New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-27
The Wrecked Sleamer Union.

furnished by Cspi NarsS Of the loss ot the steamer
Union. on the Pac.hc coast
The steamer un.on sailed from S,a Pranci.,o q,
the Isl July a, m .nigtt ~aS clear OF the Forth
Head Tne ship Was Irt on tue usual course 80 as
10 make tie land south oi Monterey. ~ mcrldsn oi
the % the weather cleared away. by OoSers siioa.
the shlp was m the si ci e 35 north. the l,ai Al
the time about fifteen niles distant the steamer Pa
cifc. Can't Bailey. m sight. about eight miles m
shore oi the uuipn the saif you're a the same
,,rlc gwen : r. and sept - until noon ~ thc ~
The weather during TIE iaiicr part oi the dAy and
night. had bcen thIck and iOggY Nmeuiian OF the
~ The steamer IL hts sotc ia sight iro an Fran
cisco, hound 90 Panama. lst " ~ nnfih-no lsni
sight. h SunSeiNo hfc run ter hu.i ip"n me isth'
mus steering OIe POINT more 10 tiee St"ifd dlhanihe
Union. July the An. having passed all ne chaa N
Islands u>uaiiN made on THIS nouir. without >eiins
suy Of them. lufCed rVSClf well ~ the westward,
ard shaped my course io make he f>iani oi Iercs
Thruvg houl The uigh,. The weather was thick and
iocey. ~ O'Clock VI or The 3ta LEI The fcck.
anc having seen 10 lanf since leaving Monterey,
passing ou,SiCe oi -. Catherine, - Miguel, and
John bcgg. and having seen none Oi them, ict sure
the position cl the snip was where The reckoning
and courses >teCTtd ought 20 have pu, her N1
\ VI cuiC .hick weather tfc ship struck on a htrd
rocky bank. aOOui halt a milc from the man hnt.
The helm was Immediately ofLcfrd 10 pprl the
ship al the next moment Wa among the breakers,
aLG disabled before anN possible means could De
taken TO eNircaie her from her pcrilouS position.
she less than hall an hour hlcd 20 the lower deck.
and broke amd>Aips, Ne sea al ihe time orS,king
over her after body NJ daylight. the passengers and
gold du>twfre landed. Nr Berry. my chici officer.
/ sent on shore 10 take charge ot what was landed.
At 10 A. NJ, the brCasers Increasing, male It ian
geTouS 10 land Mr. Berry found y difficult 20 get
the men any longer 20 return 20 the Ship and sent
word this Will be the last boat 10 go Ia the ship.
the refusing any longer 10 remain IN the boats.
As Il was impossible ~ lanc without risk of hlc" |
was obliged then. 10 abandon the ship. which proved
TO be a total wreck Before leaving her the butts be-
gan stalirg. and the main deck opcncd abreas. tho
engine room. On reaching the shore number OF
the passengers hocAeG about me 10 know whs, was
the prospect before them | saw nothing but the
barren coast OF Lower California. lat 30 deg north,
Ion. t. deg. IS nm wcS!, about - miles south OF
- Cuiui,H Bay BY water, trd 60 hy land.
IN examining The treasure landed. found one box
ms. ing. nafkod J. WATSON, Phlaic phia. contain
iniBg $1,000 ia dust, which MAS stolen during the
morning of the hith. The empty box Was iOuni m
the between decks.
Onthc morning Of the On Despatched Dr Ilew.
no and guile 10 san Domngo which was distant
about 5 miles iromth wreck. Ia procure mules ~
remove The gold dust 10 81 Cunin. a safe port ID
seemhaIk the trcaNm The following day, sent
another express 10 assist M procuring mules. THIS
express returned on toe ltn, Nl,h so packed mules
The Alcaidc from san Domingo. brought message
from Dr. Hewitt, that he would bee AZ san ID ee,
that day. The gold du>' waSrcmoved across cham
of mountains and safely landed at ST Qulntin.
On he morning ot the 18th he steamer Northcmet
came 90 anchor IN the bay. capt Ranfall informed
me tat be- had got miormaton ~ the loss of the
| mon through Dr hewitt and hai seen my letter tn
Ar Anes o. The >Ir Nicgo Hcrdd, and that they had
sent MCrd To Dr. Ucw H. DO wa, then on Ms way to
san Francisco. of the Nomcmer's lnieEilon of stop
ping tor ouI rohei, which information mus. have
reached San Francisco before ans thing could have
been done there Tor our relief, particularly A. II ~a>
well known ~ san Francisco than the NOrthcrncr,
when lean ing hac but about forty passengers, ati
wot A. consequently come 10 our nid. Tie p1Ssrn-
gers auC Sold dust We're taken on board the North
,iutr. ard on he i9ih We started 1Or Panama. VIA
Acapulco.
