Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-04-04
TERRIBLE SHIPWREGK.


Among the details Of the news brough, by the
steamer Canada was paragraph noting the loss of
the American brig Flordan ON the Long Sands,
coast Of England, together with that Of nearly two
hundred passengers. A CORRESPONDENT, of the Lon
don Morning Chronicle, writing from flarwich, un-
derJateof the 9TH inst. gives full particulars Of the
distressing occurrence and we learn that the Flor
dian owned by MIR. f.. d. Hulburt, of New
York, and that, under the command of Capt. Whit
more, she had been chartered TO bring emgrants
from Antwerp by German company. Having
taken on board from l76 10 200 young and respecta
bic German mechanics with their wives and chill
dren she set sail The 9th ult. and having clear
ed the Flemish Banks, steered westward for the
Straits of Dover.
On The day following heavy Storm OF SNOW pre-
vented those board from seeing the length ofthe
deck, aud her altered, it being Captain
| Whitmore's intention TO make for the South Fore
land Light, running under reefed foresail, foretop
mast staysail and the main spencer. The storm in
creased in fury almost every hour, hut the ship bore
it well and rode safely through tremendous sea.
Finally, the chief mate began to entertain mis-
9ivlngs rs TO the correctness of the he was
pursung and giving To the second officer the charge
of the watch, went below tocunsut the Coast Pilot
Directory. He had scarcely left the deck when the
vessel struck with such terrific violence and fatal
effect that her bottom planks and false keel imrne
diatcy floated up alongside of her. The erngrants
dashed In the sides OF the vessel every surge swept
away or more of them into eternity. Each mo-
ment Increased tenold the horrors of of the scene
and the boats, the last refuge of despair were bro
ken adrift capsized and dashed pieces in their
sight. As the second one was lowered, Capt Whit
more leaped into it with his wife in his arms, and
| this being the signal for general rush from the
laundering ship the fra beat was almost instantly
overloaded and sunk, committing all in her to- wa
| terry grave. What followed is thus graphically de-
scribed by the Chronicles correspondent:
There being now no possible means of escape
left for those board, the took &c the rigging
10 which they dashed themselves and upwards of
one hundred OF the emigrants congregated on the
quarter deck. Here they had not been for more than
an hour before the ship broke in twoamidship. The
mainmast fe., over the side with a fearful crash,
and tremendous sea carried away the whole of the
quarter deck, with the mass of human beings on it,
A frightul shrek filled the air and the next mo
men: the unfortunate creatures seen struggling
in the deep. BY great efforts eight ortcn were res
cued by the men who had secured themselves in the
rigging. And, alas as will be seen, only TO meet
with n more horrible death.
''The moment the ship broke in two, her cargo.
mostly merchandise, tloaed out and informing led
| with the drowning sufferers. For some time men
women, and children floating about on
the PACKAGES night had set in, however, all had
disappeared and it is sadly to be feared that not one
escaped. The then survivors, about twelve i'm num-
ber continued in the rigging of the loremast which
with the fore part of the vessel was all that remain
ed of the wreck, the whole of the night enduring
the greatest suffering. There was no moderation
in the violence OF the weather. The sea kept
breaking over them, and the cod being most n-
tense, rendered their condition the more painful.
'tWhen Thursday morning broke, it was discov-
cred that six ofthe poor fellows had died the
Of the night. They had been frozen TO death, and
their bodies were dangling in the rigging. All
that day the same fearful weather existed and not
! the least aid could be rendered those who still
existed in the rigging. They could see vessels
passing at distance, but they too far off for
the crews to observe their situation. Thursday
night and the greater portion of Friday passed away
| yet no help came. Only four now remained. three
sailors and one passenger the other two were fro
to death in the course Of the preceding day and
night The sufierlngs of the surviving poor fellows
continued fghlu in the extreme, and their feelings
and horror may be readily imagined when they
found the third night setting in, and death likely to
overiake them, in the of their wretched COM
paRions."
| The arrival Of the British revenue cutter Petrol
saved them, but their sulerings had been so great
that one OF the poor fellows deranged and con
tinued so after getting ashore. boat containing
five nOble-heared men, who set out from Vivian
hoe, fishing village, to of the suffer
ers after the quarter deck swept away, was cap
sized and they all perslred.
Ii is most melancholy to merely read these details
OF the destruction of life and property, but to the
thought which attempts to measure the agony
crowded into those terrible hours of the storm, The
wreck, and the untimely death, it will assume an
awtuness Of aspect from the contemplation of which
we must involuntarily turn in shudderng fear.
W.