The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-02 00:00:00

FIFTY LIVES LOST.

We have intelligence of the wreck of the steamier
Superior, of the Chicago and Lake Superior line, off the
Pictured Rocks, on Lake Superior, with the loss of
nearly 50 lives.
The steamer left the Saut Ste. Mary's Canal at 7
o'clock on the morning of the 29th of October. I❑ the
afternoon, when off the Grand Marais, heavy snow
squalls cams on, and as the wind increased during the
evening the captain determined about 11 o'clock, to run
under the lee of Grand Island, which was then about 15
miles distant. Unfortunately, half an hour after the
steamer's course had been altered, the waves carried
away her rudder, and she fell into the trough of the eta.
The tiller was shipped, and an attempt was made to
guide the vessel by her after wheel, but it would not
work. At midnight the smoke pipes were blown
away, and the deck load, consisting of flour, mer-
chandise, cattle, and hogs, was shifted to leeward.
The crew then cut away the bulwark and threw part
of the cattle and merchandise overboard to lighten
the vessel. The wind and sea increasing, however,
the vessel began to take in water very fast, until
the engine fires were extinguished by it. Finding the
land close under their lee, the crew tried to let go the
small anchor ; could not get the large anchor off her
bows. The small anchor would not hold her, when she
immediately struck forward, her stern swung round, and
the next sea carried her broadside on the rocks. The
utmost terror and confusion prevailed amongst the pas-
sengers who ran upon deck, and got hold of doors and
other things to float by. The life-preservers were found
to be unfit for use. Captain Jones went to the officers of
the vessel, and said, '• Boys I want you to stick to the
boat as long as there is anything left of her ; this is the
fourth boat I have lost, but I shall not probably lose
another. If any of you get a bore I want you to goatd
tell my mother that I did all I could to save the boat."
He was one of those drowned. One of the passengers
who escaped, Mr. Foster, thus describes the scene which
followed :—" It was blowing very heavy with a sleety,
chilly rain and snow. I helped my si•ter and a boy on
the hurricane deck. I should think we were there about
five minutes, when a heavy Pea Aimee the vessel, and
she gave a lurch, and her deck parted in the middle and
fell in. A number of men rolled down. I saw the life-
boat in the water. Supposing my sister was there, I
jumped off the deck into the water, and found her. Mr.
Minster, and four sisters, and souse other persons had
hold of the boat; but a moment after I got hold of the
boat a heavy sea capsized her, a piece of timber struck
me on the head, knocking me senseless. When I came
to I found myself strangling. I reached out to grasp
something, and caught a rope. I cra -vied out of the
water, and found it was the painter of the boat. When
I got back I found only one person had hold of the boat.
The next sea threw me up in the drifting timber. I was
closely jammed among the timber and wreck ; it was
with great difficulty I extricated myself. I heard some
one speak, and crawled upon the rocks. Then I found
Mr. Davis, mate, and the boy who I had not seen since
I jumped off the wreck. It was but a few moments.
They were all ashore that were saved. The boy was
deranged, and died some time afterwards.
The next morning nothing was visible but the wheels,
which, being strongly made and anchored fast by the
engine and heavy machinery, hail not been swept away.
Upon these were seen clinging the bodies of seven men,
among them the two clerks and the first saloon keeper.
As they were but three or four rods from shore, their
cries could be heard distinctly calling on those on shore
to come with the boats and save them. But this was im-
possible, as the surf beating ou the rocks would have
swamped a good boat almost instantly, and those that
were washed ashore were almost like the steamer, a
wreck. One by one they dropped off into the water
until all were gone. The scene is said to have been
painful beyond description, as the survivors were within
speaking distance, yet without the power to render as-
sistance.

The saved suffered extremely from cold and hungey,
and all of them were more or less bruised. Three days
they were weather-bound, and not only this, but ruck•
bound too, as the bluff at this point rises nearly 300 feet
and almost perpendicular, presenting an impassable bar-
rier. At this time the sea sabsided sufficiently for them
to reach Grand Island. They patched up the boats and
Aarted, going part of the way on land and part on water.
Two boys died on the way from exposure. The saved
were obliged to subsist during this time upon such
articles as chance thee w on shore—raw vegetables, raisins,
and flour.

The number who perished is estimated at about 50,
Sixteen were saved, five of whom were pasieogers. Nol
one of the women was saved.

DREADFUL SHIP WRECA.

