The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1852-06-02
Going in a Steamer with q Lunatio
CAPTAIN,

A-# -HH 20 ".
Recently it was stated that Capt Floyd
Of the steamship Washington, was de.
ranged, and it was afterwards stated that
he had recovered and was about to take
command again. The Deuische Reichs-
Zeitung gives some extracts from a jour.
nal of the late voyage from New York 10
Southampton, kept By one Of the passen-
gers, which show that The malady'o of the
commander repeatedly came near deslroyt
ing The vessel, and losing ihelivesof many
if not all on board. The Captain repeat.
eddy changed the course Of the ship, and
whenever the second mate gave the ship
another direction, the captain changed IL
back again, though it was evident to all
on board that the course was pot the right
one. The narrator after relating many
escapes, says:
"Just before sunset we reached Lands
End, A little distance off from it, on the
water, are two pretty high cliffs, Long,
ship, ~ on one Of then, q lighthouses
Our course was directly upon Them. The
Captain, who was walking and back and
forward, himself gave the orders TO the
helsman, and the course was unchanged
though we every instant came nearer to
the rocks. An agitation was 1901 appa-
rent among the officers as well. The frs,
and second mates, the doctor and the en-
gineer conferred together. The first mate
went 10 The Captain again and again, 10
call his attention 10 our dangerous nearness,
and the doctor did the same. Yes, I
know was the reply, and was utterly i'm
possible to prevail on the Captain to give
orders. A German Captain, who was
among The passengers, and who had sailed
a ship for sixteen years, spoke TO him,
in vain. The the passengers, and even the
doctor, went 10 the wheel and gave orders
to steer 10 the west, in order to avoid tha
constantly approaching danger. The
helsman, at first, unwIllingly yielded; but
the Captain perceiving it, went up 10 thu
wheel commanding, South Those stand
ing near, begged him not 10 do this; re.
peating 10 h that he was rlsking The lives
of all his passengers. The sole answer
was, You have nothing to do here!' a
"More vehement orders were given by
the passengers TO the helsman to steer
West, and he obeyed them. The Captain
renewed his counter.order, adding, I'll
shoot you down if you don't do what /
say The helsman anew represented the
danger, and the certainty of losing the
passengers lives. Let them go 10 helll'
was the reply. Hereupon til passengers
and officers surrounded him, crowded him
away from the wheel, the Doctor decla-
ring him out of his mind. He resisted, but
was carried below to his s,ale.room,
whence his pistols and other weapons.
which he now sought for, that he might
use ihem-had been prudenly removed.
We were now free of him on deck, a
westernly direction was taken, and we
avoided the rock by a pistol-sho,. Had
we kept the same course a few minutes
longer, the passengers and ship would.
have been lost. The intention of tho.
Captain to wreck us was evident, both,
from his words and actions; and how near,
was the danger, was plain from what was
said by one Of the sailors who left the
wheel, exelaiming that we were going
ashore in a few minutesl"
The command was taken from the cap
tain and given to the first mate, and they
soon after reached Southampton. 1t was
also determined 10 lay before the Ameri-
can Consul in Southampton, and request
him to remove Captain Floyd from the
ship. All the passengers and one Of the
offices declared they would not go 10 Bre-
men with herif Capt. Floyd remained on
board"