New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-04-05
Voyage Of the Christoval Colon-Terrinc
Hurricane.


port full Of passengers on the oth of Jausary' Tor
Cafornis met with a terrible gale on the fourth
DAY out, which is graphically described IL The iol-
loving letters The second letter s from Capt.
CoTrIy 70 the owners Of the ship. and was com
muuicsted 70 Us by Messrs. SPoFFoRD IiLEsToS'
We give below the names Of the passengers
They are most Of them members Of the ei'fe OF orr
old families and the news Of the disasters enconn-
tered by this vessel created good desl OF feeling
IN UpperTendom.
Pqapsoe,, ~, Chr.s,,,aI COIN p. B. schernera orr
u, = " ~ G n BgcIms.,er, }. Il Beetmah, z W.
So fJrd " J Emmei, Herman lie Roy Jones' >
Hseh wrl Lse,oi c Topes ys. q g,e1eb
s,sntor Heory Livios.iou " Croct,oo Chss Van Alsn
Eiwil Herr os Henri livingston Hefmsn X Ls hoy'
Chsr'ss Gt.,. { Emmet L. 3 Lent 4 b po~.lne'
ssnue L. n ven ". r Bailey Wm heene'' t. =
s. Fei1 T =. Thomas, J. Il. Cards, J. L. boss'' W q
" smlh.
By the Kindness Of the recipient, we are ena-
bed 10 give the annexed extract o; letter from
passenger on board the ship Chrl'fcrdi Coon
bound to California. The writer has been often al
sea, and knows what bad weather IS:
At SEA, Feb. i5 l54e. lat. 4 :. long 30 W.
will now endeayor 10 give you
faint idea Of the mos, perilous adventure ofmy e 81
brief description ola most awful hurricane which we
encountered on the OH and 10Th OF Jan days OUT
snd which the Captain well as the Oldest sailor on
bosr declare 10 have been more terrific than any they
have ever Witnessed After pretty fsir run for two
dsy. the wind .hified on Tuesday morning 10 the w
and continued to blow hard until toward evening. when
/, yeered to the W with increased violence attend
ed with EQUALS Of rain. At sundOwn the ship was
hove To- and lay almost snohercd In the most terrible
sea ever saw Daring the night the gale Increased
and sbou, 4 o'clock on Wednesday morning the ship
wa, stripped Of her canvas and left entirely TO the
fury Of The elements About daylight the rudder gear
was carried away, and the waves were making com
plete breach over US fore and aft The Captain and
crew were lsshed the quarter deck TO prevent them
being washed overheard and with their ready to
cut away the masts the ship was several times on
her beam ends. but fortunately rghted In time TO save
her rnasts and fairly STAG gering each time with the
load Of water on her forward deck
i, o o'clock the Captain came below, completely
worn out, dreDched with the rain and sea and be
pumbed with cold having been on duty Tor more thhn
thirty hours and with nothing to eat He told me that
no more could be done and nothing but the mercii1i
inerposiiion Of Providence could cave us from per
ishing cannot describe the melancholy scene which
the cabin now presented everything was Ia the most
dreadful confusion chests chairs trunks setees and
bedding were piled In prOmi'cuOus heaps just AS they
had been wedged 10 prevent them from inJuriD2 ne,
and The noise Of what was stll adrift was entirely
drowned by the fearful hOvlings OF the hurricane.
Many of the passengers confined 10 their beds by
sickneu and all who were up were holding on TO any
support that offered TO avoid being dashed from aide
10 side Of the cabin by the dreadful struggles OF tho
shin and each with covering head Awaiting the fate
which now seemed inevitable while the captain. over
come with fatigue and exhaustion had fallen asleep IN
the corner into which he had wedged himself
When look back upon this distressing scene, can
no, but admire the calm frmness exhibited by every
Most Of the passengers were young men ana en-
tire novices 10 the dangers OF sea me- yet mere was
murmurirg or waling, and each one seemed prepared
10 meet his fate with the irmness OF men, and with
degree OF cslmness that surprised me. At 10 O'Clock
could bear this patient and inactive awaiting OF
wstery grave no longer and ! proposed 20 ane up.
the deck load but he declared II impossible,
for the sea broke entirely over the forward deck
filling it with water even with the tops OF the bull
varks Fortunately however. about O'Clock the gale
sbated little aud the order was given 10 clear the
decks As we were now 10 work for our lives, = ana
myself who had not been sick, and were eccustomeo
to the tossing Othe chip volunteered our aid snd went
10 work with the crew deep IN water, and ter
rble sea constantly breaking overus The water casks
were stove IT, the bulwsrks cut away and barrels oil
beet pork fen, and anything We could get al, were
thrown overheard and what We could not get out was
cut open with axes aud their contents passed over by
hand Ia about two hours the deck was cleared; and
the ship evidently much relieved our hopes De-
gan t. revive. During the afternoon the wind contln
ned 10 .bate and before night were enabled to get
hoping thus to escape from our terrible adversary but
all night il continued 10 howl after u.s. as 10th 10 give
up its victim. Ga Thursday morning however the
gale expended itself and were enabled to congrat
uls;e ourselves upon escaping from one OF the most
dreadful hurricanes experienced and remarkable
alike for lie fury and continuance. To give you some
idea Of the force VI the wind will mention that some
Of the sails which urled you know how securely
they are as,ened blown from the yards and rent
into ribbons .
The gale fortunately left US with fair wind which
has ensbled u.s. although in a very crippled sthe, 10
proceed on voyage; but As we have lost most oil
our water and provisions, and many important sans We
shs be obliged to rent Though the wind 10 fair, the
weather is rough and with heavy sea running which
particularly announcement for among our other losses
the cooks galley carried away, leaving only the
wreck Of stove with scarcely any Of Its APPENDICES
rem aiming This 10 placed unprotected on the deck
exposed to every spray that breaks over the bows 80
that the IRE 10 hardly kiuded before II 10 quenched and
WE have difficulty In getting anything warm either TO
eat or drink Our cooking utensils consist OF two small
boilers only in which cooking Is done for fifty people
that being number on board, including the crew
| The writer of the above letter complains that the
ship overloaded both with freight and passengers
and tina, the freight badly slowed. &c. notwith
standing the assurances OF the that such should
| not be the case