The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-05-07
The Loss of the SOIway-Mr. Lanes one
Purser) Statement.

Inc SOlWdy leU famOutn on the sd OF April, WIFI
the usual mails board, and arrived at Corunna at
IL o'clock on Friday, the 7th, having experienced
heavy south westerly gales In crossing the Bay OF
Biscay. She took in 81 tons of coal at Corunna,
and left the harbor on her outward voyage at halt
past nine o'clock the same evening. They passed
the lighthouse about 10 o'clock p M, and were
proce edng at full speed, wh@n at about IL o'clock
midnight the vessel struck sunken rock. The
passengers ali in their berths at the same time,
but Captain Duncan and several OF the officers were
on deck. The shock was of the most tremendous
character, and created the utmost conservation
Immediately on the vessel striking, Captain duncan
ordered the engines to be backed and this having
been done, she came off apparently easily the vlo-
ence ofthe conclusion having probably caused her
to rebound in some slight degree. :, Her head was
now put towards the shore, and all speed made In
the hope of grounding the ship, and thus saving the
passengers and crew. The injury she had sustained
was, however, Of TOO serious a character TO allow
this to be accomplished, and within a very few mo-
ments of the ship striking, it became evident that
she was settling fast by the head Mr.. Lane was
asleep at the moment the calamity occurred, and IN
common with tn passengers and crew, was awoke
by the shock. He Immediately ran up the torecasile
ladder, and found the vessel shaking fast The scene
is described by him TO have been at this time OF a
NEST heartrending character. The female passen-
gers all deck in state of mind more easily
conceived than described every person expecting
the ship to go down Instantly. She had still good
way upon her, the engines having apparently sui
fered no injury, when, while proceeding towards
the shore as described above, general rush was
made to the pnnace which hung at the davits on
the larboard side % persons got into her, and hav
ing seated themselves, cried out to those on board
to "lower away" Captain Duncen, who evidently
oresaw the great danger of lowering the boat while
the vessel proceeding at full speed, endeavored
10 prevent this but the confusion was so great on
board, and his own attention so entirely devoted to
the great object OF getting the paddle life boats afioat
and making the shore, that his opposition was OF no
avail, ard the forward tackle was lei fly by the rum
and the bows of the boat dropped in the water,
The situation OF The poor wretches who had
4" no fhatr hnn nj
GUS in the extreme: A cry of :" For Gods sake
let so the after tackle" was answered by some
OF the crew as soon as possible. and the pm,
mace fell into the water. The ship had still full
speed upon her, and heavy sea struck the boat
she oated for instant, and swept every soul into
the water. One or two sailors only, who hung on
Ten minutes only had now elapsed since the vessel
first struck, during which every exertlOn had been
made by the officers of the ship, with Captain Dun
at their head, to get the arboard lifeboat aoat.
While thus engaged, the boiler suddenly collapsed,
and an immense quantity OF steam, DUST ashes and
flames, burst from the engine room. All on board
thought that the vessel was now about to blow up,
and two or three persons were so much alarmed as
to jump overheard Throughout the whole OF this
trying time Captain Duncan IS described to have
acted in the most cool and seamanllke manner, en-
deavorlng while giving effect to his ORDERS to keep
up the spirits of those board less accustomed to
the dangers of the ocean. BY great exerton the
larboard paddle life-boat was eventually caIsized
over, and in rightng, half filled with water The
got into her and rowed away. The first and second
cutters were also afisat each Fl led with the passen-
gers and crew. Mr.. Wilder, the chief officer with
Mr. Lane, and two or three other officers, now low
cred themselves into the life boat, and brought her
alongside the gangway. The engines had entirely
ceased working from the moment the boiler col
lapsed The water had now reached the fires, and
the ship it was evident could not float many min
ules longer Captain Duncan and the other officers
now handed the passengers into the lite boat, exert
ing themselves to the utmost to all the female
passengers 81 persons were. already in the boat,
and Captain Duncan was still handing in Others
when general cry rose of "She is go ing - and,
giving one tremendous plunge, she went down head
foremost, leaving the lfe boat, already half filled
with water, afoat. This fact is represented per-
fectly miraculous the suction arising from the YES
sci being abundantly sufficient to swamp boat in
much more seawOrthy condition than the life boat
was at this period The screams of those on board
were awful as the ship went down, and Mr.. Lane
states, that The last heard of Captain Duncan
an order for all on board to Z" fly to the rig
ging," towards which he appeared to be making
HIMSELF and it is supposed that in getting up the
companion ladder towards the upper Deck he sank
with many others. His conduct appears to have
been most noble he appeared to have no thought for
his own safety, and when called TO by some of the
officers who told him that the ship was laundering I'M
der them, he refused to leave. The hte-boat now
drfted away, and so great had been the confusion
arising from the hope to save all on board that 1t
was only then discovered that she had neither oar
nor rudder. Shoes and hats were used to bale out
the water with which she was more than half filled,
and after drifting about for quarter of an hour she
fell in with the second cutter, having Lieutenant
Hemsworh, the Admiralty agent, and several
others on board. From this boat they obtained one
oar, and Lieutenant Hemsworth then returned to
the wreck with the cutter; shortly after they fell in
with the first cutter which was greatly overloaded.
They took several persons from her and obtained
bottom-b board Mr.. Wilder, the chief officer, going
on board the cutter and taking the life boat in tow
The single obtained from the second cutter was
rugged the starboard quarter of the life
boat with grummet made of braces, and the bot
tom.board was similarly arranged on the larboard
quarter with SIX handkerchief, by MIR. Lane. Mr. |
Bevls the third ofcer, rowed the boat, while Mr..
Leigh and Mr.. Garlic, OF the Thames sleered. BY |
this means the boat kept tolerably free, and
drted before the wind, Corunnahll being all the
time visible. It still quite dark, and daylight
was looked forward to with the most intense anxl-
ETY.. The conduct OF all on board was most praise
worthy, not syllable of INSTRUMENTATION, escaped,
and all appeared to be resigned to the worst that
might happen. The ladies' especially (sevsn OF
whom were in the eboaD behaved most heroical-
ly Some of them had merely time to escape IN
their night-dress, and, although seated in water up
to their knees, not murmur was uttered. AT day
the lfeboat and ugsail set, when she steered to-
wards Corunna, and on entering the harbor was
met by Spanish launch, which was coming out in
search OF the boats, having heard OF the catastrophe
from those who escaped IN the glg which had made
Corunna early five O'Clock in the morning -
The launch took the e-boat and cutter IN tow and
brought them safely in, when the survivors were
landed and every attention paid to them by the au
thortles. Mr. Lane speaks in the highest terms OF
the admirable qualities OF the paddle life beat,
through the instrumentaty of which alone nearly |
60 lives have been saved under circumstances Of !
the most extraordinary difficulty and danger. |
Charleston