore and another on land to haul her backward and forward. In this manner the boat was kept head to the sea. Notwithstanding all this care a large boat capable of carrying 50 persons in ordinary weather, was nearly filled three or four times. By 8 o'clock P.M., we had all on shore safe, though many were frozen. Those frozen were Captain, feet, ear and hands slightly--Mate feet and face--Second Mate both hands badly--one wheelsman hands slightly--and three fishermen slightly. One wheelsman considerably injured by being thrown over the wheel. The crew all behaved and did their duty like men, except two deck hands, Irishmen, who skulked and hid in the coal bunkers until the vessel struck. H. Van Allen, Capt. of May Flower ~Spirit of the Times, Batavia NY~December 30-1851 submitted by Linda Web-Page Editor BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml Contributor for the BUFFALO and Western NYS Website: www.buffalonian.com ~ History Through Newspapers