The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-11 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE ALABAMIAN.

(From the New York Herald.)
Captain Raymond, of the Atalante, from New
Orleans, reports that on the 12th of December, lat.
20 40, long. 74 W., picked up the captain and crew
and passengers of the Alabamian, from Leghorn for
New York, Captain H. Hitchcock. When he left
ler in the boats, the morning of the 12th, the water
was up to the lower deck. The following account of
the perils of the voyage, and the final abandonment
f the ship, and the rescue of the crew and passengers,
has been furnished us for publication
" The Alabamian sailed from Leghorn on the 10th
if October, with a valuable cargo, consisting of
marble, straw, silks, macaroni, rags, &c. On the
25th instant, before passing the Straits, she encoun-
tered a severe gale of wind, which did no material
damage. On the 29th she passed the Straits, and
on the 14th of November, in lat. 32 04, long. 30 32, of
Western Islands, she met with one of the most terrific
gales of wind that had ever been witnessed by any
,person on board. The ship seemed to be on the point
of meeting of two gales, one from the N.N.E., the
other from N.W. She could carry no sail, save the
wizen stay sail, covering perhaps fifty square feet, while
the sea broke on every side with the most awful fury.
Being a most excellent sea boat, she rode out the
gale admirably, and suffered very little damage
,until the wind died away, when we had two
fe.irful seas from the N.N.E. and N.W. We headed
to the N.W., and thus one sea was striking on her
bows, while the other came like the blows of a huge
trip-hammer upon her counter; added to this, the
marble in her lower hold caused her to roll on both
sides almost to the water's edge. The continued effect
of all these causes was to rack the ship almost to
pieces. The whole of the stern was in a state of con-
tinual motion, while all its ornaments and the bulwarks
.of the poop deck were knocked off by the fearful blows
'which descended upon her. The tpumps were kept
going about one third of the time. It is a little
singular that on the day before the mate had suc-
ceeded in stopping a steady leak which she had from
the time we left port, or else the labour of the pumps
would have been doubled.
"It is impossible to convey an idea of the fearful
desolation which reigned on every side, and had we
not been extremely fortunate in obtaining a fair
wind, before which we could run, the ship must
then have gone down. From this time until we
came within about 120 miles from New York, we
had meat delightful weather, and although the ship
was very weak, and the pumps were nearly half the
time in motion, we were looking joyously forward to
a reunion with our friends in fifteen or eighteen
hours, when the wind came out N.E., contrary to all
the appearance of the skies, and the opinion of a
Delaware pilot, who had boarded us within twenty
miles of Cape May. Captain Hitchcock, however,
was anxious to get within the Delaware breakwater,
but as the wind was blowing from the N.W., it was
impossible. The wind went round to the north
and N.E. During the whole of the night of the 10th
and all the 11 th of December the wind blew with
tremendous violence. The ocean seemed one vast
succession of water volcanoes, spouting forth volumes
of foam. The pumps were worked every ten minutes.
The maintopsail was split on the morning of the 11th,
and at seven o'clock next day went the mizen staysail,
and nothing was heard amid the fearful howling of
the wind and noise of the labours of the waves on
the ship but the clinking of the pumps, at which all
hands were now employed.
"Nature seemed thundering forth a dismal requiem,
and we soon lost all hopes of keeping her long afloat.
So mighty was the power of the sea, that one blow in
the loons threw the men from the pumps, and caused
the ship to quiver like a leaf in the wind. The whole
stern of the ship and the cabin were working as if
they would go to pieces, while the dead lights were
ground about as in a mill. About eight o'clock
the double pumpbreak was rigged, and passengers
and all betook themselves to pumping ; but still
the water gained fearfully. At this time the water
was above the keelson. At twelve o'clock our only
hope was to keep her afloat till morning. Would
that we could do justice to the noble efforts of the
crew to save the ship, and the perfect cheerfulness
which reigned among them. Long and slowly
passed the hours till daylight dawned. Our exist-
ence seemed to be contained in a minute. Part
of the crew now got the boats ready ; the one
a surf boat, which would live in almost any
sea, the other the launch, which had been used
for a pig-pen for ten years, was full of holes
in the bottom, and was in such a state of decay that
no person was allowed to tread upon the planks lest
the bottom would cave out. At this time the sea
-was still breaking with fearful violence, although the
-wind had a little subsided. At length morning
dawned, and to our great joy a brig was discerned
about three or four miles to the windward. We
made every signal of distress, but he paid no atten-
tion to them.
" Not a murmur was heard from the crew, and the
only exclamation came from the captain, who, as he
saw our only chance of deliverance running away
from us, said, God grant that he may never need
that aid which he now refuses to afford us.' At seven
o'clock on the 12th instant the crew prepared to
launch tie boats, while the passengers worked the
pumps. She was now fast settling by the heal.
Captain Hitchcock, in the noblest manner, gave the
_mate, Mr. Benson, the choice of boats, although he
knew that in one there was almost certain life, and in
the other almost certain death. Indeed, it would
be impossible to do justice to the coolness, intre-
pidity, and generosity of Captain Hitchcock, during
the whole of this trying occasion. Mr. Benson chose
the surf boat, and to that we owed our preservation.
The passengers resolved to accompany the captain in
the long boat, and such was its rottenness that we
did not dare to save one particle of clothing, save
what was on our backs. At eight o'clock the long
boat, or rather pig-pen, was launched ; and as the
sea was running fearfully high, the greatest care
was observed to prevent her from being dashed to
pieces. %1' e were afraid to jump in, for fear of
,staving the bottom; but as Providence would have
it, a wave brought her alongside, so we all got in in
safety, and got clear of the ship.
" God alone knows what our feelings were when
we thus committed ourselves to the mercy of a raging
sea, in perhaps the frailest boat that ever floated with
twelve men on the Atlantic. After seeing the mate
. safely clear, we lay for more than an hour within 150
-yards of the ship, expecting every instant to see her
sink; for when we left her she had ten feet of water for-
ward, and seven feet aft, and was very much down by
- the head. No refuge but that of death was now be-
fore our eyes, and cast away as we were, in lon. 74,
lat. 36 40, in a spot which no vessel would be likely
to traverse, unless driven thither by stress of weather
—in the Gulf Stream, where storms and the sea rage
• with accumulated power—in a boat that we were
vfraid to press our weight upon, through dread that
:all that separates us from eternity would stave out
benoath our feet, and leaking so badly that continual
baling alone kept her afloat ; chilled with the water
tthat dasl'ed over while on board of the ship, we
Livoked up en death not only as certain, but as a kind
of refuge from worse evils. We had no sails, but
'<with the aid t,'t. the oars she drifted with the current
: away from the :Alp, so that at three o'clock we were
'perhaps five miles distant. So high did the sea run,
• that the ship was 10. from view more that-. half the

