The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-10-31
THE WRECK or THE PACKET HOME.

THE WRECK OF THE PACKET HUME
The following particulars Of this Notwithstanding
disaster have been furnished 10 the New York En-
press by Mr. Rowland, one Of the fortunate few who
escaped:
He went on board total stranger 10 every per-
son; that the boat le The dock al about ococh On
Saturday afternoon, with light wind rather CLOUDY,
and thai in going ouI afleT passing ihe NaIIoNs,
the boat struck the Romer where she lay four or
I'VE hours. He understood the next morning ihai
the boat got of about 10 o'clock the previous night
whether the boat received any injury while she lay
on the Romer or moi, hs does moi know
The Home" then ont pas, Sandy Hook, and
continued her course during Sunday without any
thing happening worthy Of notice, the weather be
ing fine Al 10 p M the wind changed 10 the
northeast blew hard, and the boat labored much and
leaked some. On Monday morning made the land
about twenty-three miles TO the northward OF Cape
Haueras, the sea very rough. The boat was then
put of shore, and she ran out TO for the purpose
Of getting round the Cape, and sheering under me
lee in smooth water. She stood TO sea until p. M
All hands during the time were al the pumps, and
all the passengers women included, were baiiing
with buckets pals pans, Sc. The leak however, in
creasing rapidly.
Il was then calculated that they had passed the
outer Cape Of Hatteras and the boat was turned TO
shore to beach her for the preservation Of all ON
board The sails were set, and wind on shore but
the engine was working very slowly, and The boat
was settling fast. With every possible exerton The
water gained constantly The boat worked and
down three or four feet, and those best acquainted
with her expected that she would break in two every
moment that she would go down, and all on board
would perish.
During the whole of this time the passengers cut
the blankets into slips for the purpose Of iashing
themselves TO spars, and 10 whatever else there
might be in the way. Notwithstanding, the men
working with pieces of cords and blankets around
their bodies, the leak increased, and the boat was
settling fast yet the women well as the men kept
on bailing, with faint hope Of ultimate safety. All
labored like heroes and rational beings, and no
CONSERVATION unnecessary alarm was manifested.
Ate p NJ the water reached the engine, TO the
alarm Of ALL and extinguished the fires, when Of
course the machinery stopped. The boat was still
out Of sight Of land but was running with sails
the gale severe and she lGboring dreadfully. The
greatest efforts were all the time made, BY bailing
DC and all were actively engaged until 10 P. NJ
when the boat struck about quarter OF a mile from,
but In sight OF, the outer breakers.
In an instant after the strike all was utter confu
sion and alarm men women and children scream
ing in the most agonizing manner. The scene was
most hear-rending; women clinging TO their hus-
bands, children 10 their mothers, and death, almost
certain death, before them. II was apparent that
the boat could hold together but few moments and
that few, very few, could under any circumstances
be saved. The wind blew gale-the sea was high,
and there were only three boats, and one Of them
had been STAYED
All were engaged in efforts 10 save their lives
some lashing themselves TO spars board, and
others making what struggle they could. Our in.
formant made his calculation that his only chance
was in swimming ashore. and he according threw
off all his clothes bui his shirt and pantaloons, and
before any had left the wreck threw himself into the
wafer. He found the so high that he could with
difficulty encounter it, and on reaching the surf be
came near perishing. He however, landed IN safe
ty, though the current took him about mile and n
half TO The southwark Of the wreck.
On reaching the shore Mr.. Rowland found all
manner Of pieces thrown up, from which ii was evil
dent that the boat had broken up One man he pulled
out of the surf.
tn. \
which number Of the and passengers had
collected. This parted entirely, and all, nearly
all on IT, some eight or ten persons al least, went
ashore and were sayed-Captain White among the
number
The boat, almost Immediately on striking went
TO pieces Her keel and kelson both drilled ashore
about mile from the wreck. About twenty bodies
were found, men and women-among them an in
FAINT and the chief MAZE The shore, for some miles
TO the southwark was covered with fragments. The
boilers Of the boat 10 be seen but every yestige
Of the vessel had parted from them.
Of the three small boats belonging to the Home
one was STAYED by the violence of the gale as she
hung in the darits one other filled alongside, and
the other was cast off with number of passengers
in her, but she upset in the SURF and only person
was saved. One of the stewards swan safe ashore
naked, but he nearly persisted afterwards with cold
The scene the next morning was too horrid to de-
scribe, the boiler being The only unbroken relic of
what was the beautiful packet Home The shore
was lined with bodies constantly coming up. All
hands were engaged in collecting them together
The survivors, in groups, were nearly naked and
famished and exhausted. The few inhabitants APP
peared friendly, but the many trunks that came on
shore were empty
Mrs. La Coste the aged lady that was saved is
about 10. She is very feshy, and almost helpless
She was found in the surf bit how she got there
neither herself nor any other person could give any
account. Mr.. Hussey who was saved, lashed his
wife to SPAR but she was forced off by a sea and
lost. Mr. III. afterwards dashed himself TO spar
and reached the shore il is the opinion of our in
formant that large portion Of the passengers were
lost together after she struck when the boat Sc
paraied All the children on board were lost, ex.
cept one lad about II years cid.
Mr.. Vanderzer was not the person saved by the
lfe-preserver but saved himself BY swimming, and
was nearly drowned before he reached the land in
encountering portion of the wreck of considerable
length, which he was obliged to climb over. Mr. HI
Anderson was the gentleman who wore the life pre-
server, and was doubtless entirely indebted to ii for
ms preservation, as he utterly unable to swim
II was hxed underneath his arms and every sea that
struck nina, Whifled him over twice, but he
invariably came heads up" and is fortunately
living evidence of the usefulness OF this invaluable
INVENTION WIN which every person who goes 10 sea
should provide themselves.
Mr. LOyegreen was on the upper deck and olled
the bell OF the boat until almost every one had left
her, when he sprang of and swan to the land
Charleston Courier, ...
Mr.. Howard, who resides in North Carolina near
the spot where the wreck of the Home drifed
ashore paid every attention to the survivors, and TO
the bodies of the deceased passengers that hoaed
ashore. .:.. r..r.
We had an opportunity yesterday of conversing
with gent eman from Charleston, who described
IN most affecting manner the scene on board the
Philadelphia boat Charleston ON her way south dll-