The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-10 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE WESTMINSTER.

.~_

The following are the particulars of the loss of °il
ship :—" The barque Westminster,' of Sonderlaillli
Smith, left Belize about the 12th of February.for 0"r,
for orders. After clearing the Gulf of Florida, encoon
tered a succession of heavy gales from S.W. At 2 xl'3l
on March 12, in lat. 38.30 N., long. 51 W., the
suddenly veered to the north, with violent squalls 8:i,
tremendous sea; shipped much water to leeward, 01'"3
ing away bulwarks, and filling the cabin with %inter ; tui
pumps were sounded, and to the surprise of Capt.
found seven feet water in the hold. 13th. Strong
and steering S.S.E. ; again sounded, and found tiiirO,
feet water in the hold ; crew much exhausted by bel
constantly at the pumps ; cut down the starboard
gangway, hove the anchor overboard, cut away. tb
tt
topmasts, and cleared the ves-el of all top-vveigih,
hoping she would stand upright. At 4 p.m. g‘tr
launch in readiness, supplied with water and oth
se ,
' necessaries ; and at 6 p.m. the ship suddenly settles
down, with main deck under water—the sea making h
complete breach over her. In getting out the launch
she stove, and a'ter attempting for three hours to keep
her afloat, filled, and broke adrift—a trernevdous ~
running at the time ; all hoods now made to the Per,irie
the cabin and deck breaking up, and the lee side of b
poop washed away. 14th. Shipped a heavy sea, masf
and crew expecting to be washed off every moment ;
et
five a.m. ship made a sudden lurch, and fell over 0°,11,0
beam-ends, fore and maintops in the water. Capi3;i,
Smith, with eight of the crew, viz., James Farrow%ii,
ward Burrell, James Michaels, William Robertson. J" r
Y!.ung, John Hagan, George Pratt, and Peter CoVI:c; e
with much difficulty succeeded in reaching the ► (floating between the main and mizenmasts),
clear of the wreck, which was drifting away to leew'';
Nine were now left on the wreck, most of whom "',,r7„
seen in the fore chains, uttering the most piercing 'lli,
for help, viz.; James Vincent (chief mate) Alex.
J. Ramsey, Alex. Hemming, William'
Lloyd,. Nib,liam Kerr (sailmaker), Thomas John Smi,
Daniel Josephs, and two others. It Cowan,was, froweve;
impossible for those in the pinnace to render they
the least assistance, from the fact that they were the'„,
s
selves helples, exposed as they were to a tremend°l
sea, without oars, and having only one cask of hrP"'„
much saturated with salt water, to subsist on:.--37,
boat requiring all their exertions to keep her a11e,3;
and expecting every moment to be sent into eterfa, y;
—lsth. At daylight, nothing w s to be seen of tP
ship. The weather rather molerate, pie.el up six O ,c",
' nuts, which was a great luxury ; the master and
eight companions washing their mouths trequeirtly
salt water, and chewing tobacco ; :mitered dreadla");
from thirst and the excessive cold; at five p.m. sagiii
vessel astern, bearing towards them, and at six k ,
it
were taken on board the Actteon, Benson in about 'al
40.12, long. 46.50, from New Orleans, Lid arrived
Liverpool. The unfortunate sufferers met with oil
care and attention from Captain Benson and his ere,
to whom much praise is due for their exertions.---05kzr
ping Gazette.