The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-05-13
From the London Times, April Z.

JJrecl; Of the Steam Frigaie Birkeahead
Loss Of Jour hundred and .Gf1y fair
Lives u ondcJM Discipline Of tie
Engiish Troops.
Another terrible disaster has happened at
sea. At , O'Clock in the morning Of the Goth
Of February her majesty's steamer, the Bir-
kenhead was wrecked between two and
three miles from the shore Of Southern Al
rica. The exact spot ar which the caiami
ty happened was POin, Danger. OF this
point she struck upon reef OF sunken
rocks.--The ship was s.eamng eight and
half knots at the time. The water was
smooth, and the SIX serene, but the speed
nj which the vessel was passing through the
water proved her destruction. The rock
penetrated through her bottom just att the
toremast, AMI in twenty minutes time there
were few floating spars and 4 few misera-
bic creatures c!inging 10 them, and tins was
all that remained OF the Bi,kei,heaG. Of
G3S persons who had left Smon's Bay in
the gallant ship but few hours before, only
Is. remained to tcll the tale. No less than
i54 Engltshmen have come 10 so lamentable
an end.
There is no MYSTERY about the calamity,
We are not left, as in the case Of tl,e ANA
Capt. Sal.nond, the officer in command,
a,,x ious to shorten the passage 10 Algoa Bay,
as much as was possible, and more tnan was
prudent, hugsed the shore TOO closely.
Four hundred and City persons have lost
their lives IN consequence OF his ternerty.
As soon as the vessel struck upon the rocks
The rash Of water was 81 great that the men
on the lower poop deck were drowned IN
tlot " q
fate: at least they aere spared the terrible
agony of the next twenty minutes. The
manner Of death was less painful than with
others, who were frs, crushed beneath The
falling sparS, and then swept away TO be de
youred by The sharks, who were promling
about From the lnoment the ship struck,
all appears TO have been done, that human
courage or GOODNESS could effect. j he sol
diers were mustered on the after deck. The
instinct Of discipline was stronger even than
The instinct of life. The men fell into place
rs co0Ily as on parade ground. They were
told off into reIefs, and sent--sume 10 the
chain-pumps, some TO The paddle box boats
Cant Wright, of the 9lst regiment, who
survives to relate the dreadful scene, tells
US:
Every man did as be was directed, and
there was not cry or snurmur among
them until the vessel made her iinal plunge
could not name a single officer who did
more than another. All received their Or
ders and had them carried out as if they
were emharking instead Of gong TO the bot
tofu; there was only this difference, that
never saw any embarkatIon conducted with
so hitle noise and confusion.
/ Poor follows! Had they died III the bat
! tie field, and in their coun,ry's cause, their
/ fate would have excited less poignant re-
g-et; but there is something nexPre>sihly
touching in the quiet unillnchins resolution
of so manybrave hearts struggling man!u'-
/ ly till the last, against inevitable disaster.
/ Ii is gratifying. also, to find that the women
and children were all saved. They had
been quietly collected under the poop avn
/ ing, and were as quietly got over The ships
side, and passed into The cutter. Oi The
/ 1874 persons who were saved. 1l6 made
their escape in The three hoats which sue
ceeded in getting clear of the wreck.
Never was destruction more sudden or
more complete Within fifteen minutes af-
ter the ship struck, the bow broke short off.
Five minutes more elapsed, when the hull
went ia two abaft the engines, when the ves-
sci surced, filed and went down.
Capt Salmond dhi not survive the calan-
inv. When last seen alive, he was seen