The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-04-13 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE " TWEED."

The royal mail steam-packet Avon, R.S. Norton, com-
mander, arrived on Wednesday, and the mails were im-
mediately despatched to Southampton.
By this arrival the total loss of the Tweed is confirmed,
with the awful loss of seventy-two lives. Seventy-nine
persons, however, were saved.
On the 9th of February last, the Tweed left Havannah,
at six, p.m., for Vera Cruz and Tampico. She had on
board 1,115 bottles of quicksilver, valued at £lB,OOO, 60
passengers, and some 69 or 70 tons of coals to be lent to
her Majesty's steamer llermes in the Gulf. On the 10th
February they had no observation, nor on the 11th. At
30 minutes past three o'clock on Friday, February 2,
steering W.S.W., the engines making I 0 revolutions per
minute, speed seven and a-half knots per hour, blowing a
norther, with a very heavy sea, she went on the N.E., of
the Alacranes, having been carried thirty miles by a strong
current to the northward out of her course. The engines
were stopped and reversed before she struck ; but she
went on with considerable force, so much so, that the
concussion broke the machinery, which at once stopped-
and, in thirty minutes after striking, she was a perfect and
entire wreck. The commander, Mr. G. Parsons, and
Lieutenant Davis, royal navy, admiralty agent, were
amongst those saved. The mail-boat, having only her
stern torn out, bottom and stem stove in, was patched up
with sails, &c, and sent 100 miles to Sisal, with Lieut.
Davis, the chief officer, and eight men. They boarded a
Spanish brig, with which they returned to the wreck, and
saved the sufferers. After they had been five days and
five nights on the reef, which was entirely covered with
water, the brig took them all to Sisal, whence they sailed,
in the same vessel, on the 25th of February, for the Ha-
vannah ; but Mr. Davies was obliged to go to the hospital
on his arrival at the Havannah, having received so much
injury on the wreck. No mails, nor a single thing were
saved from the Tweed.

LIST OF PASSENGERS AND CREW SAVED.—Cabin.
passengers :—W. Ellice, Esq., English ; L. R. Price, do.
B. G. Farias, Mexican ; C. 0. Ledward, English ; J.
Jones, do. ; P. Probst, German ; F. M`Dimond, Ameri-
can ; F. Castro, Spanish ; A. Pierron, French ; T. F.
Knox, English ; J. E. Espino, Mexican ; J. Hernandez,
Canary Isles ; Juan Lobo, Spanish ; Antonio Miranda,
do. ; Jose Bolet, do. ; A. Palacio, do. ; Mrs. Bruncel.
Deck Passengers :—A. Gutierrez, Spanish ; T. T. Piria,
T. Luengas, T. Blanco, V. G. Renddeles, F. L. Peria, T.
M. Ortez, T. Barco, M. M. Echavarri, M. Beraza, D.
Dyarzabal, F. Mendia. Crew :—Captain G. Parsons,
Lieutenant Davies, R.N., Admiralty agent, and 48 officers
and men.

PASSENGERS AND CREW LOST.—PASSENGERS.—Mr.
Yerchuste, Mr. Fouticha, Gen. Chaulier, Mr. Escudeno,
Mrs. Escudeno, child, and servant ; Messrs. Barreinena,
Robinson, Mernende, Secdenberg, Boom, Gartman, La-
vanda, Re monte, Maspule, Serbrau, Guxraga, Viginga,
Fox, Fortino, Santo, Cavill, Gonalez, Ladiza, Cofer,
Matthews, Fuentes, Topete ; Mrs. Jones and Son. Crew :
—Mr. W. Croke, fourth officer ; Mr. P. Spence, midship-
man; Mr. R. Vambel, midshipman; and 38 others.
Total-31 passengers and 41 of the crew lost.
The great loss of life appears to have taken place as the
ship was breaking up, when the unfortunates were endea-
vouring to get from the wreck in the coral reef, where,
once safe, not a soul was lost. Here their sufferings were.
most severe, for a long time deprived of water, but tveis&
scantily supplied with wine and brandy. After a day or
two the engineers contrived to make an apparatus to pro-
duce fresh water. The poor creatures were immersed in
water the whole time, and but slightly covered with
clothes ; on the rising of the tide for the first time after
the wreck, they were unaware of the height it would
cover, and momentarily expected death. After a time
they collected parts of the wreck and constructed astage,
on which they resided (if the term may be used) until
their deliverance, occasionally sleeping whilst others went
out in search of food, finding lobsters and other fish, in
small numbers, and at suitable times joining in prayer to
Almighty God for his continued mercy.
The captain was on deck at the time the Tweed struck,
and had been for an hour previously. On striking a se-
cond time she swung over her port side, and another sea
tore everything to pieces. The boats were all damaged,
and some of the passengers unable to get on deck, from
the ladders being carried away. The three female pas-
gengers and Stewardess perished. Nine men hung on the
wreck till the next day, and hazarded an attempt to gain
the reef : in similat attempts nearly all had perished ;
these took the precaution to lash spars together, and seven,
of the last survivors on the Tweed were saved. The
humane conduct of the captain and mate of the Emilio is
most gratefully spoken of, and also of the Yucatan on
the main land.

