The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-02-06
The blowing Up OF the Portuguese Trignts
DonBn Maria III -S onduet or the Ofiocrs
Of the American Corvette Marion.


In fuitimeDt OF duty incumbent on US IL IL in.
dee 4 painful TO give IN this place, account Of q
ar-s1iu catastrophe as witnessed on the 2sth uitino
That day being the anniversary OF the birth OF His
Majesty the King Consort wa, one OF national fee
tivty At moon the men Of war, gaily decorated with
fsg. joined with the Monte Porte in firing th.
tomary salute. But al these cheerful concentrations
ef loyalty and Joy were in moEsnt changed to ssi
and lsmenistion. IL at half ps-t two O'Clock
that loud reports sudden S.ssh-shakipg almost
the whole tevn, drew the attention OF all wards tae
Typa. After a few moments oi anxious gaze. on the
lhtnSu Of dense cloud overposcrins VAS the sad
rpectacls Of burning hull ing he place Of that One
frigste the Donna Maria III The uniucky lot Of this
lnq reality she had blown up and but email part
Of the stern, p possesFion OF the flames lett
indicate the spot where. 20 shorty before che had
nostel Ia brilianey and in apparent safety. Her de-
etruct0n vac totsi aud complete
IL Itimpossible to describe exactly, the horror and
copsttrpai'on OF ell ubo present at this disas
trous scene IL 10 not in power 20 depict fsth.
fully and We VIII not hazard the att.mpt-to realize
sueh feelings they mlst be experienced
The Donna Maria IL. wss teak built ship, about
forty years cla etrong and capable of much service
but great NJ her loss IL IL pought to the grief pain
Tor that OF nearly the whole OF her gallant crew OF
"a men, lss perished in the xploslon amongst whom
were her Commander, Francis de Assis Q silva, i've
dslo, francis Aayier Telles de Mello Francisco Cy
prano DO sauto Raposo, and the native Lieutenant
ssngi, one MidshiPman. Joao bernardo de silva ths
Assistant Surgeon, dove Matthias Lucas ID tAguiar;
aud the Purssr, Eanoel Marques
Thee officers were fer the most part, young men
well snown TO have possessed superior talents and
who had promised at future dsy, to adorn. aud TO
have added lustre to the royal navy Of Portugal
IL 10 impossible TO explain the Of thit horrible
eaiaetrophs. From ths strict discipline and proper
order maintained board the frigae car-essness At
the time OF firing the salute could not have caused H.
the more especially az the explosion did not take
place until more than two hour afterwards, and no
signs of FIRE heard Of by the survivors; neither
we're they obscrved on board the u y. shin Marion,
anchored close 20 her, at tho Typa fort. These
circumstances lead 20 the belief that the explosion
wss effected By the means Of Gre purposey placed In
the age zine; but by whom, hsw only God knows
and 10 s probable that 10 will never be discovered.
We may not hnish this article without making
honorabls menten OF the officers and crew OF the
American corvette Marion who, having happily got
rid Of tbs immense danger to Witch they were ex.
posed by their proximity TO the burning ship gave
va. possible 70 give at such conjecture. At immi.
nent rick, ard whilst explosions OF smsil movesble
msgayines were continually occurring, ten men we're
picked up out OF the water or taken from the burning
bull Such intrepidity with arduous endesvor, be-
yond all praise and well merits the smendstiens
Of the council Of the government as published In the
pa,'. ODicisi OF this number.
OF the ten go picked up only Eve survive; two OF
these are Chinese of whom up-atds OF thirty are sup
posedto bave been board or sepgside at the ime
of the explosion. There were on board also three
saer. prisoners, from the French ship Ohiiii who
likswiae perished.
The bodies OF the unfortunate victims Of this CO.
iamity. vhieh we're found, we're decsntly Inferred
that Of the commander, recovered the day after the
disaster vss buried with sll the honors dus t. his
rsnb, and vas followed 10 the grave by oil he oivu