Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1849-04-18

dian, capt. Whitmore, and the trightful
loss Of life that ensued. 1t is truly thrilling
and heart-rending narrative, and one Of the
most terrible calamities that ever occurred
. on that part Of the English coast the Long
Sands, twenty miles from London. The
unfortunate vessel was owned by E.. D.
/ Hurlbnrt. Of New York, where she was
i insured for $40, 600, )and had been charte-
red at Antwerp by German company, &c
convey emigrants 10 the United States
| The London Chronicle says:
The number Of emigrants that had come
on board before her weighing anchor, is
stated to have been from l76 10 200. They
comprised young respectable German Ia.
borers, with their wives and families, ant
many grades Of mechanics. Amongst the
number on board were from fifty TO sixt,
/ women, and between twenty and thirty
Children Of different ages. The ship wa:
worked by crew Of nearly twenty. part
of whom were Englishmen, surgeon be-
ing on board to attend the emigrants. Il
was late on Tuesday evening when the
Floridian put to sea. The weather was
exceedingly fine. and the wind being fair
all bid we'll for , pleasant run through the
channel. The course taken, after clearing
the Flemish banks, so says TIE surviving
seamen, was westward for the Straits Of
Dover. 1t continued favorable weather
up TO IL o'clock, when the wind shifted
round to the 5. W., blowing very hard
with fall of hail and snow, and SO heavy
was the fall that it became impossible to
see, the length OF the vessel. They tao
ked ship and bore to the north westward
until 4 clock on Wednesday morning, &
then altered her course. Capt. Whitemore
had charge of the watch up to o'clock
when he went below, the chief mate sue
ceeding him in charge of the next watch.
Day break brought fearful weather; the
wind had sprung up terriically, with q
greater fall of snow, and heavy rolling
sea on. The ship kept in her course, the
intention being to make for the South Fore
land Light, running under reeied foresail,
foretopmasl staysail, and the main spencer
Altho' the storm increased in fury almost
every hour, no alarm was manifested for
the safety Of the ship until about three
O'Clock, when according 10 the statement
OF one ofthe seamen saved) the chief mate
expressed some misgivings as 10 the course
they were then pursuing, and calling To
the second officer: requested him to TAX
charge OF the watch while he went below TO
look into his "Coast Pilot Directory. :"
Scarcely had he Quilted his post before The
| snip struck with terrific force. so great,
indeed, that her pianks ana false keel
Immediately rushed up along side too truly
showing that she was lost. a scene OF hor-
ror instantly presented itself on deck. The
emigrans FASTENED up on deck in frantic
dismay, and the sigh, that followed when
they be!ield the fate that awaited them
.e certainty, may tc readily cenceiyed
by the reader. With a few moments of
the vessel striking, the sea broke into her
bull with much impe,nasity, blowing up
the ha.chways, and sweeping many Of the
poor creatures overheard, while others
were drowned in their berths, being unable
to rise from the effect Of sea sickness.
Capt. Nhitmore, pr;ceiving the inevi-
table destruction OF the ship, gave orders
10 his men 10 launch The boa switch were
carried out with the great, st dispatch, bu.
they we,e ulturly insufficient for the
purpose of saving all on board, for il, in
fact, they had outlived the fury of the raging
surf, they were not capable Of containing
even one third of the poor e,nigrants.
The first boat broke adriil the nome mt she
was launched, and il is said capsized direct,
iy with two men who were in it. The
moment the second boat was lowered, The
.capt'in jumpe into it with MIS-. Whit
more, his wiie.) This lead to desperate
rush towards the craft Some twenty or
tilnty poor creatures, men ard women.
ieaped from the quarter deck OF the foin-
dering ship into the boat The result;
was, that it also instantly capsizel, and
the whole party were instantly lost. There
being Low no p s>ible mems Of escape
lett iur these Oil beard, the crew took to
the rigging, to which they lashed them
selves, and upwards of one hundred of the
Iemlgra!ts, congregated on the quarter
deck. Here they had not been for more
than an hour before the ship broke in two
a,ndships. The mainmast fell ever the
side with fearsul crash, and tremendous
sea carried away the whole of the quarter
deck, with the mass of human beings on
ii. A irightful shrek filled the air. and
next moment the unfortunate creatures
wercseen struggling in the deep. BY great
Efforts eight or ten were rescued by the
men who had secured themselvs in the rig
cling. And, alas as will be seen, ONLY to
meet will. 4 more horrible death. The
momen. the ship broke in two, her cargo,
mostly merchandise, floated ont ard inter
mingled with the drowning sufferers. For
some time, men, wcmen, and children
were seen floating about on the pa. kases;
ere night had set in, however, all had
disappeared, and it is sadly TO be feared
that not one escaped. The then surviv-
ors, about twelve in number, continued in
the rigging Of the foremost, which, witt.
the fore part Of the vessel, was all that
remained Of the wreck, the whole Of the
night enduring the greatest suffering
There was no moderation in the violeneeI
OF the weather. The sea kept breaking
over them, and the cold being NEST intense.
I..-o Al "a.