Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-10-26
From the N. Y. Com. Advertiser, Oct. 10.
TIE LATE DISASTROUS GALE.

lT'oih ue ~. I Nom Nuvert'ser, Oct. ~.
TIE LATE DISASTROUS GALE.
: Farther particulars of the wreck Of the
Home, and the situation of the steamer
"Charleston Packet"
We have read with painful interest the va
ro,Is accennts of the late gale. Several
square rugged vessels, which have arrived.
suffered severely, but none, that we know nf,
were driven ashore. II will be seen frol, the
extract given below, that the steam packet
which plies between Philadelphia and
Charleston was in most perilous situation,
and ut one period during the storm, the pns-
sengers were informed by the captain that
the only hope Of safety was in Bleaching his
vessel. Mr. Roland, one Of the survivors of
the Home, has furnished the Express with
the following statement.
! lie went on board total stranger TO every
person-tllat the boat left the dock at about
5 o'clock, on Saturday afternoon, with light
wind, rather cloudy. and that in going ont, ,af-
Ter passing the Narrows, the boat struck on
the Romer where she lay four or five hours
He understood the next morning that the
boat got off about 10 o'clock the previous
night; whether the boat received any injury
while she lay on the Romer or not, he does
not know.
/ The alone" then ran out past Sandy
Hook and continued her course during Sun
day, without any thing happening worthy of
notice,-the weather being fine. At 10 p.
-. the weather changed to the northeast,
blew hard, and the boat labored much and
leaked some. On monday morning made
the land about % miles to the nortl,ward of
Cape Hatteras, the sea very rough. The
boat was then put off shore, and she ran out
to sea for the purpose of getting round the
Cape, and sheltcring under the lee in smooth
water. She stood to sea until 9, p. NJ. All
hands during the time were at the pumps, n nd
all the passengers, women included, were
baling with buckets, pals, pans, &c. SC. the
leak, however, increasing constantly.
II was then calculated that they had pass
ed the outer Cape Of tIatteras, 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, hut the engine was
working very slowly, n0d the boat was set
tling fast. With every possible exerton the
water game d constantly. The boat worked
and bent like reed. The bows would work
up and down three or four feet and those best
acquainted with her, expected that she would
break in two every mOmcnt-that she would
go down, and all on board would perish.
During the whole of this time the passen-
gers cut up the blankets into slips, for the
purpose of lashing themselves to spars, and
to Whatever else there might be in the way.
Notwithstanding the men were working with
pieces Of cords and blankets around their
bodies, the leak increased and the boat was
settling fast, yet thc women as we'll as the
men kept on bailing, with the faint hope Of
ultimate safety. All labored like heroes and
rational beings, and no CONSERVATION or uI-
necessary alarm was manifested.
At6P. NJ. the water reached the engine,
TO the alarm Of ail,- and cxtinguislled the
fires, when Of course the machinery stopped.
The boat was still on. Of sight OF land, but
was running with sais-the gale severe, and
she laboring dreadsully. The greatest eff.
forts were all the time made, by balinc, &c.
and all were actively engaged until 10 r. NJ.
when the boat struck about a quarter Of
mile from, but in sight of, the outer break
ers.
In an instant after the strike all was utter
confusion and alarm; men, women, and chill
dren screaming in the most agonizing man.
ner. The scene was most heart -rendng;
women clinging to their husbands, children to
their mothers, and death, almost certain
death, before them. 1t was apparent that
the boat could hold together but very few
moments, and that few, very few could under
any circumstances be saved. The wind blew
a gac-the sea was Highland there were on
'ly three boats, and one of them had been
STAYED.
All were engaged in efforts to save their
lives,-somc lashing themselves to spars on
board, and others making what struggle they
conld Our informant made his calculations:
tina, his only chance was in swimming ashore,
and he accordingly throw off all his clothes
but his shirt and pnntaloons; and before any
had left the wreck, threw himself into the
water. lie found the sea so high that nc
could with difficulty encounter it., and on
reaching the surf he came near perishing.-
lie, however, landed in safety, though the
current took him about mile and half to
the southwark of the wreck.
| Ga reaching the shore, Mr.. Rowland found
all manner of pieces thrown up, from which
it was evident that the boat had broken up.
One man he pulled out of the surf
The boat fortunately had higr forecastle,
on which a number Of the crew and passen-
gers had collected This parted entire, and
all or nearly all on it, some eight or ten per.
sons nt least, went ashore and were saved
Capt. White among the number.
The boat, almost Immediately on striking,
went to pieces. Her keel and kcson both
drifed ashore about mile from the wreck.
About twenty bodies were found, men and
women-among them an infant and the chief
mate. The shore, for some miles to the
southward, was covered with iragments.-
The boilers Of the boat were to be seen, but
every vestige of the vessel had parted from
thcm.
| or the three small boats belonging to the
I Home, ono was STAYED by the violence of the