The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-12
TRAVELLER.
Correspondence of the Republic.
BosroN, Oct. 9, 1919.

THE sHIPwREcK.
The disastrous shipwreck in our harbor during
the gale of Sunday morning last, still the
topic of universal interest and sympathy. little
thought, when wrote you few days since an ac-
count of visit to Minots Ledge, where the United
States is constructing new and very expensive
lighthouse, that the outer ledge would soon be-
the of such a calamity. Yesterday morning
the intelligence reached US, that at about O'Clock,
a. m, the day before, the British brig st. John,
Captain Oliver, from Galway, Ireland, with one
hundred and twenty souls on board, (some of the
passengers insist that there were one hundred and
fifty) was wrecked the rocks near Minot's
Ledge, Cohasset, and ninety nine lives were lost;
the people of that town witnessing the terrible
spectacle without the power of launching boat to
aid the struggling victims. The survivors who
came ashore had attached themselves to pieces of
the wreck. Three females saved themselves in this
manner. One woman lost her three children. She
has husband in Boston The good people of Co
hasset rendered every assistance and hospitality in
their power to the unfortunates who cast upon
their shores. Most of the passengers were Irish inn
migrants Eleven passengers in all were saved;
numbering, with the crew, twenty one. The
cond mate, two men and two boys were lost. The
eagerness of some twenty five of the passengers in
jumping into the jolly boat, by which she lost
was undoubtedly the cause of greater loss Of life
than would have ensued had they stad by the ship
and trusted their bodies to spars and fragments of
wood.
RETURNING EMIGRANTs.
1t is a singular fact, that the very day that the
British brig was coming into our harbor with her
one hundred and twenty passengers, men, women
and children who had left Ireland for this land of
promise-but were doomed, most of them, to en-
taa fboua rriv wit
sight of our shores-the packet ship Washington
Irving passing out of our bay with no fewer
than one hundred and thirty -four returning immi-
grants, who had recently arrived here, but whose
expectations of prosperity and plenty had been
sadly disappointed. The truth is, that many of
these poor people come here, hang about our large
cities, and find, that owing TO the immense
plus of foreign labor beyond the demand, they
not obtain work. They seem to think that all
America lies in Boston New York. They do not
think of the vast tracts of fertile land here and at
the West, which may be had almost for the asking,
and where steady agricultural labor could not fail
to afford them good support. Father Mathew has
endeavored to impress this truth upon his country
men; but they are SO gregarious in their habits,
that they cannot bear to dispense themselves among
our rural population.
RECIPROCITY OF GOOD OFFICES.
The French government having made city
donation, through nj. Vattemere, of an extensive
and valuable collection of literary and scientific
works, we have repaid the compliment by trans
hitting, through the same gentleman's hands, do
nations Of books exceeding thousand volumes,
contributed for the purpose by the citizens of Bos
ton. Mayor Bigelow, in his letter accompanying
them, says "The reciprocation of substantial cour
tesy which we thus offer to Paris will, trust, be
received AS token of the friendly regard of the
people Of Boston towards the descendants of the
ancient and effectual allies of our country. hope
also, that it will be regarded testimonial of our
cordial appreciation of the system of international
exchange, which owes its establishment to your in
telligent, selfsacrifcng, and interchangeable exer-
tons" -