The republic., 1851-01-01

, ately relieved the watch deck. and thus
throughout the whole day, wound up the water
from depth OF about fifty feet in the hole by the
four ash buckets which were replenishcd contin-
scended. In little vi hile ii was discovered that
the organized labor of the fresh responsible pas
sengers told upon the water II evidently de-
creased, and, after due search, the leak de-
tected, and found to have occurred from the break
!, ing Of the hangc from the supply- pipe which fed
the boilers from the sea- The aperture was reached
with some difficulty by crawling in among the
machinery, and was closed by packing and nail
| ing tarred canvass across the rent.
/ Meanwhile the divisions wrought increasingly and
cheertuly, especially when they heard that the
depth of water the hold decreased, and that the
engineer reported his probable ability to rekindle
i the fires ii we only continued to work steadily By
\ this time, too, the fore pumps had been got into
service, and for n while small upper engine,
called .'the DOCTOR" had been set in motion to aid
| in freeing the ship "The DOCTOR" however, was
| soon choked or rendered uscless by the coal and
cindcrs that we're afoat in the hold SO that we
were again reduced to the main reliance on the ash
| buckets. In the course Of the day sail had been
deserted. andlhosted our flag with the Union down;
but the stranger either did not see dritcd flat
!eeward, or thought 1t useless to approach us in
30 tremendous sea.
At dark, on the 24th. the water had been greatly
diminished, and the engineer reported to be III
good spirits Our gaant captain snatched mo-
and the from the deck, to visit the cabin
with a cheering ord or smile, and Howard crcu-
lated among his divisions, encouraging them
nobly did his brave ancestor the battle fields
OF the Revolution. Yet, when night closed in, and
the cabin lamps lighted, there was scarcelya
being in the saloons, who, for awhile, was not made
very silent by the memory OF the day and hour. 1t
was Christmas Eve Yet what contrast with the
wonted scenes of home! Wives, parents, friends,
fresides, peace, contentment, rose before us.
Merry little faces; laughing, gay little figures,
dancing around the lighted branches OF the Christ
mas tree We thought Of the thousand of hearts
that were beating with hope TO be re- united on the
morrow with the sinking dwellers In that ship. We
4. hat thOee behold
forever, and that violent a dreadful Death would
perhaps leave single remnant OF the foundered
ship tell the tale OF her obstruction Fortunately,
however, duty gave respite for reflection or
broodng moodiness Probably no one failed to
offer silent prayer; but never was band OF strug-
giing more nobly sustained by mutual con-
| fidence, courage, endurar ce, and sympathy.
Scarcely had the sun set when the gales, which
lasted, without hardly an interInisson, from the
night of the 22d. began to abate theii Violence and
a they fell the fell with them. The working
parties continued their labors all night long, and,
a. they wrought, the waters decreased in the hold.
About midnight the chief engineer was enabled to
rekindle his fires and raise the steam but when he
| set the machinery in notion at day dawn on the
25h, the engine was found to make only half re-
voution and then stop. Here seemed the failure OF
our last hope, notwithstanding the subsdence Of the
sea and the appearance of approaching calm,
for the vessel had been long strained and racked
by the rolling, that now, with every motion. her
| tInbers groaned and cracked as II another swell
! would sunder them completely
| At six O'Clock went on deck and found the day
| fair and promising. The tempest was over. The
sea comparatively smooth brisk breeze
! blew from the southwest, and Z" a saii' oomed up
on the horizon. In the momentary doubt as TO
| whether the engine could again be made TO work.
| our flag hoisted with the Union down, and sig
] nails Of distress repeatedly fired. The schooner
! soon perceived us, and began TO beat towards our
| ship; but before she got nearer than three miles
our engineer had entirely cleared all the Goals and
| cinders that choked the action Of the enginc, and
had produced perfect revolution OF the steamers
| wheels.
You may imagine the cheer that went up from
| the crowded deck the Ohio once more shot over
| a smooth sea, aud ceased to crack and groan and
labor in its engulhng waves. Silence succeeded
| that cheer, for all anxious to express their
| gratitude to God, and to entreat continue Ct
| the promised mercy.
Sad as had been the Eoe, the Day Of Chr t1i-a
! 1850, was perhaps the most joyous that will roc
passed by most OF the voyagers on the Ohio. Qe
sea continued calm though the wind was fres f1
| fair. Our crippled and strained engine Sol
/ pushed, but aided by all the canvass couiu
crowd on the ship, which now, at
licitation, well as according to the judgment Of
| our captain, directed towards Norfolk, Va An
| observation in the morning and at noon showed as
] TO be about eighty five miles distant from Cape
! Henry, but by the aid OF wind and steam we were
! before nghtali well in under the lee of the land in
smooth water After dark the wind again fresh
| oned To brisk ugly gale, with dirty and lower
| ing sky, and in my first watch o two hours for
| bailing water, feared that might sgain be
| forced to LAY to- the officer of the deck found
il necessary to strip the ship Of canvas. After mid
night, however, we drew closer to Land, the wind
| essened, and when came deck IN my second
| watch at two A. M, found the sky clear sill
| ver with brilliant moon and multudes of stars.
| At four went below and to bed Tor the first time
in four nights, and slept delightfully."- until heard
| il announced that the light house visible and
| four pilot boats in sight About nine O'Clock We
! got inside the Capes; BUTT was not until some time
after that staunch fellow. citizen relieved at
! the buckets by issuing the following;
| ssGENERAL ORDER
| uTHBRspAY DEC 10 O'Clock. A M
''rhe organization of volunteers for the safety of
the ship Ohio is hereby disbanded after the term of
| those now on duty shall cease. The pilot has
charge of the ship and she is saved, You are enti-
tied the thanks OF the passengers, of the owners
of the vessel, and of the families Of those who would
have been Lost but for you Last OF ali you are
/ entitled to respect for having proved yourselves
TO be men, who without fear, their dan ger and
"BENI. G. HOWARD"
This organization, which had been 50 wisely
made and steadfastly preserved by Gen. Howard.
! unhesitatingiy pronounce 10 have been together
with the skill and vigilance of Schenck, the chief
means of saving the vessel; and do hesitate,
therefore, of the Survivors of that apparently
! doomed band, to oIfer him thus publicly the hum,
\ bic mead Of my gratitude and praise. These re-
marks in no manner mpugn the wise discretion
and efficiency of the commander OF the vessel, but
only show, according to his own opinion, the SER
| vices by which his fine ship saved. when steam
was no longer aveilable, ana when new risk had
thrown the task of efficient action into the hands of
/
| lightene6 seamanship.
/ No man could have behaved more gailantly or
/ directed more wisely than Schenck, but had he un-
dertaken his voyage in this vessel, with few pas
sengers, she would now be lying foundered at the
bottom of the Atlantic
was curious TO estimate the quantity of water
we discharged in one OF our two hour watches, and
according to my calculation, with liberal deduc-
ton, am convinced that, in the period indicated.
| we freed the ship, with single bucket, of fully
! two thousand five hundred gallons. During the
whole period Of our labors we discharged, accord
| ing to the opinion of one of the officers water
enough to have sunk her six times.
| TELEoRAPH-IMPoRTAST DiscovERY.--Mr A.
Stager, of the O'Reiiiy Telegraph Office in this
city, has recently made an important discovery by
which heavy item of expense will be removed by
| The companies that may adopt his system. Here
| toiore, four five large batteries have been
used in the ORely office in this city for working
the several lines. MIR Stager's discovery has
bed him 70 dispense with ali bot one, and that one.
| with tho new arrangement, Is capable of working
five or six different lines, and yet the strength il
not exhausted any more than IL would be in single