The daily union., 1846-09-26

hurricane Of the 6h instant, of Cape HatteTas,
worthy place in the columns OF your valuable pa
per, they may prove not unlnteTesllng TO some Of
your readers, as being connected with the fate Of a
gallant officer, well known In your city, and where
A NAVAL OFFICER.
After pleasant cruise of about month in the
gulf stream, where she had been employed survey
ing, the United States brig Washington, Lieuten.
ant commanding Geo. M Baehe, stood in on the
7h instant for the capes Of Virginia. As the wealth
er appeared threa ening, the wind fresh and blowing
shore, great anxiety felt to reach an anchor
aye. The night came on dark and lowering, and
neared the land all eyes were turned To wind
ward 10 catch the gilmmer OF the light for which we
were striving (that upon Smiths island through the
haze and squalls, nov beginning TO obscure the hor-
lion, To wndward. About eleven, our hearts were
gaddened by the welcome cry Of slight no !" from
the look out; but the Joy doomed TO be of short
duration. The light upon Cape Henry, without
making which the harbor cannot be entered, must
have been obseured by the squall, for when we
brought by the wind, nfter bearing up for il, ex-
pecting every moment TO make the looksd-for bes-
con, always cheering TO the mariner, In our W,
felt TO be only hope-the terribly cry oi
"breakers ahead :" struck pang TO hearts hrob
bing with hope, and told that we were aban-
doned to the horrors of lee shore, and ths
our only prospect Of safety lay in being able
TO carry sail against the wind. Sea and cur
rent forcing us upon Cape Hatteras, the terror OF
seamen this all felt to be forIorn hope, for the
gale, now increased in violence, howled omlnously
through the rigging, and already our ltile vesse
sWaggered under her canvass; the sky was obscured
by hying masses of dark clouds; the erests Of the
waves, heaying their dark volumes to the sky fash
ed with the CHASTITY phosphorescent light often OBJ
served in storms, and once the sea ahead liz up
for few seconds by pale blue light, known TO
seamen as the corpus santo, and whose appalling APP
IheV regard Al The Drec
sor of misfortune and wreck. The barometer fell
rapidly, and everything foreiold terrible strife ol
the elements.
Upon discovering the breakers, the brig was i'm.
medialely with her head off Shores the coursef
reefed, her topsails double-reeied and set Noby
the gallant eraft did her part groanng in every tim
ber her tall masts bowing to the blast. Dayligh
found her sul dragging on, and rising TO the
which appeared pressing on TO her destruction; it
brought an Increase of wind, and most gloomy
prospect; the ran learfully high, and appeared
one 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, jib and hyng-b-
booms, topmast, staystail, &c. The lead, every
cast Of which had been watched with deep anxiety
told that we were rapidly drifting upon the shore
BY seven the wind had increased to hurricane; sal
aer sail had either been taken in, or splitting will
noise like thunder, blew into ribands to leeward
the yards shivering like pipe-sems; nothing remain
ed but the fore-topsa, unconnected, under which
the brig "lay to" until | m, when the hurricane
had reached its height, and ragged with extraordinary
violence, surprising anything we had ever seen
The brig lay over completely on her side; the wa
ter boiling over the lee rail- we were obliged to cling
to the rigging, to prevent being blown or washer
overheard, for the sea appeared uprooed from its
bed and borne in huge masses through the air, con
stantly swept our decks. The lee guns were throw
overheard, and subsequently the weather ones, and
the helm put up; she refused to answer il, and III,
order was given to cut away the mainmast; it wa
promptly obeyed, as was every other; our nobIt
crew behaving with the steadiness and discipline
characteristic of"men-of-war's men,"
la its fall the mainmast carried away the head OF
the foremast, topmast, and fore-topsa yards
which hung in a mass TO eeward; every exertior
made to get clear Of the wreck and the shater-
ed hull of the Washington" steered wildly on be
fore the hurricane to the shore, she had sriven 81
well to clear; the anchors had been prepared for
letting go, the las hope, yet no one ina gined thai
the cables v Juld hU for moment in that furious
The horrors of the scene battle description
The fierce bowling of the hurricane, the roaring Of
the waves, breaking in irregular masses around us
and pressing on madly in our wake, as if eager 70
be in at the death-were added to the crashing OF
spars, which, falling from aoft or launched on
board by the sea, now made sad havoc among us
Two officers and several of the crew had been born,
wounded below; scarcely one among us escaped in.
jury; and yet throughout this trying not sign
of flnching fore and aft not banched cheek was
W pt sttnj were gwen dHu executed with the
coolness of every day maBeuvering. Never did tn,
writer feel proud of his countrys seamen as then
As we neared the breakers, each man awaited tn,
fate which appeared inevitable, with camness and
self possession almost incredsle.
At or meridian, the helm was put down, and
the larboard anchor let go; she to the wind
heavy sea broke on board, throwing the brig upon
her beam ends, shifting tanks, ballast, &c, in the
hold, carrying away on deck, cabin, wheel boats
bulwarks, &c, and washing overheard nearly every
soul, but thrown aboard by the sea, as she righted
half full Of water, or clngng to fragments Of the
wreck, towing, oil succeeded in regaining the deck
except our iamented commander, Lieut.. Bache, and
ten of the crew, whose names are subioined In a
moment they were swept from our view; that mo.
ment showed them calm and composed, the deter.
mined spirit which supported them on board seem.
ed still to animate them.
One noble fellow, as he passed astern, waved his
hat in token of adieu, and the driving spray hid
them forever from our sight. We supposed our
selves among the breakers and that our unfortupa,
shipmates had but anticipated our doom-sti it was
a bitter pang to see them thus cut off from among
us, and many an eye which had calmly confronted
death, mstrusted at their fate. They were among
the flower of our crew, better seamen never trod .
deck, and long will be cherished the memory ot
their generous kindly natures My pen is unequal
TO the task of paying fitting tribute to the memo!
ry OF our departed commander; to professional
accomplishments, he added every virtue which enno-
bles the human character Never was commander
more sincerely beloved and respected by those who
served under him; his duty was always uppermosl
in his mind, and the last words we heard him utter
were addressing his officers when they stood togelh-
er upon the brink Of eternity "Gentiemen, |
hope you think have done my duty--have used
every exertion to save the vessel" He had indeed
done his duty, with the skill and courage which
distinguished hm--no mortal could have done
more. Yet, when there appeared no earthly hope
God was mercifully pleased to succor us the hur
rcane abated our cables veered to the "better end"
Contrary to all expectaton) held, and the anchors
dragging, checked her drift; soon after the wind
suddenly shifted to the northward and westward
the went down considerably, and still dragging
the brig tailed off shore. She was gh,ened OF kent.
ledge, &c, the foremast cut away and rode easily;
at sunset Cape Hatteras was close aboard Until
the l2th, we rode to heavy gale from the north
ward, with two anchors ahead--the stream cable
hed parted. 1t was period of painful suspense
Our cables bearing heavy strain, we expected
every moment to part, and the breakers upon the
cape roaring astern. We were employed rigging
jury.mests, but having saved only few light spars,
managel badly. Upon the evening Of the I2th, the
wind diving hove In, On tbo lorb oarb, ,ba