The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-28

MS steamer, having ON Dodru the Cdiiiof-
MIA mails, and concerning which some serious
apprehensions had been manifested. arrived at
Norfolk on Thursday, having previously en-
countered terrible storm, and been obliged to
put in at that port disabled, with all hands safe,
however Her passengers arrived yesterday at
Baltimore. Among them were the Hon. A. o..
PENN, member elect to Congress from Louis
lana; Messrs. REvERDY JOHNSON, BRANTz
MAYER, BENJAMIN G.. HowARD, and VIM.
M. GIBSON, of Baltimore; IL. IL. STRAW
BRIDGE, Of New Orleans; and ID. LEApBET-
TER, u. s. Corps Of Engineers.
We find the following, in reference To the
subject, in the Baltimore Patriot of last even
ing;
"The steamship Ohio, under command of Lieut..
Schenck, of the United States navy, for whose
safety serious apprehensions were beginning to be
felt, arrived at Norfolk yesterday, after perlous
voyage from Havana, whence she sailed on the 18th
instant
"The boat from Norfolk this morning brought up
most Of the passengers of the Ohio, among whom
were the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, Brantz Mayer.
Esq, Gen Benjamin C.. Howard, and Mr.. Gibson,
of this city, who had visited New Orleans in rela
ton to the will of Mr.. Nc Donogh.
"The subjoned account of the voyage of the Ohio
from Havana was prepared by Mr., Mayer. II was
issued in an extra this morning by the SIM, and
was necessarily drawn up in great haste, but il
will give to the reader correct idea of the terrible
storm which the steamer passed through and of the
skill of the officers, and the noble forttude evnced
by all on board
1.-The Ohio had on board the mail from Califor
mia, and it brought up the city this morning
in the boat from Norfolk under charge of an
agent. Ii reached our post office about nine
O'clock The packages were all addressed to the
New York post Office and could not therefore be
opened here without authority from Washington.
AS soon as the mail reached our post office, Mr..
Maddox, the postmaster, promptly telegraphed the
Department at Washington ad " ising them of the
fact, and asking what should be done with it. The
Department telegraphed back Immediately that it
must be sent on to New York by the eleven o'clock
train, This was undoubtedly the correct course,
for the mail consisted OF twenty seven large bags
of letters which, with all the force the Baltimore
office, could not have been opened and assorted
under several hours, certainly not in time to be
sent of to the East before nine O'Clock to night If,
then, the mail had been detained here till that hour,
it would have kept the letters from the East where
fully nine. of them belong, for nearly twelve
hours
"The California mail was therefore sent on to the
East by the eleven O'Clock train OF this
ing, and will be in New York in time to be rted
that those for Baltimore will be returned by the
express mail that arrives here to morrow evening
at eight o'clock
ACCOUNT BY BRANTz MAYER, Esa.-The United
terday, after most perilous voyage, from Havana
On leaving that port, last Wednesday week, an
accident happened to her machinery which de-
tanned her day in the harbor, whence she depart
ed on Thursday with the perfect use of only one of
her engines. She full Of passengers, and
among them was the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, and
number of other gentlemen well known in the
country.
6" On quitting the port of Havana it was soon
ticed by those skilled in marine life that the OHIO
was but badly prepared To encounter the risks of u
winter approach to our northern shores Her Elm
gle operative engine was, in all likelihood,
equal to the task OF encounterng the violent storms
along those coasts, and her frail masts and light
sails could afford but slender protection II she were
forced to lay to- if her engine proved useless
on lee shore, or in the open sea-
" However, all went fairly and prosperousiy un-
til last Sunday night, when the breeze, which had
all day been freshening, to violent gale, in
the midst of which the engine stopped on Its cen
tire, and the ship preached to in the midst OF the
tremendous that had been already raised by the
violent wind. skilful seamanship Immediately
rescued her for the moment but from that hour un
til the morning of the 25th December the Ohio
forced TO lay to- under the scantiest SAIL and TO
bear the brunt of the hurricane.
" Her immense size made her unmanageabe by
She lay like log in the trough of the sea,
rolling between the walls of waves that lowered on
either side of her, and threatened her immediate
"Sad as was the plight of the gallant ship from
these events, she destined To encounter
other danger On Tuesday morning it WAS an
nounced that she had sprung aleak, and that the
rising water had extinguished the fires beneath
the boilers. This direiul announcement at once
aroused the energies OF the passengers, who man
fully organized in bands under the charge of Gene
raj Benjamin &. Howard, Of Baltimore, and from
that moment until she passed Cape Henry the
Ohio was under Providence, freed by their inccs-
SAINT but patient labors together with those of the
officers and crew, and enabled to recover the
of her engines since the morning of the 25th
" This is but a brief and hasty summary of the
dangers encountered by this noble ship, and is in.
tended only as Introductory to the following cor
respondence between the passengers and our gal
liant friend, Captain J. F schenck, Of the United
States navy, who commands her.
{" There were several lady passengers ON board
the Ohio, but throughout the pers their noble for
titude encouraged and nervcd all who in a
condition TO labor for the vessels safety"
The passengers on the 25th instant addressed
a letter to Lieutenant ScHEScK, United States
navy, in charge of the Ohio, urging him, on
account of the extreme peril in continuing the
voyage 10 New York, to put into Norfolk, to
which that officer acceded.
A slip from the Baltimore Sun contains the
following;
"AcoouST ny A PhssESoER.-Thc Ohio prepared
10 start from Havana the 18th, but ON the first
evolution of her engines she blew out the head OF
OF her cylinders. ltcr departure was tIen oe-
fcrred to the 18th, when she got under weigh with
one engine, and made good time till Sunday even
ing, the 22d, when shs struck by severe
gale She, however, continued under steam until
ii o'clock that night, when she laid TO and re-
manned until Monday evening, having been great
ly rsckcd by the storm.
ION Monday evening she again got under weigh,
and continued 10 breast the storm until two O'Clock
on Tuesday morning, when she sprung aleak. The
crew went TO work At the pumps, but soon found
the water gaining on them. IL having risen to such
a ght that the fires in the furnaces were ertin-
guished.
''Tbe passengers were then aroused and called
on 10 assist ia freeing the vessel from water, and
they turned out maniully to the work. There was
found TO be feet Of water in the hold, and all the
pun pc were Immediately put in operation, and
bailing resorted TO from every point that access
could be obtained 10 the water.
'sThe passengers thus worked from Tuesday
morning until Wednesday at noon before they had
lowered the water sufficiently TO enable the crew
~ ekindle the free
"About one o'clock on Wednesday afternoon
steam was again got up, but IL required the con
slant assistance OF the passengers, from that time
until she got TO Norfolk, To keep the water from
gaining 70 such extent TO oxtinguish the
fires.
esshe reached Norfolk at two O'Clock on Thurs
day afternoon, having on board four hundred pas
sengers-tvo hundred and fifty Of whom were
from California.
1.-The Norfolk boat this morning brought about
n a. n.lf