American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-09-26
rHE U. 9. BRIG WASHINGTON.
U. S. Bkr WASHINGTON,


PHILADELPHIA, Sept. ODD, 1916.
he Editor Ofthe Baltimore Patriot
R: Should you deem the enclosed details of the
k of the U, s. Brig Washington, in the hurricane
e sth inst, off Cape Hatteras worthy place in
columns of your valuable paper, they may prove
embarrassing TO some of your readers, as being
nected with fate of a gallant officer, well known
,our city, and wherever known beloved.
A NAVAL OFFICER.
zAfter a pleasant cruise Of about month in
Gulf Stream where she had been employ
surv wing, the U S. brig Washington, 1t.
Immg Geo. NJ Bache, stood in,on the 7th
It,, for the capes of Virginia. As the wea-
er appeared threatening, the wind fresh and
pwing on shore, great anxiety was felt to
ach an anchorage. The night came on
rk and lowering, and as we neared the land
4 eyes were turned to windward to catch the
immer of the light for which we were striv-
:, Chat upon Smiths IsIand,) though the
re and squalls, now beginning to obscure
he horizon, to windWard. About eleven our
ARTS were gladdened by the welcome cry OF
light ho!'' from the look out; but the Joy was
yomed TO be of short duration. The light up
Cape Henry, without making which the
arbor cannot be entered, must have been
s1scured by squall, for when we brought by
lie wind, after bearing up for it, expecting
VERY moment to make the looked for beacon,
sways cheering 10 the mariner, in our case
he felt 10 be our only hope,-the terrible cry
4 "breakers ahead" struck pang 10 hearts
1lrobbing with hope, and told that We were
soandoned TO the horrors of lee shore, and
1 lat our only prospect of safety lay in being
/ Die to carry sail against the wind Sea and
Earrent forcing US upon Cape Hatteras, the
error Of seamen, this all felt TO be fororn
|ope, for the gale, now increased in violence,
|owled ominously through the rigging, and
[lready our little vessel staggered under her
canvass; the sky was obscured by flying mass
Is of dark clouds; the crests OF the waves
|eaving their dark volumes to the sky, flashed
with the CHASTITY phosphorescent light Of Ell
observed in storms, and once the sea ahead
was lit up for few seconds by pale blue
.ight, known 10 seamsn as the Corpus Santo
and whose appalling appearance they superstI
.iously regard as the pr, cursor of misfortune
and WRECK; the barometer fell rapidly, and ev
ryihing foretold terrible strife of the elements
Upon discovering the breakers, the brig wa:
worn with her head of shore; the
courses reefed, her topsaiIs double.reeIed an'
set. Nobly the gallant craft did her part
groaning IN every timber; her tall masts bow
ing to the blast. Daylight found her stllI drag
sing on, and rising to the seas which appeared
pressing on TO her destruction; it brought al
increase of wind, and most gloomy prospect
The sea ran fearfully high, and appeared ont
sheet of foam, far as the eye could reach. W.
had lost during the night the lee boats, which
had filed and torn from the davis, Jlb anC
flying b-booms, lopmast, staysail, &c. Tit
lead, every cast of which had been wacthe'
with deep anxiety, told that we were rapid,
drifting upon the shore. By seven the wlnt
had increased TO hurricane; sail after sal
had either been taken in, or splitting with
noise like thunder, blew into ribbons to lee
ward; the yards shlvering like pipe stems
nothing remained but the lore-topsail, uncon
netted under which the brig "lay to- unit
eleven, a M, when the hurricane had reach
ed its height, and ragged with extraordinaIy
surprising anything we had eve
SEEN The brig lay over completely on bel
side; the water boiling over The lee rail; w
were obliged to cling 10 the rigging, 10 pre-
vent being blown or washed overheard, fol
the sea appeared uprooted from its bed ant
stantIy swept our decks. The lee guns were
thrown overheard, and subsequently the wealth
err ones, and the helm put up; she refused t'
answer it, and the order was given to cut a
way the malnmast; it wasprompily ooeyed,
as was every other, our noble crew behav
ing with the steadiness and dicipllne charac
teristic Of "men-of-war's men"
In lis fail The mainmast carried away th'
head of the foremost, topmast and Ioretol
sail yards, which hung in mass to leeward
every exerlion was made 10 get clear Of tn
wreck, and the shattered hull Of the " WaSh
ington" steered wildly on before the hurrlccan
10 the shore, she had striven so well to cleSf
the anchors had been prepared for letting 60
as the last hope, yet no one imagined that tn
cables would hold for moment in that furl
Gus sea. The horrors Of the scene oalil dc
scri2tion. The fierce bowling of the hurrI
cane, The roaring OF the waves, breaking II
IRREGULAR masses around us and Drpssi o.