The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-12-31

tsnt, and mmedaiely to return IL possible and saw,
until Of those in the boat had solicited by name
each OF the officers left the wreck to with them
These officers resolutely declared that they would wal
and take their chance with the brig Passed Mdshipmar
Hynson, who had been partially disabled by bad burr
received in the firing OF the Creole, particularly i'm
jumped cut Of the boat and offered Ills place to Mr. Hvn
and man by the Of Powers did the same thing
Mr. Hynson refusing both Offers those then declar
would abide the wreck with Mr.. Hynson Csptair
Semmes, who was in impaired health also entreatet
to go. but refused Lieutenant Parker answered SINH
lar solicitation by saying he ould drown with the brig
Lieutenant Claiborne and Acting Master Jensen held
the same language 1t Is remarkable circumstance tina
three OF the officers and ell Of the who acted thu
nobly saved When the boat showed off, the gale wa
blowing with great violence and heavy running sc
the boat would live Purser Steele at one time
to leave the boat for Ash davt he float BY Ths
boat, however, reached the island in about twenty
minutes
~ soon az the men were landed, Mr.. Clarke, disre
gerding the most strenuous entreates resouely
of again with volunteer crew at the imminent hazart
Of their lives Less than three minutes after the boa
left the brig, Capt Semmes finding the vessel settling
under them gave an order for every man to save HIN
self All simultaneously plunged into the water ans
grasped the posts gratngs spas coops and other float
ing objects at hand Many must have gone down from
a Aosts be fnslly dfted onhe reefs and dashed in
pieces Some driven to to be heard of mere
and others encountered the worst fate which could be
apprehended, in being devoured by sharks. OF near
capped.
Through all this appalling scene the greatest com
posture was observed by men and officers. There was
no appearance Of panic, no exhibition Of sefshness
Those who could not swim particularly enjoined
mour. the ships cook had got into the boat Lieutenant
Parker commanded him to come out, in order to make
room Tor two smaller and he obeyed the oider but
was afterwards directed to 60 in the boat when 1t was
foand he could not swim Capt Semmes and Lieut.
Parker were picked up by Mr. Clarke from grating
near them Those who survived have told Of many in
stances Of heroic self-devoton The acting master,
Henry A. Clemson was struggling on a small steering
He found that ell could not be supported and he left and
struck out alone and unsupported He for the
The e left who
could not swim being supported by their comrades
Ames Colson and John Williamson This completes the
history Of our own efforts but with grateful hearts
have yet to mention the daring and devoted exerons
the foreign men Of war; There were lying at sacr6cios
Endymion. and Alarm and the brig Daring, commended
respectively by Capts Lambert, Franklin and Mstson
the French briggs Pylade and Morcure, Cspts. Dubut
and La Voyare and the Spanish corvette Louisa Fer
nanda, Captain Puente As soon ns the accident was
discovered the boats of all these vessels stimuli.
to the number Of two hundred, came an and voiun.
teered There was the most noble emulations to
which vessel should use the greatest expeditcn and
Of the gale was such at that time that of the boats
could pull against it, and it with the deepest regret
that Capt Lambert and others in authority felt 1t to he
their duty to make signals recalling their boats An
hour or two Afterwards when there was slight abate
ment Of tie gale, they again put forth at the peril Of
their lives and succeeded saving fourteen persons and
bringing from Green Island those who had landed there
The FIRST Lieutenant of the Endy mion, Mr. Tarleton,
cued the first lieutenant Of the Somers from Pajaros
reef which he succeeded by miracle in reaching safe
ly, but where his situation most critical The most
gallant and well directed efforts were made by the ON
and crew in the boat Of the Mercure She rescued
ten al sea to leeward, spar. One hardly knows
which to admire most the forehought or the daring Of
this noble adventure The risk incslcuable. Five
bpat of the ed
the island and took off twenty three persons to their
speetive vessels, where they were received with de
not adequately describe but which Of will
forget They gave refreshments and supplied with
clothes regret that 40 not know the names Of al the
boats Of the different vessels. cannot, however, for
bear Mentioning such as fhsve learned viz :Lieuten
ant Wood and the gunner OF the Endymion, and Mid
shipman Ssliz Of the Pylade
The strange vessel proved TO be the Abrasa. bound
for the squadron Of Anton Lzardo She passed near
the Somer but the catastrophe was so sudden that she
failed to discover As the boat landed at Green
Island Dr. Wright took the coors and had them hoisted
in the most conspicuous place. in order to attract the at
tenton Of the Abasia that the accident might be
bearers Of our own sad story
The Mexicans saw the accident from the mole, and
cheered and exuled for q long tine. The brig had
been for long time engaged in the blockade, and had
done to interrupt the commerce Of the port than
fortnight both town and castle had been kept in state
of constant alarm by the burning Of the Creole, and
otker demonstrations, which presume you will hear Of
in due time. I have doubt the Mexicans were re-.
