The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-03 00:00:00

THE WRECK of the "EVENING STAR."

Tbe lose of the eteam ship Enertina Star has deeply
treated the rnblic heart (writes a New York corre-
spondent). Muni of the passengers were members of
the best l'Criv 1 ork families, there were al.) einong
the passeagers mint. wealthy Lotusiatilins a. d
Mju-
sippiana. Th,se people would not have taken passage
by the Eremey Star if they had beea aware of one
fact that did not transpire until just as the vessel was
on the point of sailing. This was the presence on the
ship of eighty-seven New York prostitutes, who had
been engaged by mistresses of brothels in New Orleans
to go south for the winter, and whose intended de-
parture was kept a profound secret from the people
who had engaged etate.rooms on the boat. Of course
the passenger, were compelled to dine at the same
tables and occupy the same cabins with these infamous
creatures. Many persons who had taken passages
I vfeited their ticket-money and left the vessel
when they discovered what sort of a cargo she
was to carry; and to this circumstance they owe
escape from a terrible death at sea. The acenee on
board the Evening Star must have been frightful
during the Passage- and what mint they not have
leen when the ship began to sink The lorettes of
INew York are the most abandoned of abandoned
women their profligacy and recklessness surprise even
these who are cogmeant of the extravagancies of crux
(krines abroad, It needs no very vivid imagination to
perceive the result of bringing a swarm of these selfish, I
abandoned, wretched women face to face with death.
The fierce struggling for the boats ; the oaths, and
screams and blasphemy, and wild jargon of well-nigh
Sorgetten prayer,; the tearing of hair and the frantic
tostures ; the vain frenzied appeals to* stolidly selfish
ewes,; the insane leaps into the boiling sea, the last
tearible cries rising above the howl of the storm—all
thew thing, and mare must present themselves to any
one who speculates upon the scene OD that sinking
ship.. An entire opera troupe, which had but recently
arrived from Paris, also went down with the Evening
Star..

Theaollowing account of the wreck of this ill•fated
eteatnship has been furnished by one of the crew,
to the ifier York Tribune

I had ran on that steamer several months once before :
the lut.time I shipped was about two months ago. and we
have made two trips since had always regarded her as •
strong bar, but about four months ago she ran on a reef off
the Florida coast, and broke her back. and &ince then I
believe she has mot been strong, although she was supposed
to have/init, thoroughly repaired immediately afteard
We left New York Monday morning, with pleasant weather
and • prospect of making a quick trip The nest day, about
four o'clock in the afternoon, It blew 1,0 hard that we took 111
sail. and I noticed. as the sr rose, &networked and strained
badly, and I tbouaht of the heavy engines amidships and
the Immense freight on hoard, but having heel: at sea thirteen
years and feeling so well acquaiuted with her, felt no un-
easiness, though the wind soon blew a perfect hurricane, a
Man being scarcely able to stand on deck for it She soon
began to leek, and the water came in from all directions.
The pumps were set at work, but gave out, and all hands,
Passengers and crew, men and women, went to work with
buckets to try to keep down the water till day-light. The
gale increased. and the paddles and wheel-houses were
carried away during the night. I was sent below to keep the
water from coming In at the "dead lights," and had them
stuffed with bedding, ladles' dresser and everything else we
could lay hands on, but every sea that came would turn the
ship on her side, and the water would pour in to such an
extent that it seemed useless retry to do more Soon niter, we
Were all passing water from the bold In buckets, and several
ladies were assisting near me In the line, when the ship
gave &terrible lurch, and I thought they would be frightened
hut they only asked quietly if we thought the danger
great. to which we of course answered in the negative. Those
women worked bravely, Dolly. A few of the German women
gave upin despair but the American lad lea worked on earnestly
arid breaely, without faltering. till five o'clock in the mothing,
when the captain came down, and told us that the vessel
must go down_ They bad more pluck than many of the
men bad. When the captain informed all hands that the
ship could not bold long together, she was • perfect winds,
and floated in the trough of the sea, settling deeper every
minute. I was one who went below at this time, to wake
up all who were in their state-rooms Several were very
sick and aid not leave their rooms, going down with the
skip. Gang on aeck soon after, I found everybody
gathering there and the wind blew so hard that no hhman
voice could be heard five yards. I whited in cutting away
four boats—we had ten life-boats the others were also cut
adrift. We could not launch them in that sea Suddenly
the OUP Pave a lurch, and before we knew what had hap-
pened, we were under water. It was so sudden I
couldn't realize it. When I came to the surface, the
water was covered with driftwood, and I managed to
get hold of a plank, which sustained me a short time,
and by the little daylight we had, the forms of several
of the passengen and crew could be seen clinging to planks,
timbers, boats upside down, and anytningelse which sedated
In sustaining them above ',Mee. After being capsized several
times, and being badly bruised by the timber floating about,
I at lest got into the captain's teat, wbich was supporting
eighteen or twerity persona then A young lady was clinging
In her on oneside—the only woman I saw alive then out of
the eighty or ninety aboard. The boat, berg full of water,
was turned over several times by the heavy seaa, and we all
loth our hold on her, but all but one or two regained it.
The third time the boat was overturned the young lady
lost her bold and sank by my side, annor near enough for
mete touch her with my hand, butt could render no assis-
tance. Captain Knapp sort after lost his hold when we were
capsized, and he went down BO near rue that I could have
touched him if every particle of strength I had had not at
that moment been taxed to the utmost to preserve my own
hold on the boat During the twenty-four hours following
the pinkies of the ship our boat carnnzed no lees than nine
times, the wind blowing a gale all the time We finally
Managed to get into her, though neatly full of water, and
by means of an old felt hat baled out some of the water nut
there we were, fourteen of us, ISO miles from land, without
oar. compass, chart, food, or drink : sitting Ist sin open boat,
full if water, every sea breaking over us and threatening to
capeize us again. Hitherto we had been floating at the merc7
of the wares, but now • man was discovered who had been
flottrtg on a part of the deck, and had managed to
get an oar, which had drifted near him. We took
hint in, said with the oar were enabled to keep our boat
a little before the wind which had now begun to die
away. pelf and another man were the only ones who had
tregth remsining aufficient to attempt to steer tier at all,
and wewere pretty wallosed up. For fourdays and night. we
Were on that open boat, and though the gale subeided on the
second day. a "nasty sea" rendered our position anything
hut agreraele, particularly when the .1111 appeared. and it,
burning rays beat on cur bare heads. Our clothing soon
dried, eno we began to feel stiff, Kee faint hlangt7,
and entirely exhausted. On the third day two of those
In the boat became delltious, and leaphig overboard
sank from our sight. Two others died soon after, and
them bodies were brought in with us. We guided one
Comae by the stars, aid thought we might possibly reach
the roast of Georgia or Forida. Day before yesterday we tell
In with • Norwegian barque, and were token aboard sod
very kindly treated. She wan bound to hogland and as
We shorth afteward tel tot with &vessel booed to Savannah,
we were put on board, and arrived there to-day I don's
think the steamer was lost through any lack of seamanahlp;
everything that could be was done to save her. I have been
to sea thirteen years, and Dever was out in such a sterna.
It is a miracle that any of us escaped.