New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-04-09
The Loss of the Steamship North America

A correspondent of the Network Times writing from
Acapulco gives the following particulars of the loss of the
steamship North America
You will hear by this mail of the disastrous the
fine steamship North America She sailed from Sun Juan
del Sur on the evening of the 3d. and II 4 olock
the night of the 9th went ashore about S5 miles south of
Acapulco on the long sand beach which
10 miles below here. The night bright moonlight
one and the ship had been steamng the whole day and
evening within almost stones throw of the shore. The
captains version of the affair is that at O'Clock he went
below to sleep previously ordering the mate to keep her
along with the beach in sight and call him at II O'Clock
At that hour Capt Bethen came deck, and looking
towards the land the mountains in the distance he
completely overlooking the lowands. Thinking hmsefa
great distance from the shore he ordered her point
nearer standing at the time the wheehouse In less
than twenty minutes after he stepped deck the ship
struck The passengers with of ninety men
boat loads however left the ship before morning there
being the least danger At daylight the whole num-
Der landed with portion of the provisions bedding sails
and carpets, and erected tents on the heath.
At 0 O'Clock, A NJ, Col. Avery, n passenger was dis
patched to Acapulco overland distance about eighty
miles for assistance He arrived at O'Clock the next
day and in couple of hours bark and schooner
dispatched to bring up passengers luggage and freight
The agent Mr.. Guys. and r. W Rice, u s. Consul imme-
diatey started for the wreck. and the distance
mostly by night in fourteen hours riding
The at the wreck beggars all description From
fty to hundred tents had been erectedsomc covered
with sails others with costly carpets and with rich
draperies The different tents had slowed away in them
wines and cigars of all kinds and oysters
kegs of nice butter and jars of preserves All waste,
proOn and confusion in this particular Outside the
line of tents Of natives hanging around
with mules and many were watching opportunities to
steal
We found the vessel firmly imbeded in the hard sand,
side on to the beach partially filled with water the
breaking the quarter. She had been driven in by
the force Of the until each retiring left her al
most completely dry the sarboard shore side and
persons wading backward and forward the ship
1t was impossible to get thing from her to the vessels
sent to her assistance from the arboard side the
err and the breakers heavy that ships boat
could live in coming to. going from the shore Under
landed under protection of the breakwater by
ship and passengers baggage and freight packed
III as fast as possible the backs Of mules The ship
will be. of course. total loss.
The number of passengers on the list is &c. but the
PlrScr says they amount to about 700 and the
100 more 1t generally said by the well informed how
ever, that there 500 passengers The whole
number had arrived here yesterday onehaf least be-
ing in totally destitute condition The agent OF the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company and Mr. Rice. raised
subscription three days since the Tennessee bound up
Of about 5000 and have been enabled with fund to
support the sick and most necessitous The
are each maintaining gratis thirty to fifty persons but yet
there is vast deal of suffering Two three schooner
have been badly fitted up and provsoned and will take
away some three hundred of the crowd have money
pay passage few of the balance hope to get the
upward bound steamship but the chance is exceedingly
mail every steamer coming packed as closely barrel
Of herrings
The steamer at the time of the wreck had some $4,000
or $4,000 board but the Purser matter of
reports it all stolen with the exception Of ess than
thousand dollars. The agents here say they have no
from the Vanderbilt Company to assist the dest
lutte or send them forward They have written to Nh,
Nandewater at San Francisco. stating the unfor
situation of the shipwrecked company but do not hold
out any encouragement of assistance The passengers
were all in remarkably healthy condition the time
the wrcck-indeed. did not find single person unable
to ride mule There must be in the whole number al
least forty women and hundred children We afraid
the worst is yet to if the agent at San Francisco
does not send relief God only knows the suffering there
will be. l suppose of course, that 700 pas
sngers have already been sent forward for the April trip
of the North America and there will be distressing
on their arrival at San Juan del Sur.
There Is also bark the Isabel under the Grena-
dian flag in psrt, with provisions money. credit.
with 100 American passengers from Panama nine
If them without dime. The native population here do
not render any aid and the whole of the six hundred
destitute dependent upon what few residents
there are here and the contributions from the
touching in