The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-24
THE REPUBLIC.


very much feared and so expressed myself, the
g Eugenien was seen TO be again ashore, in the
direction Of Salmadina, but the precise point we
could not determine at the distance we were from
her Several of her sails loose from the yards,
as they continued u be, until we eventually went
on board of her and Tured them, and she had sig
nal of distress Il wing from her boom.
Between pine aud ten o'clock, the mate, who on
our return 10 anchorage the evening before, had
gone up TO the town, came ON board OF us, telling
ms what, indeed we already knew that the ECU
genie was again ashore, and asking our assist
ance. Unwilling 10 go among the reefs with my
steamer sent the master to town 10 inform our
consul of the situation OF the Eugene" TO say
that we had been applied TO for assistance, and 10
tell him, if he could gel launch or any other suit
able vessel, that would send her down, IN charge
of the master, with ~ many OF our best men as
could be spared from the steamer. Half my sea-
men away, watering, in AN indifferent hired
launch, assisted by the cutter, so that had but
few suitable hands left on board for such under
taking
Between twelve and one O'Clock saw a schooner
under weigh, with boat in tow, which Judged
10 be vessel procured by the master, and, fearing
that she could not get down in time render import-
ant assistance to the "Eugene," determined to
unmoor and get under weigh again. Accordingly
! did so, and having gone up nearly To town and
got my watering boats in tow, discharged them
and followed down after the MASTER whom over
took in tow, near the Blanquilla reef At about
half an hour before shutdown, anchored off the
Island of Salmadina BY this time we could plain
" tbe Eugene" was high up the north side
of the reef FL RHO The master came on board from
the schooner and informed me that the schooner
was hired by our consul, MIR. Pommares, at twenty
dollars day, to assist in getting off the "Eusene,"
but that the captain Of her unwilling 10 risk his
vessel outside Of the reef that night, as he feared
norther, in which event he would have TO run for
Alvarado. | then ordered the master TO take the
hired launch and the cutter, assisted by the boat
from the Eugene" in which was the mate, TO get
our stream anchor and cable in the launch and go
the assistance of the Eugene " directed hum,
when he got on board 10 ask the captain # he re-
signed the charge Of the vessel to him, and, If so,
To use every exertion 10 save her, and, If he could
not her, 10 save much as possible OF the
cargo. II the captain declined placing this vessel
III his charge To ask HIM what assistance he wished
rendered and be governed entirely by his directions
In either case he might depend uponmy sending
the schooner round at daylight IN The morning, and
of coming myself in the steamer if the water add
mitled Of it, The weather continuing pleasant,
and thinking that might be of service myself on
board the "Eugenie," | left my vessel at nine
o'clock in the evening, in my gig accompanied by
two custom-house officers, who came down IN the
schooner and went oil board of her. On my ar
rival, Mr. Reilly, the master, informed me that he
in charge of the 'Eugene; that the captain had
hesitated at first TO give him the charge but had gwen
that he had then repeated the question whether he
resigned the charge to him, and that the captain
had again done ii, without hesitation that he had
carried out the anchor on the larboard bow, where
there deep water, and hove taut upon the
cable; that ahead, astern, the starboard side,
| and on the larbaord quarter, there only
| between five and six feet water; the rudder
was fast, the vessel thumped some, but not
much as she had done, and was very nearly up.
| right. Immediately ordered her to be lightened
| by placing the starboard bower anchor in the
launch, colllng much chain cable with II as could
be come at, and filling the launch up with such
| ticles off deck as were heaviest also filled my
| gig and cutter from the deck. The long-boat of
! the Eugene was reported TO me to be in a
fit condition 10 receive any Thing, being very leaky
1t was now about midnight Of the 10th. The pilot
| informed me that the tide was rising; and keeping
| the intensest strain upon the cable, IN which
| broke the starboard arm of the windass, the bow
| Of the vessel gradually came round. ! ought TO
| have mentioned that the master informed me he
had already hove the bow round about two points;
| that when he went on board, the vessel head
| Ing southeast half south BY lutte and little,
brought the bow round to east half south The
wind was from the eastward. All this time had
been attending forward on the larboard bow, but,
| gong aft, | observed, by the light of the moon,
which was now well up, the rocky bottom; and
| passing over to the larboard side, could plainly
the bolton all the way along tothe fore chains,
where the water deepened Itnow occurred to me
| to send every body in the vessel forward on her
! bowsprit and jib-boom, and endeavor, by depress-
ing her bow 10 cause her slide off the reef The
effect was favorable, and we Immediately that,
as she rose with the sea, she also shot ahead.
| Heaying again on the cable, found we had
gained; and, persevering in this plan, by degrees,
we succeeded, at three o'clock in the mornir g, In
| getting the Eugene" ahoat Having hauled her
as Far from the reef as we could with the cable that
was out, let 90 one Of her anchors, and, just At
| that moment, the stream cable, which had all this
| time been caught under a coral rock, got clear,
proving that the stream anchor still some DIS
lance further of. ! mention this to show what kind
Of bottom there is along the edge of these reefs.
The Eugene" was lying just on the northern
edge of the reef FL RHO" her stern and sarboard
side resting the reef, with deep water from her
| larboard main chains forward. The bottom was
rocky, as are the bottoms of all these reefs. Leav-
ing the Eugene" at anchor, | returned To my
vessel, and at daylight got under weigh, and went
round and took her in tow, and towed her up to my
anchorage at SACRIFICES, where arrived at noon
on the l7ih -