uight of TIE 1lSt INST. The following morning
uibnca,iou sirred %, l.. IA. Hickman. Lawrence
burg. Ky. was shown 10 me The cause Of Sogross
charces as are therein made upon me, cannot ac-
count for othCrw sc than that nearly all the passen
gers ielt anN.ouS - have sharc OF The gold dust,
which. with great uSk ard anxiety 1 had succeeded
IN bringing 10 Nsw-N OH.
nnmtdiatcN amer landing nom the wreck, toun1
gl,aier part of the ship crew dsOrdered state
from the use huoT and io protect the prov sions,
water. &c. selected some twenty oi the passengers
~ watch over them. Thcfolowing day anumber OF
the passengers oi Their own accord told me they
were qoins 10 san Diego and Il Culttin. Provisions
were furnished them, and they lcit together with
raft OF tho crew. then ttt II would De prudent 70
select posse Of ioriy " HON could hayeundcr some
CONTROL anu rev art them Tor thei services WIN sui
fcient to procure them passage nom 81 Quintn to
Panama. which tLey resGtiy assented, torming
tleuSe Ives INTO body TO guard the treasure ani
provisions The best of fCclmg existed between my
self ana tbs posse for several days, two OF them
rakmg quite apology 20 ne for want Of thought IN
me passengers. Tor GLOWING my dispatches by Dr
Hewitt 10 ga without giving card ol thanks ioI The
manner IN which had conducted my self throughout
thetrNlng scene on Tie morning OF the wreck. THIS
sentiment. - such tliue vas ndtitrng, ana some
what relieved me OF part oi the bulthen, which no
man can l,cl unless placed a Ike atuatiDn.
Iut things SOOn changed. \ gentleman rom sac
rameutO DI Robertson, known 81, the great ~ idter
agItaior, commenced looking on The aust with =
strong feeling OF a large salvage nd nom day 10 day
irt,UVteu the passengers, telling them that steps
should be taken 10 gel the gold dust out OF my hands,
~ the Cycut of ny not being brought 10 terms Mr.
DaI " no was chosen head O' the posse, showed
f..tff I, i.ttt4
cpClayortd To tic he charge OF the gold aust Out Of
my HANDS gave hlm to understand, m The event OF
any su,h .tmii bCig uld. t,l.y WOMB nave 70 iaAc
A. over my corpse. lie thcn TOOK decided Stani
AGAINST ne AMI at every opportunity, offered me
insult. and continued 50 dong until We reached thi-
qte, lie pretended 10 know me- and expressed
nmseil as having had my acquaintance for several
wears DO not know That ever saw hun until on
ioaId the Union, and then hc informed me 0i ms
having been paymasiti IN The IOFeinlntnt service
ana W now acting Is agent for Mr.. Vanderbilt Al
Panama he handed ne a note nom CAPT Howard.
which he informed mc contained a chaiicngo' AMI
that lie was 10 act As capt. HOaaris friend. Before
leaving ~ Qurin, Twas obhgedto submit my fnnh
"a the examination ~ himself ind DR.. Robertson,
for treasure which they sad they had heard was
.toi.u and IA my possession Is Mr. Hickman re-
marks let the public Judge what must have been ny
condition I'd m Win such men, Al the hc al of
q large number OF passengers, some ol thein return
,ng nom California without getting what they went
after and some 81 them pcnnle's' and realy Tor any
chance 10 get a salvage and the only thing IN the
way was Capt MARKS, VINO "ouid hpl isl mem ha''
what many of them felt they we're entitled %
NJ Acapulco, he entire PASSENGERS WIN ue et
ceutlon OF three Or four, made claim Of salvage
and for expressing my cpsnion 20 the Ohsui against
any such clam, brought upon my'eli many insults .
Al tunes was insulied Al the t0nsuls once, ara
again In the streets my papers Tor protest were
torn M by them IN the Office Of The Consul OF "hicb
| fact + have ms certificate The entire crew, win
! but few exceptions we're shipped the day LEAVING
| san Francisco number 0i lhem came on Doa'.
| IN hcuor which IN few hours wore on, and
good order and discipline were on board the onioh,
| / having selected iTom among me ere" hsh 20
take the helm, and given orders TO my Oh'ets
not 10 admit such men as we're not hflih'meh S'
the wheel Liquor 10 the crew VI the mon was
prohibited. and on occasion have ever aiio"e'
The police Of the ship 10 have any hanof u the cie~
on The fth Of July, pot liquor, II was 2iven O then
by the men who most complained OF Their drunken
ness This was the conduct Of a set OF men, deter
mined 70 have part OF the dust or some revenge on
me for preventing II. snce my arrFal mere, these