The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-03
From, the San Francisco Herald -Aprl l.:
wreck md Burning of the Steana-
ship IntepeNdence.-
STATEMENT, OF CAPT. SAMPSON

-
sTATEaeSTsoF CAPT. SAMPSON.
Ism under the painful necessity of report.
ing the loss of, the. steamer Independence, late.
ly under my command, on her passage from
San jean del Sud to this port, aud about one
hundred and twenty-five lives, consisting of the
passengers and,fifteen of the crew. She was
los, on the island of Margsrita, off the coast Of
Lower California. After leaving Acapulco,
| we experienced strong hreezes from NV. to N.
Passed Cape st. Lucas on the morning of the
115th of February: At IL o'clock, NJ, OF. the
l'l5tS, We were in lat. 90 O4'N., lon. ITO AZ
W., steering NV by WI 2W. per compass,
Intending to goto the westward of Margarita
Island: On the morning of the 18th, at O.
clock, A. NJ. made the main land TO the east
ward Of the Island having been set in shore by
the current Altered the course to SW. At
2 A. N. made the Island of Margarita, the
south point airing w. by S. per compass, then
altered the course to WSW.
Iintended to give the point asaerth of three
miles, hut owing to a haze over the land was
tdeceiped in thedistance. At fifteen minutes
past Eve, just as day beginning to break,
tsbe STRUCK on a shnken reef extending off the
south point of the Island, about a mile from tile
shore. The sea was very smooth at the time,
not breaking on the reef at all. Backed the
engine, assa she came off; examined the hold
and found that she filled rapidly; knew that |
| wonld have to. beach her to keep her from sink
jig; got, a sail over the bow (under her) to try
to stop the leak, and set gang of men TO work
at each hatchway bailiug, and ran along the
west side of the Island, close in, to find good
placeto put her ashore. Told the Engineer to
| let me know FIVE minutes before the water
would be-up high enough to put out the fires.
When We had run about four miles the Engi.
neer came up aud reported the water nearly
| up to the fires, and that they would be extin.
Ea.port; and ran her ashore in small cove on
the southwest side of the Island, head On. Low
sered boat and sent the mate and two men in
her to run line ashore to the beach, which
was about one hundred yards distant, but the
boat broached to and was swamped in the surf.
| Lowered another boat and sent three men in
her with another. line, which they succeeded in
|! getting ashore I now yascertained that the
ship wass.on fire. Told the engineer to take
his men, and put out the fire if possible. Or
dered the otller two boats TO be lowered, and
to come forward, and the women and children
to come TO the forward gangway; loaded both
boats with women and children, and sent them
ashore. The ship had now swung round broad
! side on. The mateaEd two men camc off with
the boat that took the line ashore, and she was,
Immediately loaded with women and children,
and went ashore with them. The fire origina.
ted from the furnaces 1t was necessary, after
she struckEon the reef to usewood and boards
for fuel, in, order to keep, up steam until she
struck on the beach, when the water was so
| high as to stop the draft from the lower fles,
which forced :opeu the furnace doors, and the
flames rushed out, andScaught the wood work
in the fre-room, and also around the smoke
stack, thence spreading very rapidly. Every
effort was made to get the fire under, but Of no
avail. - he. flames were now coming up fron:
| the hatchwyys, fre-room, engine-room, vel1tila-
tors, and: mound the smoke stack; everything
was CONSERVATION and dismay the people
seemed completely bewildered, and were jump.
4 ing overheard by dozens.
The sceneEwas perfectly horrible and inde-
scribable-men, women, and children screech.
Ling, crying, and drowning. ordered the spars,
matches, tables, and. everything that would float,
to be thrown overheard, which was done, and
they were,immediately covered with people
About an hour after the ship struck the beach,
she was in perfect sheet of flame, and there
was no one on board of her except one Of the
coal passers, named Beaumont, and myself.
The smoke-stack had fallen, and the prone
made deck forward had tumblrd in; the flames
were coming out of the side,lights, and it was
impossible to stay on board any longer. A
boat came uf from the shore with two of the
deck hands inher. Beaumont, who was near
the fore rigging. jumped into her, and jumped
overheard, s&ana to her, and commenced pick
ing up those who were ahoat After picking
up three boat loads, Thos. Herren, the steward,
succeeded in launching another boat and saving
some Of the people. 49,
When all that were alive had been picked up
and some Of the baggage, landed and had
thespars which had drifted ashore hauled up
into a ravne, and with one old sail that had
washed ashore made tent large enough to
shelter the women and children. The ship
was still in flames, so that it was impossible
for any one to board her. / gave the mate
and engineer orders to have the dead taken up
above high water mark and buried. and to
board the wreck as soon as possible end save
all the provisions and water that they could.
[ then took boat and four men and started
to pul! round the north end of the island to
Magdalena Bay, in search Of assistance, ex
peciing to find some ships there. We pulled
until 10 o'clock that night, when, not being
able to see any vessels, and not knowing in
what direction to pull, landed OH the north
shore Of the entrance to Magdalena Bay,
hauled up the boat, and waited until daylight,
when started again TO pull across the bay
After pulling an hour and half, | discovered
a vessel close in to the main land; pulled for
and reached her at ii O'Clock A. NJ; found
her to be the schooner 4. Emery, Captain