: time.
" At this time the men, wearied with their toilsome
.ibours for the last three livirs, ate some bread, and,
a fter solemn invocation to iliin who rules the storm,
e ither to grant us relief, or to smooth our path to that
✓ lorld in which we all soon expected to appear, all but
tl le captain and one passenger reclined, as well as they
cr mld, to sleep. The same thoughts of home and
fr iends, and family, were passing through the minds
of these two, and hot tears came for the first time
d wring the whole of this scene from the eyes of both,
✓ hen, as if in answer to our prayer, the captain ex-
c !aimed. ' Sail ho !' The crew started as if struck by
• n electric stroke; and all, with joy which knew no
h 3unds, saw her at the distance of ten miles. We
pa over the awful anxiety of the two hours, during
vv hic,ll we knew not whether she would see us or not,
is hen every minute seemed an age, till at about half-
p ast five o'clock we were safely on board the ship
I ttalanta, Wptain George B. Raymond, of New York,
vhere, to our great joy, we found the mate, with the
f ive men who acc(,,npanied him. Indeed, to the
E xertions of Mr. Benson and his men, under Provi-
lence, we owe our deliverattce, for in little more than
f our hours they had pulled in-)re than twenty miles
f torn the ship, so as to board another which was not
n the hoilson of the Alabamian.
‘. Mr. Benson, the night before, had been unable
tt ) leave his berth from a severe fever, but in the
torning excitement gave him strength to accomplish
ti. is remarkable feat. To Captain Raymond we never
c tin be sufficiently grateful; and we trust that God 1
for he alone can—will reward the generous conduct
e 1 this noble man, who stood from his course, although
la ,a had a fair wind, and mariners who know how little
‘utherly wind we have on the coast in winter, can
ppreciate the sacrifice he thus made. He had re-
e lve.d, if he had not found us, to proceed to the
klabatnian, which Providence seemed to have won-
t lerfally kept above water as a guide for him, heave
t o, and set a light at his masthead, so that we might
Jull to him before morning. Captain Raymond, his
itEcers, and crew, did everything to render the
e ighteen human beings whom they had preserved
c otnfortable, and in 110 hours we were landed safely
New York, but destitute of everything save thank-
qness ,to God, that he in his great mercy had seen
ff t to preserve us from the awful fate which was im-

pvuding over us.
Passengers.
""
EADBRWAAikRJ.
COOPER,HEWITT,
" 'the
an 4 Alabamian was insured at the General
Atlantic Company for 12,000 dolls."

FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
WHITEHALL, JAN. 8, 1845.

The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev
James French to the charge and office of Second
Minister of the church and parish of Dunfermline, in
the presbytery of Dunfermline and shire of Fife, vacant
by the resignation of the Rev. John Tod Brown, late
Second Minister thereof.