The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-30 00:00:00

feet of water in the hold, and the pumps were
abandoned in despair. The boats—the last resort
of the terror-stricken passengers—were unshipped
from the davits, but of four or five all except two
were swamped. The captain and his crew, and
about 30 passengers got into these ; the remainder,
numbering little less than 200 souls, being left,
from terrible necessity, to their fate. There they
stood on the deck, vainly calling for that assistance
which it was impossible to render without risking
the lives of the few who had got into the boats. In
a few minutes after they left the vessel went down,
and all on board, numbering about 170 human
beings, perished. It would appear that one of the
boats was manned entirely by the crew, all the
passengers being crowded into the other. This,
however, is uncertain, it being supposed that there
were three or four of the crew in the boat contain-
ing passengers. After beating about for some
hours the captain, first and second mates, and crew,
were taken up by Captain Edward Cobb, of the
brig Reuben Carver, bound from Sagua La Grande
to this port. The haste in which they were com-
pelled to leave the vessel rendered it impossible for
them to save aay property, and some were glad to
escape only half dressed. Captain Cobb reported
that he saw the passengers taken up by a vessel
which he supposed to be English, so that no appre-
hension need be entertained for the passengers who
made their escape in it.
One of the sailors was of opinion that some of
the passengers might have formed a raft and saved
themselves upon it, or by floating on some frag-
ments of the vessel. This he considered not at all
improbable, as there were two or three sailors left
behind on the vessel, and these he believed would
have devised some such means of saving themselves
and some of the passengers. Should they have
done so, they would not be long floating about
before they would be picked up by some vessel, as
the place where the William and Mary foundered
is a general highway to vessels bound south. Of
the rescued passengers not more than three or
four were women, and these flung themselves
precipitately over the side of the sinking vessel
into the boat. Several were severely hurt in
jumping into the boat, and some leaped into the
water in their efforts to escape. One of the
sailors, named John Best, says that the boat
was so crowded that they were seriously debating
the propriety of drawing lots to see who should
go overboard, as it was feared that the boat
would be swamped. The poor fellow was stand-
ing on the side of the vessel just as the rope
which held the boat was about to be cut, and asked
the mate if he should jurap ; but receiving no en-
couragement from him, he was about giving himself
up for lost, when he thought that by rendering
some service he might be allowed to get into the
boat. Knowing that they were in want of a sail,
he took one of the ship's skysails and handed it to
those in the boat, who, although the boat was
already overcrowded, could not refuse him a chance
for his life. The rope was cut by another sailor,
named Ridley, who then jumped into the water
and was taken on board.
The following is a detailed account of the catas-
trophe, written by the captain of the unfortunate
vessel, addressed to the New York Herald :
" The William and Mary sailed from Liverpool for
New Orleans on the 24th of March, with an assorted
cargo and 208 passengers, including the cook and stew-
ard. Nothing of particular moment occurred during
the passage, save the deaths of 14 persons and one
birth, until after passing the Hole-in-the-Wall, on the
morning of the 3d of May. The wind was blowing fresh
from east-south-east, and the weather partially cloudy.
I found it necessary to carry a heavy press of sail in
order to make the Isaacs before dark. Up to 12 m.
Stirrup Key bore south 10 miles. I then shaped my
course west by north, for the point of Soundings, north
of the Croat Isaac, when the weather became still
more cloudy and unfavourable/ with a heavy sea.
Owing to these circumstances it was impossible to
get the sun's altitude, that we might determine how
far we were to the westward. At sunset, about
seven o'clock, the weather became very thick, and
the wind increased in squalls, changing to the south-
east. At eight p.m., judging ourselves to the north-
ward and westward of Great Isaacs, kept the ship
west by south, and commenced heaving the lead ; at
8 found no bottom in 20 fathoms ; at 8.15 the same ; at
8.30 struck on a sunken rock and hung about midships,
with 10 fathoms water all around. After pounding
heavily about 15 minutes she went off and struck on
another rock within a few rods of the first, when she
pounded a few times and went off. We then let go the
anchors and commenced getting out the boats, the pas-
sengers at the pumps, but could not keep her free. At
12, midnight, found four feet of water in the hold ; 4
a.m., weather black and squally, with a heavy sea, eight
feet water in the hold, both pumps going ; 7 a.m., 10
feet water and the ship going down ; mates and crew in
the boats, together with as many passengers as could be
stowed in the longboat and lifeboat, the other two boats
having been stove after launching. At that time the
passengers abandoned the pumps in despair, and finding
it utterly impossible to save the whole of them it was
with the greatest difficulty that I could induce them to
launch the longboat, so great was their fear of being
swamped. I should state at this time (7 a.m. 4th of
May), the Great Isaacs bore east-south-east six or seven
miles, the wind blowing heavy from the south-east in
squalls, so that it was impossible for us to have reached
them against the wind and sea unless we ran the risk of
losing the lives of those we had been so fortunate in
saving from the sinking vessel. The only resort now
left us was to keep our boats before the wind and the
sea, in the hope of reaching the Florida coast. Half an
hour after we left the ship she disappeared, and we sup-
posed that she had gone down, together with, probably,
170 passengers and one or two of the crew and the ship's
steward. At;l2m. ,barque hove in sight, bound up the
Gulf, which proved to be an English vessel. The lifeboat
in which I was too far to leeward to be seen by the
bark, but she fortunately fell in with the longboat, con-
taining the passengers and some of the crew, and picked
them up. The number of passengers and crew in the
longboat was, as near as I could judge, about 20. At
1 o'clock a brig hove in sight, which proved to be the
Reuben Carver, of Rockland, Maine, Captain Cobb,
bound from Sagua la Grande to New York. She was,
at the time we boarded her, under close-reefed foretop-
sail and two-reefed mainsail. As Captain Cobb's con-
duct in not looking after the sinking vessel has been
censured in some quarters, I desire to state here that it
wculd have been perfectly impossible to have beat his
vessel against the wind, sea, and Gulf stream, to reach
the William and Mary, even if she had been afloat,
wkich it would have been foolish to suppose."
