American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-10-21
AN INTERESTING LETTER.


rt,.m HE Pacific, ,critten on board The Gillian
'CCommodore's shin Luutora, dated harbor Of Pal
'rru;so the fourth and nineteenth Of June.
These letters, says the New York American, have
- addressed to the writer's brother in New York,
md The following are extracts
The ship Franklin is now at Callao, where she
N winter The Dolphin Capt Conner, arrived
are Yesterday, and sails again in day or two, for
m. Ipeward coast.
There has been an unusual mortality in the city
,.y, as you may conceive, when inform you that
rthin II days no less than 900 persons have
lied of complaints incident to the season. We
E.v. had great drought, and if rain does not fall
sOOn, the crops will be ruined.
'''' "June 49,
The Blossom sloop OF war has just arrived, also
h., other vessels. l hasten to inform you Of the
r.riculars of most dreadful gale of wind expert
fnc,d here on Monday, the 10Th of June, by which
INV a fine fellow has met with watery grave,
Ind property to an immense amount has been lost.
Epbt ships, four briggs, two schrs. and one cutter
have been lost in the bay, besides three captains
IvO mates of vessels, and thirty-six seamen. On
Sunday, 18th June, the gale commenced, wind at
umh with some rain. At 2 P. M. Commodore
wooster went On shore, and at he returned on
board.
"The sea had risen considerably, and it blew
b,,ty fresh, which caused high surf on the beach.
The commodore's gig capsized twice and filed
Ind he was finally obliged to swim off to her, hav-
Enu lost trunk Of clothes which he had in the boat
Biz O'Hggns figatc was lying astcrn of us in our
N,ke-said ship is at present dismantled, and is a.
eou to undergo thorough repair. AS soon as the
Commodore arrived OH board, he hailed the frigate
aobe prepared to vcer cable in case we should part
Which we were fearful would happen momently.-
2At O'Clock let 60 the larbosrd anchor under loot
Eud icshencd the hawse it was then blowing most
tremendously. At midnight the gale increased and
Eie swell was very high. At Sh. ION. the shank oil
bur best bower anchor broke short off just above
hc hukes. The ship Immediately drove and brought
up on the hawse of the O'Hggins, about twelve
fe.t from the lib-boom. The Commodore fired
sCnal gun of distress, and burnt blue lights but no
one dared TO come to our assistance. The night
sas dreadlully dark, and it began to rain hard
i've hailed the frigate repeatedly to slip the chain
Gable and yeer away upon the larboard bower, but
received no answer. While we were In this state
c suspense the I.autaro drited Immediately athwart
The hawse Of the ftigatc, and in moment her bow
Fpdt which was not avery small one, snapped close
Eohe head. BY this time the O'Higglns had rip
bed part oil our stern off, and soon alter, lost her
emey dark, and the O'Hggins was pitching in
host terrible manner--keel ut, to the height of so
set every time she fell ripping off large timbers,
bnl iron knee from our stern. BY this time we
we're nearly cut down to the waters edge; the sea
Fas pouring into her stern every moment, and all
anda expected to go down together.
The Commodore perceiying that both ships
nus inevitably go down, if We were not soon Sc
kaa,cd dispatched an officer and ten seamen on
board the O'Higgins, to slip her chain and veer a.
Pay. They fortunately succeeded in getting on
POad, after running great risk OF swapping the
BOAT two boats having been dashed to pieces in the
let Of lowering them from the davts. AS soon as
he chain was slipped, the cable was veered away
ad fortunately for US all, we swung clear. Had
his service not been executed when 1t was, We
hould all have gone down.
The Peruvian brig OF war Congresso, which ar
we'd short time since from Callao, with despatch
3, broke adrilt during the night, and was hrng sig
al guns Of distress without being able TO have as
istance rendered her We heard cries of distress
n every side, and all Of US anxiously awaited the
ppearancc of day light. Our situation was II pos
blc, rendered still worse by having stranded our
al3oard bower, and destruction appeared inevitable
The {. S. corvette Chacabuco, drlttcd near the
ocks about O'Clock, but fortunately brought up
time to avoid being dashed to pieces Al length
he long wished for daylight appeared. The Lau-
ao again drlted, but we succeeded in bringing her
Up with spare anchor, just as the order was giver
cu away the mainmast. At dawn OF day the
pale increased, and several vessels dried from thel
mornings. The C. S. schooner Fortunate, broke
from her mornings, and went ashore astern OF US
We being at the time almost ashore ourselves. 4
vas now broad daylight, and vessels were seen DRIFT
ing towards the rocks at the bottom OF the bay, at
Place called Cape Horn, from the many dangerou
locks which lie there. and also on account OF tn
equent robberies committed there, It being lone
place although situated in the manst. The stree
Fronts the bay and instead of houses on the opposlt
sldeit has large cave where robbers used Frequent
to take advantage Of persons passing at nigh to at
lack them, and large stones have frequently beef
rolled down by these marauders from the hill above
which is about 20 feet high. Mitlsh,pman Sm'
was attacked at this place by three soldiers, VIII