The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-07-03
LOSS OF THE PULASKI.

AuO ioHoWIlS are all Uelalls WIN respect
to this shocking wreck, which are to be found in
our mail papers;-
From the Wilmington Advertiser, 18th inst
On Thursday, the 18th instant, the steamer
Pulaski Captain Dubois left Charleston for Bal
tmore with about one hundred and fifty passen-
gers, OF whom about fifty were ladies'
Az about Ill O'Clock on the same night, while
OF the North Carolina coast say twenty miles
from land, weather moderate and night dark,
the stairboard boiler exploded, and the vessel
was lost, with all the passengers and crew eX-
cept those who are enumerated among the saved
in the list to be found below.
We have gathered the following facts from
the first mate Mr.. Hbberd, who had charge of
the boat at the time. Mr.. Hibberd states that at
about 10 o'clock at night he was called TO the
command of the boat, and that he was pacing
the promenade deck in front of the Storage
house; that he found himself, shortly after, npon
the main deck, lying between the mast 81 side of
the boat; that upon the return Ofconsciousness,
he had confused idea ofhaving heard an cxplo-
sion, something like that of gunpo Nder nnIedi-
ately before he discovered himself in his then
situation. He was induced, therefore, to rise
and walk aft, when he discovered the boat mid
ships was blown entirely to pieces; that the head
of the sarboard boiler was blown out and the
top torn open; that the timber and plank on the
starbonrd side were forced assunder, and that
the boat took in water whenever she rolled in
that direction.
He became Immediately aware Of the horrors
of their situation, and the danger of letting the
passengers know that the boat was sinking, be-
fore lowering the small boats.
He proceeded, therefore, to do this. Upon
dropping the boat he was asked his object. and
replied that it was to pass round the steamer To
ascertain her condition. Before doing this how
ever, he took couple of men. He ordered the
other boats to be lowered, ana two were shortly
put into the water, but they leaked so much in
consequence of their long exposure to the sun
that one of them sunk after fruitless attempt to
bail her. He had in the interim taken several
from the water, until the number made ten. In
the other boat af1oat there were eleven. While
they were making fruitess attempt to bail the
boat, the Pulaski went down with dreadful
crash in about as minutes after the explosion.
Both bouts now insisted upon Mr. Hib-
herds directing their course to the shore, but he
resisted their remonstrances. replying that he
would not abandon the spot until daylight. At
about three o'clock in the morning they started
in the midst of the walings of the hopeless be-
ings who were floating round in every direction
upon pieces OF the wreck, to seek land, which
was thirty miles distant. After pulling about
thirteen hours the persons in both boats became
tired, and insisted that Mr.. Hbberd should land.
This he opposed, thinking it safest to proceed
along the coast and TO enter some one OF It's nu-
merous inets; bur he was forced to yield TO the
general desire, and to attempt landing upon
tn beach, a little eastof Stump Inlet.
He advised Mr.. Cooper, of Georgia; who had
command of the other boat, and a couple ofadies
with two children under his charge, to wait I'M
Til his boat Ind first landed, us he unprecedented
much danger in the attempt, and should they
succeed, they might assist him and the ladies and
children. There were eleven persons in the
mates boat (having taken two black women
from Mr.. Cooper's.) Of these, two passengers
one of the crew and two negro women, were
drowned and six gained the shore. After wait
ing for signal, which he received from the
mate, MIR Cooper and his companions landed in
about three hours after the first boat, in safety. |
They then proceeded a short distance across
Stump Sound, to Mr.. Redd's ofsOnslow county,
where they remained from Friday evening until
Sunday morning, and then started for Whining
ton. The mate and two passengers reached
here this morning 18th June) about 9 O'Clock.
A slip from the Office of the Portsmouth, Va.
Times, dated, June Goth, ]. 2. Nj says:-
The loss of the boat has, we learn, been impu-
led to the dmnution of the water in the boiler
Turing heavy sea, causing the copper TO burn
The citizens of Wilmington, OH hearing cflhe
disaster, acted with generous promptitude.
Carriages were sent on TO the beach, and every
hing done that lay in their power to accom- modate
he survivors.
THE CHARLESTON ACCOUNT OF THE Loss
)F THE PULAsKI.-We have received from our
New York correspondent file of Charl eston
papers to "Wednesday last. The Courier of that
late says
"The lives lost in this terrible disaster, are es-
mated at from l60 to 40, only seventeen having
,een ascertaned to- have escaped out of a crew Of
81, and $50 or 100 passengers. Little hope
SITS that any of those were saved, who were left
'llnging 10 the fragments OF the wreck. OF the
ost comparatively few, perhaps only 20 or 25,
we're residents of our city, but among them we
MOURN the loss of some ofthe most estimable of
'ur fellow citizens. We give below such as
we know to have been residents Our neigh
)ors of Edisto Island have been severely bereav-
I'd; and our sister city Savannah, have suffered
lreadfuily-lo at one fell swoop, no less
han four in the Parkman, and ten in the Lamar
antilles, besides numerous others, We deeply
yinpaths with the bereaved families of the lost,
md invoke to them those constitutions, which
IAN only come from above"
Wilmington .4dvertiser-E Extra.
June Goth, 1888 o'clock, A. nj.