American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-19
From the N. Y. Courier and Enquirer.
AWFUL PERILS OF A SHIPWRECF

LOSS OF THE ALABAMfAN.-lH c hidud!IlltIl
lied from Leghorn on the 10th of October,
It'll valuable cargo consisting OF marble,
| raw, silks, maccaroni, rags, &C. On the 25th
| hst before passing the Straits, she encounter
| a severe gale of wind, which did no material
! ,aniage. On the 29th she passed the Straits,
nd on the 18th of Nov. in lat. 80 06, long 80
2, off the Western Islands, she met with one
{ the most terrific gales of wind that had
yer been witnessed by any person on board
he ship seemed to be on the point OF meeting
ftwo tremendous gales, one from the ". N. E.
Ie other from the N. w. She could carry no
/ nil save the mizen staysail, covering perhaps
square feet, while the sea broke on every
ide with the most awful fury. Being a most
\ EXCELLENT, seaboat, she rode out the gale admit
ably, and suffered very little damage until the
\ Wind died away, when we had two fearful seas
rom the N. N. E. and N. W.. we headed to
khnNN. w. and thus one sea was striking on
We Flows while the other came like the blows
|kat a large trip hammer upon her counter-add-
q esto this the marble in her lower hold caused
n Ter to roll on both sides almost to the waters
Asge. The continued effect of all these causes
vas to rack the ship almost to pieces. The
kwhole of the stern was in state of continual
notion, while all its ornaments, and the bull
j garks of the poop deck were knocked off by
The pumps were kept going about one-thlrd of
he time.
! 1t is impossible to convey an idea of the fear
i'll desolation which regned on every side, and
had we not been extremely fortunate in obtain
4 NO a fair wind before which we could run, the
/ hip must then have gone down. From this
4 ime until we came within about 100 miles from
VtM York, we had most delightful weather,
K ind although the ship was very weak, and the
! pumps were nearly half the time in motion, we
I we're looking joyfuly forward to reunion with
/ our friends in Is or Is hours, when the wind
4 came out N. e. contrary to all the appearances
4 IF the skies, and the opinion of Delaware Pr
I OF who had boarded us within 90 miles ofCape
| Nay.
Il During the whole of the night of the 10th
and all 18th of Dec, the wind blew with tre-
a nendous violence. The ocean seemed one vast
/ succession of water volcanoes, spouting forth
volumes of foam. The pumps were worked
\ every ten minutes. The maintopsail was split
/ ny the morning of the 18th, and at O'Clock
\ .lest went the mizen stay SAIL and nothing was
heard amid the fearful bowling of the wind and
inlse of the labors of the waves the ship, but
the clanking of the pumps, at which all hands
| wye now employed. Nature seemed thunder
iH forth doleful requiem and we sooa lost all
B bpes of keeping her long ahoat. So mighty
HI Vas the power of the sea, that one blow in the
lYtows, threw the men from the pumps, and
/ caused the ship to culver like leafin the wind
The whole stern of the ship and the cabin were
working as if they would 60 to pieces, while
the dead lights were ground about as in mill.
4 At O'Clock the double pump break was rugged
4 and passengers and all betook themselves to
puklping; but still the water gained fearfully; at
I this time the water was above the keelson-at
i ,l2 o'clock our only hope was to keep her afoat
] till morning. Would that we could do justice
to the noble efforts of the crew to save the ship,
N md the perfect cheerfulness which reigned a
Il nong them. Long and slowly passed the hours
X ill day light dawned. Our existence seemed to
i De contained in minute.
Part of the crew now got the boats ready; the
4 one surf boat, which would live in almost any
sea, the other the launch, which had been used
for pig pen for 10 years, was full of holes in
I The bottom, and was in such state of decay
that NO person was allowed to tread upon the
.A panks, lest the bottom should cave out. At
Iths time the sea was still breaking with fearful
4 Violence, although the wind had little subsi-
y dcd. At length morning dawned and to our
st.seat Joy, brig was descerned about three or
n ir miles to the windward. We made every
ynal of distress, but he paid no attention to
4 aem. Not murmur was heard from the
crew, and the only exclamation came from the
kfCaptan, who, as he saw our only chance OF
dsllverance running away from us, said, "God
grant he may never need that aid which he
now refuses to afford" At O'Clock on the
Il 18th inst, the crew prepared to launch the
boats, while the passengers worked the pumps.
\ She was now fast settling by the head-Capt.
i Hitchcock in the noblest manner gave the
> mate, MIR. Benson, the choice ofboats, although
he knew that in one there was almost certain
= life, and in the other almost certain death. In
deed it would be impossible to do justice to the
! GOODNESS, intrepdty and generosity of Captain
y Hitchcock during the whole of this trying occa-
4 sion. Mr.. Benson chose the surf boat, and to
4 that we owed our preservation
Il The passengers resolved to accompany The
= Captain in the long boat, and such was its rot
Sltenness that we did not dare to save one partI-
II de of clothing save what was on our backs.-
III At s o'clock the long boat or rather pig-pen,
81 WIS launched, and as the sea was still running
"1irflgly high, the greatest care was observed
Ito prevent her being dashed to pieces We
Iwere afraid to jump in for fear of staving the
bottom, but as Providence would have it, a
lwave brought her along side, SO we all got in
lin safety, and got clear OF the ship God
alone knows what our feelings were when we
/ sthus committed ourselves to the mercy of a
araging sea, in perhaps the frailest boat that
! lever floated with IL men oil the Atlantic.
After seeing the mate safely clear, we lay
for more than an hour within $50 yards OF the
shin. expecting every instant to see her sink,
! l(or when we left her she had 10 feet of water