The Hercus Monte, a brig of 226 tons, and com-
manded by Capt. F. W. Ricketts, sailed from the Merey
on the 6th March last for Pillau and Konigsberg. She
was manned with a crew of 10 men. Her non-arrival
at Pillau had led to the belief that she had foundered at
sea, and her late would, without doubt, have never been
correctly known, had not the Sandford, Capt. Hughes,
bound from London for New Zealand, fallen in with a
portion of the wreck, and taken therefrom one of the
crew, who was thus rescued, almost at the last moment,
from a lingering and miserable death. Immediately on
the arrival of the Sandtord at New Zealand, Captain
Hughes sent to Mr. Court, vecretary to the -Under-
writers' Association, the statement of the survivor
(which will no doubt he read with interest), whiei,
with the letter of Captain Hughe?, is subjoined. The
difference in spelling the name of the brig is owing to
the language of the country in which she was built :
" Ship Sandford, Auckland, Aug. 7, 1856.
" Sir,—l deeply regret being obliged to bring the follow-
ing fearful and melancholy circumstance to your notice:
On Tuesday, March 11, 1856, while stairting down the
Channel, with a fresh breeze from E.N.E., in about lat.
49 29 N., long. 4 56 W., Start Point bearing N.E. by N.,
one of my passengers, Col. Wyatt, her Majesty'■ 95th Re-
giment, directed my attention to a large quantity of plank-
ing, spars, and other pieces of floating wreck. Being at
that time in the cuddy, shaping my course, and taking the
bearings of various salient points on both coasts, I forth-
with proceeded to the poop, and, having stationed myself
in the starboard quarter-boat with my spy-glass, I soon
perceived a large piece of wreck about one mile on the
starboard bow. From having a square framework of wood,
it appeared to be the afterpart of a quarter-deck, with the
companion hatch still on it, and a figure resembling that of
a human being was clinging to it. I forthwith shortened
sail, and, having brought my ship to the wind, with the
rnaintopsail to the mast, I lowered a boat and directed the
crew to overhaul the wreck, and bring back whatever they
found there. My orders were obeyed, and I had the satis-
faction of releasing an unfortunate man from a lingering
and miserable death. Not percei►ing any further vestiges
of life, or any spars or boats that could give a clue to this
disastrous collision, I hoisted up and secured my lifeboat
and proceeded on my course.
"As soon as the man thus miraculously saved was suffi-
ciently recovered, I inquired into the causes of his being
placed in this position, acid herewith append a declaration
on oath, as well as corroborative evidence, signed by the
chief officer of the Sandford.
" On perusing his statement you will perceive that the
owner of the Auorkus 'ionth was the father of the captain
of that ill-fated vessel ; may I therefore request you will
avail yourself of the earliest opportunity of transmitting to
him, through her Majesty's Consul at Memel, copies of
this and the appended documents, and also cause the same
to be inserted in the public papers, in order that a clue may
be given towards asoettaining the name of the inhuman
commander of the vessel that so heedlessly and carelessly
ran into the Auorkus Month, and then left her to her fate.
" I remain, sir, your most obedient servant,
' _ "H. R. HUGLIES,

Commanding the Sandford.
" P.S. As Michael Krattiat is a strong, ablebo(lied man
and willing to work, I have entered him on the ship's arti-
eles as ordinary seaman."

"Sworn declaration made in my presence by Michael
Krattiat, seaman, native of Memel, in the kingdom of
Prussia, and solo survivor of the crew of the late brig
Auorkus Month, of Memel, William Rickells master, be-
longing to Memel, and owned by the commander's father
at the above place.
" H. R. HUGHES, Commander.
" JAMES BARRY, Chief Officer.
" Michael Krattiatt being duly sworn by me and ad-
jured to tell the truth, deposes as follows :
" I belonged to the brig Auorkus Month, of 250 tons,
William Rickells master, belonging to the port of Memel,
in the Baltic, which had proceeded from Londonderry, in
Ireland, for Liverpool
and there loaded a cargo of salt for
Pillau, in Prussia. en the 4:wooing of the 10th of March
el
the brig above named was working up the English Chann
on the port tack, with the wind fresh from E.N.E. at 8
p.m. On that night 1 turned into my bed to sleep and was
aroused between the hours of 11 and 12 o'clock by a fearful
concussion and shock. I immediately rushed on deck, and
perceived that another vessel had run into the Auorkus
.lonth, and at the same time I heard Capt. Rickells order
the mainsail to be hauled up. Previous to the con cdssion from
the motion of theAuorkus Month, it appeared to me that the
ship was luffed well up in the wind, as if to avoid collision,
and I distinctly heard the officer of the watch shouting to
the other vesse., bat they took no notice of it . Tho car-
penter had, it appeared to me, gone forward, for heshouted
out, " Our ship is sinking !" and at the same time with
his axe proceeded to cut away, as well as he was able, the
lashings of the longboat in midshipe. Evidence had by this
time no far collected our faculties as to perceive that the
vessel which had run into us had square yards, and had
been apparently running down Channel, and I distinctly
heard English spoken by some person on board of her, arel
answered by his captain. The Auorkus Month had fallen
off before the wind, and the vessels had separated, but the
vessel that had fouled us made no attempt to save life or
render any assistauce to the disabled vessel. I cannot say
whether she had experienced any damage, as she had
struck us in the fare part of the fore-chains, on the port
bow. The crew (including myself) perceiving the Auor-
kus Month settling in the water, and that they could
not get at the lashings of the longboat and jollyboat
(which were inside of her), betook themselves to the
rigging by various ways, and I got up to the main-
topgallant crosstrees, but perceiving that the hull
had totally disappeared under the water, which was
nearly up to me, I struck off and swam away towards
some small spars that were floating near me. On reaching
these they prove 1 to be the boat's oars, and I accordingly
placed one under each arm, and thus floated until day-
break, when I perceived part of the deck, with the after-
companions batch on it, was near me, and I left my oars
and swam towards it, and with some difficulty got on it.
In the course of that morning (March 11) a schooner ran
close to the wreck on which I was standing, and I shouted
to them, but they did not attempt to rescue me. With
despair at my heart, I sat down before the companion
hatch to get some shelter from the cold biting wind which
chilled and benutibed my limbs, and in this position I
saw a boat pulling towards me, and in jumping up saw a
large vessel hove •,o. In the course of a few minutes the
boat was alongside the wreck, and I was assisted from it
and taken to the Sandford, when I was undressed and put
into a bed, and carefully attended to until I recovered.
" MICHAEL KRATTIAT."

CRYSTAL PALICE.—ONE SHILLING DAY, Monday,
December I.—AdmiQgion4 on payment, 551 ;
by season ticketo, 218 ; total viiitm, 769.