The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-02-28
From the Philadelphia Saturday Posi-.
TERRIBLE STORM.
SIXTY LInEs LOST.

experienced on our coast tor many
years. About sixty lives have been
lost in one wreck-master's district on
the Jersey Coast, and the amount-of
property lost is not yet fully ascertain
ed; but enough is known to say that a
quarter Of million of dollars will fall
upon the insurers of New York, from
this gale.
The wind, through the afternoon of
Saturday, had been light, and a large
fleet of inward bound vessels was
crowding everything to get into New
York bay. At nine O'Clock, it COM
meuced to blow reefng breeze; it soon
made two reefs necessary; close reefs
quickly followed, and by eleven o'clock.
scarcely any vessel could carry more
sail than enough to lie to with. The
force of the gale was from E. N. E.,
but it shifted, for moment at time,
to every point Of the compass. 1t was
impossible to claw offshore; an attempt
to scud was to end only in stranding,
and lying to was hopeless effort, and
beyond the endurance of canvass, rig
ging, or spars.
As proof of the force of the gale
we may instance the fact of the New
York pilot boat, Mary Ellen, which
caught the gale fifty miles at sea, and
having unsuccessiully tried every effort
to keep an offing was forced at last to
60 ashore. Her crew, when they saw
shipwreck inevitable, boldly determin-
ed to beach their craft themselves: and
fortunately landed her where she can
be easily launched. All hands were
saved.
The most melancholy wreck is that
of the ship John Minturn, Captain
Starke, which sailed from New Orleans
on the 9th ult., for New York, having
on board five cabin passengers, besides
the captains wife, son an daughter,
with twenty seamen from the ship Cher
okee, who were coming home after her
loss. The John Minturn struck on
Squan Beach about three o'clock in the
morning. She sheered broadside to the
beach, and-heeled off shore. The cap
tain, his wife, children, five cabin pas
sengers, and others of the two crews,
amounting in number to twenty-eight
persons, perished, and among them the
second officer, Mr.. Sturgis. Seven
persons escaped in the boat, but some
of them have broken limbs. The tol-
lowing is the list of her cabin passen-
gers:-Mr. Kohlerand lady, Mrs. Stark
Mr.. J. Leeds, Capt. Babcock. Messrs.
Levy and Baker. The names of the
rest we have not yet been able to OBJ
tain. The ship and cargo are both in
sur ID.
The schooner Pioneer, from Bran
dywine, bound to New Heaven, with a
cargo Of corn and flour, struck at about
the same time, and all on board perish
ed. The vessel is total loss. The
cargo will be saved, but is scattered
along the beach. About twelve o'clock
the schooner Alabama, from Philadel-
phia, struck the sands ofSquan Beach,
New Jersey, about twenty miles south
of the Highland lights. The crew are
saved. At one o'clock the schooner
Register, of and from Newbern, struck.
All were saved but one passenger, who
is supposed to have been crushed to
death. The Swedish bark Lofty which
sailed for Antwerp on Friday, also got
ashore, and the Captain, D'Haen, and
mate, were lost. She has gone to pieces.
She had cargo Of grain. The crew
were saved. The bark New Jersey,
Lewis, from Savannah, is also ashore,
and has gone to pieces-belIeved all
saved. The schooner Arkansas, Pierce,
from Elizabeth City, for New York,
with cargo of corn, was ashore on
Deal Beach. One man lost.
A vessel, supposed to be the bark
New Haven, bonnd to N. Haven, from
a port in the West Indies. is ashore at
Stratford Point.
Two other ships, names not yet
known, are said to be ashore below the
John Minturn, One of these, it was
feared, was the Orleans, Capt. Sears,
but she is safe in port, having rode out
the gale off Sandy Hook. The ships
Tonquin, from China; New York, from
Charlestown; and H. Allen, from
Charlestown, have also arrived safe,
having experienced no damage. A
large number of briggs and schooners,
mostly belonging to the coasting trade,
have also made port in safety.
1t is feared that many vessels are
ashore near Barnegat, Little Egg Har-
Dor, Great Egg Harbort and at Abse-
con Beach. From these districts news
will be expected with great anxiety.
The district Of Squan is under the
charge of one Of the most energetic and
humane wreck-masters on the coast,