Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-10-03
THE U. s. BRIG WASHINGTON.
u. S, BRIe WAsuISeroS,


the United States brig Washington in the hurricane of the
9Th instant off Cape Hatteras worthy place in the columns
OF your valuable paper they prove unneresng
of your readers being connected with of
gallant officer well known in your city, and wherever known
beloved A NAVAL OFFICER
After pleasant cruise Of about month in the Gulf Stream
where she had been employed surveying the United States
brig Washington, Lieut.. Coming George NJ. Bache stood
in the 7h instant for the Capes OF Virginia As the
weather appeared threatening, the wind fresh blowing on
shore, great anxiety felt reach anchorage The
night dark and lowering, and, The land
all eyes turned to windward to catch the gmmer the
light for which striving (that upon Smiths Island
through the haze and Squalls now beginning obscure the
horizon to windward. About eleven, our hearts glad
dened by the welcome cry Of slight no - from the lookout
but the Joy doomed be of short duration The light
upon Cape Henry, without making which the harbor cannot
be entered, must have been obcured by qua for when
brought by the wind after bearing up for it, expecting every
moment to make the beacon always cheering the
mariner, Tin felt it to be only hope the
be cry Of breakers ahead " pang to hearts thro
bling with hope and told that abandoned the hor-
OF lee Shore and that only prospect of safety
being able carry sal against the wind Sea
ocng upon Cape Hateras the of seamen, this all
et to be oron hope for the gale increased in vo-
lence howed ominousy through the rigging, and ady
little vessel staggered under her The sky OBJ
scured by flying Of dark clouds the of the
waves heavng their dark volumes the sky flashed with
the ghasy phosphorescen light Often observed storms and
once the ahead lit for few seconds by pale blue
light known to the Corpus Sano, and whose ap
pang Appeals they supersousy regard precursor
Of misfortune and wreck the barometer fell rapidly, and
every thing foretold a terrible strife of the elements
Upon discovering the breakers, the brig Immediately
with her head of shore the reeed her topsas
double reefed and set Noby the gallant craft did her part
grooming every timber, her tall bowling the blast
Daylight found her still dragging and rising to the
which appeared pressing TO her destruction it brought
increase of wind and most gloomy prospect the fear
fully high, and appeared shee, of foam far the eye
could reach. We had lost during the night the Ice boats,
winch had filled and torn from the davits Ib and ymgb
boons, topma saysai &C. The lead every Of which
had been watched with deep anxiety, told that
pdy drifting upon the shore By the wind had ncreas
ed to hurricane sail after sail had either been taken in or,
splitting with noise like thunder, blew into rhands to lee
ward, the yards shverlng like pipe stems. Nothing remain
ed but the fore opsai unbonnetted under which the brig
lay to- until Ii A. NJ when the hurricane had reached its
height and tagged with extraordinary violence, SURPRISING any
thing had The brig lay completely her
sde the water boiling the lee rail obliged cling
TO the rigging being blown washed overheard for
the appearing uprooted from its bed and borne in huge
through the air, constantly swept decks The lee
guns were thrown overheard and subsequently, the weather
Ones and the helm put she refused TO it, and the
rider given to cut away the mainmast it promptly
obeyed as every other noble behaving with the
sleadiness and discipline characteristic OF menowars
men, In its fall the maiumast carried away the head the
ioenas topmas and foreopsa yards which hung
to eewad every exertion made To get clear of the
wreck and the shattered hull Of the Washington wild
before the hurricane the shore she had sven well
TO clear The anchors had been prepared for letting the
last hope yet imagined that the cables would hold for
moment in that furious The horrors of the baf
fled description The fierce bowling of the hurricane tie
roaring of the waves breaking irregular around US
and pressing mady in wake, if eager be
DEATH were added to the crashing of spars, which, falling
from alof launched board by the sea- made sad
havoc among Two officers and several of the crew had
been borne wounded below scarcely among escaped
injury; and yet throughout this trying sign Of
auching fore and aft banched check be
orders given and executed with the GOODNESS of every day
manGuvnng Never did the writer feel proud Of his
tys then As heated the breakers each
awaited the inevitable fate with camness and possession
almost incredible.
At meridian the helm put down. and the lar
board anchor let go she to the wind heavy
broke board throwing the brig upon her beam ends shift
ing tanks ballast &c in the hold carrying away deck
cabin wheel boats bulwars &c and washing overheard
nearly sou but thrown aboard by the she right
ed half full of WATER cngng fragments of the wreck
towing all succeeded in regMnng the deck, except la
mented commander, Lieut. Bache and ten of the crew,
| whose suhjoned. In a they swept
from view that showed them calm and compos-
ed-the determined spirit which supported them board
seemed still TO animate them One noble fellow, he
ed asen, waved his hat token of adcu and the driving
spray hid them forever from sight We supposed
selves among the breakers and that unfortunate shpmaes
had but anticipated our doom-su il bitter pang
them thus cut of from among and many eye which
had calmly confronted death msrused their fate They
among the flower OF better trod
deck, and long will DE cherished the memory of their gene
rous kindly natures My pen unequal to the task of pay
ing fitting tribute to the memory Of departed command
err To rare professional accomplishments he added every
virtue which ennobles the human character. Never
commander sincerely beloved and respected by those
who served under him; his duty always uppcrmo in
his mind, and the last words heard him adj
dressing his officers when they stood together upon the brink
Of eternity Gentlemen hope you think have done my
duyhave used every cxerton the vessel" He had
indeed done his duty with the skill and courage which dis
tngushed him; mortal could have done Yet, when
there appeared earthly hope God meculy pleased
TO the hurricane abaed cables veered to the
better end CONTRARY to all expectation held and the
rhors dragging checked her dnh after the wind sud-
down considerably, and, still dragging the brig tailed off shore.
She ghtened Of kentedge, &c the foremost away
and rode easily at sunset Cape Hatteras close
aboard. Until the l2th rode to heavy gale from the
norhward, with anchors ahcadthe cable had
parted II period of painful suspense. Our cables
bearing heavy stran expected every moment part
and the breakers upon the cape roaring asten. We
employed rggng jury mass but, having saved only few
light spars managed badly Upon the evening of the 18TH
the wind dying away, hove the arboard chain
found the anchor gone In heaving up the srboard one
when the bows its shackle bolt drew and was also
LOST made sail upon the jury lnass and stood to The
next day spoke the brig j. Peterson of New York, and by
her kindly supplied with anchor anda few spare spars
and the day the Pametto obtained from her
small boat Upon the 5h, waited by light airs from the
southwark, got within thirty miles OF Cape Henry, when the
wind again coming fresh from the northeast, again
in great peribely succeeded in weatherng " Hattetas
Shoals" aud again blown into the Gulf stream
ward until the l7h, when il abated and in the afternoon
the great JOY Of all hands, man-of war; showing American
coos was deserted standing towards As she neared
recognised with emotions pride and pleasure we'll