The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-09

tionable; but. after he had dned n yery strikip,
difference was observed in his conduct He be
came violent in his manner and abusive in his Ian
guage to the men. When anxiousy questione,
ny the passengers as to the progress the vesse
was making, and the time at which she was IN 81,
TO reach her destination, he returned trifinq AM
frequently very contradictory, answers Durin,
the early part of the voyage, he had spoken conf
IDENTIFY OF being able to reach Beaumaris by seye,
O'Clock but the evening wore away. npht cam,
on, and the vessel was still considerable dlstanc,
from the termination of her voyage II was nea
~ O'Clock when they arrived at the mouth of the
Menai Strait, which is about 3 miles from Bean
maris. The tide, which had been running out O
the strait, and which had, consequently, for som,
time previously retarded the steamer. propres
towards her destination, was Just on the turn
Tho vessel, according to the statement of two o
The seamen and one of the fremen saved, had 90
round the buoy on the north end of the Dutch
mans Bank, and had proceeded up the river as
far as the tower on Putin Island when suddenly
the steam got low that the engine would not ks
her on her proper course. When asked, why there
was not steam on, the fireman said, that dea
OF water had been finding its way into the vesse
all day, and that some time before she got into the
strait, the blge-pump' were choked up. The wate
IN the hold then overlooked the Goals ; so that ir
renewing the fires, deal Of water went in witt
the Goals, slackened the fires, and made it impos
slbie to keep the steam up. 1t was clearly the du
~ OF the fireman to give notice Of this occurrence
but he seems not to have mentioned it to the cap
tain. The vessel, which had come evidently into
channel, though there no light OIL the coast to
guide her. now drifted with the ebb tide and north.
west wind towards the Dutchman's Bank on the
north point Of which she struck, her bows sticking
fast in the sand 1t is stated by the seamen and
the hremen aforementioned, that Lieut.. Atkinson
Immediately ordered the man at the helm to put the
helm starboard. The man refused to do SO ; but
put 1t to port. The mate, perceiving this, aft
fnnk ha holr frrtfa fIa Il -
board again. In the meantime, the captain and
some of the passengers got the jib up. No doubt
he did this intending to wear her round and bring
her head to the nsrthward but in the opinion OF
nautical men, it could not make the least differ
ence which way her head was turned, as she was
on lee shore, and there not steam to work
her off The captain alse ordered the passengers
first to aft in the hope by removing the pressure
from the vessels stem, to make her float this
failing to produce the desired effect he then or
dered them to run forward. All the exertions Of
the captain, the crew and the passengers united
were unavang. The Inflated vessel stuck still
faster in the sands, and all gave themselves
up for lost. The terror Of the passengers be-
came excessive. Several of them urged tho
captain to hoist lights, and make other signals of
distress but it is stated that he positively refused
to do So assuring the passengers that there was no
danger, and telling them several times, that the
packet was atioat, and doing we'll and on her way
when the passengers knew perfectly well that she
was sticking fast in the sand and her cabins rapid
ly filling with water. Doubtless the unfortunate
man was perfectly aware Of the imminence of the
danger; butw we may charitably suppose, that he
held such language for the purpose of preventing
alarm which might be fatal The alarm bell was
rung with so much violence that the capper
broke, and some of the passengers continued to
strike il for some with a stone. The bell was
heard, it is said, at Beaumaris, but, there was
no light hoisted the Mast of the steamer Ia IA
tai neglect) those who had heard the signal were
of course, ignorant whence it proceeded. The
weather, at this awful moment. boisterous,
but perfectly clear The MOON though slightly
overcast, threw considerable light on the sur
rounding objects. But 4 strong breeze blew
from the northwest, the tide began to set in with
great strength, and heavy sea beat the bank
on which the steam packet was now firmly and
mmoveably fixed.
We cannot describe the scene which followed
Certain death seemed now TO present itself to all
on board, and the most affecting scenes were ex-
hibited. The females, in particular, red the
most piercing shrieks some locked themselves
in each others arms while others, losing all self
command, tore off their caps and bonnets, in the
wildness of despair. Liverpool pilot, who hap
peHed to be in the packet, now raised his voice
and exclaimed 1t is all over-we are all lost u
At these words there was a universal despairng
shrek. The women and children collected in a
knot together, and kept embracing each other
tationS. When tired with crying they lay against
each other, with their heads reclned, like mani
mate bodies. The steward of the vessel and his
wife, who was on board dashed themselves to the
mast determined to spend their last moments in
each others arms. Several husbands and wives
seem also to have met their fate locked in each
others arms; whilst parents cling to their be-
beloved hildren,-several mothers it is said hav.
ing persisted with their dear little ones firmly
clasped in their arms. party of the passengers
about fifteen twenty lowered the boat ant
crowded into it. 1t was Impossible for any oper
boat to live in such sea, even though not over
loaded, and she Immediately swamped and went tC
the bottom. with all who had made this last hope
less effort for self-preservation.
For some time the vessel, though now irrecov-
erably lost continued to resist the action of the
waves, and the despairing souls on board still
struggled with their doom. But hope had for evel
fled the packet was beaten and tossed about by
the tumultuous waters with violence which
threatened to dash her into fragments at every
shock, and the sea made continual breach oyel
her. The decks were repeatedly swept BY the
boiling ocean, and each billow snatched its vic
tins to watery grave. The unfortunate captain
and his mate were among the first that persisted
About thirty or forty passengers were standing up
on the poop clinging to each other in hopeless.
agony, and occasionally uttering the most piteou:
CALCULATIONS. Whilst trembling thus upon this
brink Of destruction, and expecting every moment
to share the fate which had already overtaken sc
many Of their companions in misery, the poop wa.
discovered to give way another rolled on
with impetuous fury and the hinder part of the
luckiess vessel, with all who sought safety in its
frail support, was burst away from its shattered
counterpart, and about forty wretched beings hur
ried through the foaming flood into the eternal
world.
"Then rose from sea TO sky the wild farewell,
Then shrieked the timid, and stood still the brave !
Those who retained any degree of sensbit,
endeavored to catch at whatever was floating with
i'll their reach, with the vain hope of prolongine
their lives though it was certain that life coulc
only lengthen their sufferings. Many graspet
with frantic despair, at the slightest object they
could find but were either too weak to retain thei
hold, or were forced to relinquish their grasp BY
the raging Of the surge. The rudder was seized
by eight Of the sinking creatures al the same time
and some of them, we arc happy to add, were III
timately preserved. The number of those who
chung to the portion of the wreck, which remained
upon the bank gradually grew thinner, theJ
sunk under their fatigues were hurled into the
deep by the remorseless waves. At length, abou
an hour and a half from the time when she struck
the remnant of the Rothsay Castle disappeared
from the bosom of the ocean, and the remainder o
her passengers and crew were precipitated int
the foamng abyss.
LUCK AND CHANCE. Among the records o
many extensive failures in England, we per
ceive that of r. l.. Chance in London II,
dealt largely in glass and broke He was
prominent merchant in that article ; but being
unable to see his way clear through all his glass
and finding 1t impossible 10 be decent Husr b.
his lights, he shut his windows His obliga
tons are said TO amount 10 nearly G200,000.
The opprobrious title of bum baulifr, so con
ct lv hast nNad m tho =.