Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-04-13
Melancholy Catastrophe.

we have been fsvOured, says tie Connecticut
Herald, witt tiie following extract ot letter,
from respectable saip.naser OF th,s port,
giving an account Of the distraction OF the
whole Of the Methodist Mission family, loca.
ted At the island oi Antigua, by shipwreck.
Ii is dated
ANTIGUA, March 5. 1896
GA mos, distressing and meIancho
iy shIpwreck occurred near this island
the past week, attended with such cir
cumstances as seem almost incredible,
and we can oaly say, that, for the Wis
est purposes though often to US inscru
table, the Lord has dOnei,.
"About four weeks since, there
was a yearly general meeting at ST.
Kits, of the Methodist Missionaries
from the pelghbouring islands: from
this place went the Rev. Nj. White,
wire, three children, and servant;
Rev. Dir. Hlliar; kev Mr. Oake;
Rev. Nr. Jones, wife and infant child
They left 5. Kits few Days since TO
return TO this Leland, having added 10
I their number Mr. -, another mis-
+, sionary, and his wife. The vessel in
whlchtney embM ked. called at MoDts.
I, erat; the oumber the mission family,
|. al that TIM amounting To thirteen souls,
a. above, includpg one servant Al
Montsrrat, their friends advised them
to leave the vessel in which they
were. (being dali sailcr } and 90 on
board the mail boat Iaria, then ready
te sail Tor this Island Thy did so;
and a young lady also took passage
with them The schr. which they had
LIT, arrived here seasonab!y, and
drought the baggage cf the mission
family, which they did not think best
no take ont, the ordinary passage being
only few hours. Some alarm (siier
the schooner's arrival was felt for
the safety oil the mail boat; but as The
wind was very high, it was supposed
that she had probably lost some OF
her sails. and put back. On Friday,
p NJ 81. inst however, word was
brought to town, that part of the
wreck was seen on the Wey mouth
with two persons in it, Two or three
boats immediately went down to her,
and found it TO be The wreck of the
mail boat Maria. and the only survI
vor of twenty one souls, was Mrs
Joacs, in state of insensibiliiy. 1t
appears that she had been placed ny
the Captain, Whitney, between the
bow spirit bits, where she could DOT
wash away She was in her night
dress only, with her husbands cloak
or coat on, and q sailors cap on her
head. The body of Capt Whitney
land the only one found was lying
near the wreck. He was buried yes
terday. He had not been dead, prob
atty more titan an hour, as he was
seen on the bow spirit about 2 O'Clock
in the afternoon. Mrs. Jones, it is
hoped, is slowly recovering, and so far
restored 20 her recollection, as to say.
that she knows altthe circumstances Of
the shipwreck; but the doctors forbid
her being questioned, al present The
following circumstances, however,
have been communicated by her,
The vessel struck on the reef, in the
night Three or four days had elapsed
when she was taken of. White, his
wife, three children, and servant, were
all swept away together, clinging to
each other; Nc Hilliar att empted
to swim to Sandy Island, and was
drowned in her sight; her infant was
washed away from her arms; her hus-
band died on her lap, the night before
she was taken OF, and was washed
away. AS returning recollection opens
TO her the horrors OF the scene she has
witnessed, | am told she often ex
claims, 90, Captain Whitney, why
did he save me!'' She must, indeed
be an unhappy lonely woman; and
time can never efface from her re.
membrance this mournful event She
is undoubtedly most to be pitied, for
we have good reason to indulge the
hope, that her kind friends are in hea
ven-that the SceRes OF Weymouth
shoal were but psssag e TO the haven
ofblss. Dark, deep, and mysterious,
are The ways of a righteous and uner
ing Providence! with won der and
establishment, we behold a delicate.
. slender woman, of twenty years, for
four DAYS without sgstenance, exposed
10 the inclemeacy OF the weather, sup
ported; while hardy seamen were dy
ing around her, and finally, the sole