lieved when they her sink into the append
list Of the lost and saved3e men suved-31 lost One
officer, Mr. Rogers, passed midshipman, and one man
before. while recommending an important point, In com
psny with Dr. Wright the latter escaping 10 witness the
catastrophe Of the brig.
List of Officers and Men lost in the Somers.
Henry A. Clemson, Acting Master:
John Ripggold Hynson, Passed Midshipman
VIM. G. Brazier Ebenezer Terrell, Charles H. Haven,
law. nx~Ao Chor IaHI LAM
Young, William Gillian, Matthias Gravel, Major Cain
Dennis Kelly, Alexander Anker, Charles Mcfarland
Ed%sra NIECE Mcconnell william Elm.isy. william oue:
John Hargrave, William w: Cardy, John Christopher
Myers Clement C: wllen, Thomas MCGOWAN, Joseph
w: Powers, Henry w. Spear. James Chapman. Lewis
Johnson Ienstus Leopold, Thomas jefferson. William
II. Rose, Peter Hernandez.
List of those Savcd.
r. Semmes, Lieutenant Commanding.
NJ. q. L Claiborne, Lieutenant.
John l.. Parker, Lieutenant
John =. Steele, Purser.
John H. Wright. Passed Assistant Surgeon.
Francis @. Clark, Midshipmap.
Edmund 7. Stevens Pursers Steward.
Jacob Hazard, Woman
Amos Ccl.on. WIN Johnson. Mathew Buck. John
McCargo. John @ Van Nordsn, Charles Seymour, John
Williamson, John Pollen John Smith. Henry strommell
Thomas Mulhollen. George Wakefield William Keys,
Francis Hare. William Toland VIM. Thompson Chris:
TOPPER Lawrence, JOS Todd Stephen Maynard, Samuel
Bennett, Thomas d. Burns, William Power, Joseph Skip.
ssy Joseph Jones, Chas Nuttsrs, Washington Cooper
US SQUADRON, crr VERA Caus, Dec. II, 1916.
As our norther Of yesterday still continues, feel
strongly inclined to indulge in little gossip with your
excellent paper On the Sd inst the United States store
ship Relief arrived days from Pensacola the fol-
lowing day the steamer Mississippi bearing the broad
rennant of CON- Perry by the steamer vix-
and scho Petrol and Bonita also came in last
from Tampico On the 9Th, the United States frigate
Cumberland (hsving exchanged officers and crew from
the Raran) towed TO sea- bound to Norfolk, saung
the Commodore as she went out But now sir, have to
tell the melancholy tale IL has fallen upon
do On the morning Of the 9Th inst the United States
brig Somers, Lieutenant Commanding Raphael Semmes
was under way. on Isa verda blocksdiug.. The wind
blowing fresh, and gradually increasing In strength
but vessel heaving in sight, determined her officers
stand out for her in order to what she wss when
heavy squall struck her, and she could recover
another followed quickly upon its heels The brig
hove down upon her beam ends and in fifteen minutes
was at the bottom.
Two officers, Acting Master Clemson and MidshiPmaI
Hynson supposed to have pershed and about hrt,
ofthe crew. The remainder of tho officers and crew
saved by the gallanry Of the officers Of the EDgi
vessels and those OF the French lying under hcos
Who Notwithstanding the danger necessarily sttendsn
upon going out such distance in the height of gale
and in an open boat in such sea- fesrlesav and RIOS