On the third day (Sunday), the poor creatures found a
box of lucifer matches floating, and, after drying them,
were able to get a light, and lighted fires, and speedily
began to cook and make biscuits. This added much to
their comfort, though immersed day and night in water,
and not knowing up to this time if the frail boat sent for
rescue would ever reach ship or land. It is worthy of re-
mark, that had the Tweed struck at high water, not a soul
would have been saved ; that part of the reef being almost
entirely covered. This accident may be attributed first
to the captain not being able to get sights, for some days,
accurately to define his position, a powerful current set-
ting the ship bodily to the north, and the general bad
weather. Every one on board speaks highly of Captain
Parsons. All the crew arrived by the Avon but two.
The correspondent of the Morning Herald says :—" At
3 30 a.m. on the 12th, when the captain judged the ship.
was 30 miles to the south of the Alacranes. the look-out
on the forecastle cried out, " breakers a-head." Captain
Parsons, who was on deck, hearing them at the same
moment, immediately ordered the engines to be stopped
and reversed, and the helm to be put hard a starboard,
which order was instantly obeyed, but the foresail, fore-
trysail, and fore-topsail being set, and a heavy sea run-
ning, she forged a-head and struck. The engines made
one or two revolutions, and for a few seconds only the
ship was off the reef ; she then struck with such a fearful
crash, that the cylinder of one engine was forced up-
wards a considerable distance, and they were consequently
both disabled, and the engineers compelled to abandon the
engine-room. This was, indeed, as my informant gra-
phically describes it, an awful, terrible moment for all.
The cry of " All hands on deck " was in a few brief but
painful seconds raised. As may be readily imagined, the
alarming summons was instantly obeyed. The ship then
struck a second time with inconceivable violence ; and, at
the same moment, were to be observed scores of half-
naked, half-frantic passengers and crew, holding on by
whatever came within reach. The poor Tweed continued
to strike rapidly and heavily, and rolled with great vio-
lence. In this fearful state she continued for one half-
hour, numbers of passengers and crew being occasionally
swept off into the yawning waves beneath. The masts
were ordered to be cut away, and the men also succeeded
in cutting away the shrouds. She then gave a heavy roll,
the funnel went over the side, and in a few moments many
were hurried into eternity. At this juncture, however,
most of the survivors succeeded in reaching the port side
of the vessel, and the two port cutters were fearfully
crammed with passengers. They were lowered, but
almost instantly both were swamped • a few managed to
regain the ship by scrambling up the side. The sea at
this moment struck the bell, and, as my very intelligent
informant says, " Never shall I forget that sound,
amidst all these horrors, it tolled the knell of their
tindepart-
inglv
souls. A distressing fearful shriek was lieard,esscE!,,
a while these distressing sounds were partially snuipa_Pfy
saced
The ship then separated into two parts, and
Ptileiecessurof
the themselvesfating inw rteheek bestB,,e wayjn they could
several o p
f,
carried into smooth water inside o pro t
vivors, by the interposition of. a merciful Pro vide
once , were•
got and remained. Never .1
ously await the coming dawn
v_si
.41, a..
nothing but the wide ocean was e_
Elizabeth Burton, a woman ift qrsofgr• ylo•
`c- 1
znerly living in Porter-street, di egly.-.1147
night. Y. • I.k
3 dt'cl SPAM,

miEb