One of the surviving seamen gives the following
account :
"We weighed anchor on the 24th of March, and set
sail on the same day from Liverpool, bound for New
Orleans ; the wind was favourable, and the passengers
seem happy in anticipation of a pleasant and prosperous
voyage. The wind continued favourable for us two or
three days, until we were safely out from the channel,
which is most dreaded by seamen. Nothing transpired
after this worthy of note for some days, when we expe-
rienced a very heavy gale from the south-west, which
lasted nearly two weeks ; the ship being loaded very
deep with iron, and that being all in the lower hold,
caused her to roll very badly ; indeed, sometimes it was
impossible to get about the deck with safety. After
this we were highly favoured, not having occasion to
reef topsails again. The passengers were all in good
health and spirits, except the Germans, 13 of whom
died during the passage. Of these the most were chil-
dren—all, I think, except three or four. There were
15 deaths during the passage in all, the other two being
Irish. On the 3d inst. we made land about 2 a.m., and
ran down and passed the lighthoute on the Hole-in-the-
Wall about 7 a.m., with a strong breeze from the south-
east. This we passed safely, and made Stump Key to
the leeward at half-past 10. At 12 they were still visible.
Everything passed on as usual during the rest of the
afternoon, and at 5, as was our usual custom, we got
supper. This night, however, the starboard watch were
engaged in shortening sail. It was my watch below from
6 to 8, though I spent most of it on deck. I don'tremember
suing the passengers more cheerful than they were this
evening. I conversed with a number relative to their
intentions on their arrival, the friends they expected to
meet, arid their prospects. At 8 p.m. I bade them good
night, and in obedience to the command of the mate
went aloft and helped to furl the mainsail. After exe-
cuting a few other orders, it being my lookout, I went
forward and relieved it, as near as I can remember,
about half-past 8. When I stepped on the forecastle I
heard the mate order the lead to be carried forward.
The man had just picked it up and got forward with it
when she struck. Orders were given immediately to
brace the yards round, which was done as soon as possi-
ble, but without effect. By this time the passengers
were all on deck, running and screeching, 'We are lost,
we are lost !' and crowding the deck so that it was
almost impossible to get from one part of the ship
to the other. The captain ordered the boats to be
cleared and launched. The two lifeboats were launched
first, and four men got into the starboard boat, taking
with them two cans of water, a compass and some bread.
They remained in the boat all night, and with the
greatest difficulty kept her from being stove. The lar-
board boat was safely launched. and but about half-an-
hour after was stove under the quarter. This was
caused by the decks being so crowded aft that the boat
could not be dropped astern. The boat at the cranes
was so filled by the passengers that they bent the cranes
down to the water. This boat was stove also. The long-
boat was still remaining on the after house, unfit to be
launched without caulking. Part of the crew were or-
dered, however, to get that ready, and the remainder to
lay forward and get ready to cut away the mast. The
the
ship was now rolling very heavily, the sea breakii g over
not to
lhieeracievery few minutes during the squalls. Some of the
stays were cut, and everything got ready to let
get thell
foremast. go over board, but the captain gave orders
menced caulking,aready to caulk with
were t cut it, as the sails kept the ship from rolling. We
%ogrbdoerted to lay aft, and do what we could to
to launch, after which we cons-
tearino• up our quilts, for the cotton,
s
tii-aotstrrd many
When • We had' been there but a few minutes
immediately,
went37i2ffaritiltaiezkie;wallr expected she would sink
evidentall
e, anchors
were
letgo
ode
she as poss-
many more such sho shiP
heavily that it
serecene
could on t
td deck,
possibly Itlwa
stand
upon their knees, pray-
others t
cult° n them—some were
beyond description. °Sosi7oe was now dreadful
ing for the Lord to have mere:
hotelaniof the officers
tgsave them,nwere
unprepared
mertaot
crying, others were runnit
and crew, begging them
they were unfit to die, that they