Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-05-04


son. They came ashore togetbef. One OF me hIe-
men, whose name we did not learn, ofopghton snofe
two children, whose parents were DOM dIo"ueu. I
Another fireman broughta heautltui boy ashore 20
his mother who had Just been washed to the beach:
Her husband and two children were drowned, anu
she supposed this child had shared the same lase.
The meeting may be imagined.
The purser If the ship, MIR. James rreeDoIh' ie-
NAMED upon the deck until driven oil by me nte'
when springing overheard, he clung TO hoa"nE
SPAR and was washed ashore lnsensIbie; ne was To-
suscitated. but barely escaped with his lie. oeng
attacked with violent fever. There is one fireman.
known as Tom Sawyer, wild, reckless scamp ou'
whose faults be they what they may, should nence-
forth be forgotten; this brave fellow entirely s"iP
nod went TO and from the wreck four times; he is only
nineteen wears of age. After the third time, ana
when nearly exhausted with his exertIons ne leaih
ed that the chief engineer, Mr. Collins was unaole
to swim and liz ely drown, he Immediately sdlteo
off again through tie surf with life PreserVer las
tened it around the helpless man, and accompanied
him the beach; he was also instrumental IN Pfese
wing the lives of several others
Most of those ashore were too exhausted TO render
assistance to those beating about in the surf People
ran about the beach perfectly frantic; one party at
tempted launch boat to reach the steamer but
was overwhelmed by the surf, and this accident In
Inundated others that it was impossible TO muster
the requisite force launch seconc. Meantime
the ship had become living mass OF hre Inc neat
was intense, on The shore, and every moment
the beach received new accessions the list of dead
and dying. The scene was truly narrowing, anu
when at last the steamer was charred and smoking
hulk her stern lifted, and she swung nedVlly Iouhu
and went up broadsde on the beach,
Some few provisions saved from the wreck,
such as salt beef, pork molasses vinegar, lew tin
cans of preserved meats and some cheese, but no
water, there drop of water on the lsiand,
which we have before observed was utterly barren
and uninhabited. The usual amount OF suffering,
particularly among the women and children was eX-
pereuced. During the first day attempts were made
by the survivors, after burying the dead to procure
water by condensing steam, but the experiment failed
There were some TWO hundred and seventy souls
congregaIed the beach, and they all went without
tasting water fftysx hours; the salt provisions only
aggravated their sutferings.
/ Shortly after the scene We have described above
a party started for the neighboring mountains, and
on reaching their summit they were enabled 10 des-
| cry MagdaeDa Bay the mainland opposite, from
which the island OF Margarita is removed some fif
miles here they observed tour ships at anchor
they proved to be whalers, busy engaged in trying
oil, while beyond, in the vast panorama, they
discovered several small boats in full chase after
whale, for Magdaiena Bay is TesorIed to by whaers
| in winter Observing this, the party de-
seconded the wreck and the chief maIe the eng
GERS, and few others, slung Of The cannons OF
| the Independence, dragged and logged II, with
great TOLL the Top of the hill, and with what lille
pow they had, fired twice 10 attract the attention
CT the WhaIeIs; the boats, in pursuit of The whale,
had insensiby neared the shore of the island.
and at attracted by the discharge aid the
smoke against the clear sky. The sound was also
heard by those board the ships, and signals were
observed to go up TO each masthead recalling the
| boats.
/ While this system of telegraphing was going on
between the shipwrecked and the whaling fleet, IN
other party had taken iron boat belonging the
steamer and carried it bodily to the lee side OF
the island, and there launched it pull for the fleet
on their way they fell in with the returning whaling
boats, who were Obeyng the signal 10 The
of the wreck of The steamer and the dread full
sufferings of the passengers aroused all the natural
instincts ofsailor hospitality in the of The ships
Every boat at once called into requisilion they
were loaded down with provisions, and dispatched
to the scene of the wreck. The assistance did mol
arrive moment too soon ; the women and rem
were completely exhausted by alb tinence, and ;hei
sufferings oy The deprivatiOns Of water mos
acute. Purser Freedom went on board the ship
Omega, Captain Fisher, where every attention. was
shown him and his companions. Capt. Fisher also
directions that the sufferers should over tc
The lee side of the island, where boaIs would be in
readiness 10 convey them on board the ships
Among the incidents of the day, after the wreck
child was born on the beach, and is now healthy
and thriving the mother was carried across lhe
mountains In hammock, and even walked part o
the way the boats, Many of the passengers, espe
clally among the teInaes, suffered much tor o
clothing. The dead buried the wreck
Holes were dug in the sand with boards, and eacl
corpse received separate grave. The number know
to have pershed, is hundred and forty, and thu
graves number sixty, there were, of course, eighty
who drowned burned, and whose bodie.
were not recovered.
We have net yet com peted our list of those VIII
: were buried the island, but notice among th
= Otis Hale, of Massachusetts Rufus Mosier, OF New
port, New Iork; Mr.. Chansey, San Jose, Michigan
John Baum, Newark, New Jersey; Mrs. Rowland
> and three children, Michigan; (Mrs. H. was on he
way TO join her husbdnd;) Mr.. Lehman, of Missouri
= Morita Kemp; Maria Wilson, sewardess; MIR. Car
rington and wife, (two children, both saved } AS
> Kiltredge, Wakegan, ILL.,, William Cornwall Eng
lame man, name unknown, had wife and a chit
near Elizabeth, H.; Robert Tav or, Boston; Charlie
: A. Ward, No. 365 Broome, street, New York.
i All Of the above had money their persons
II which is in the keeping pr Mr.. Brigham, the o.
fee of the Vanderbilt Line. The bodies of Mr.. Tar
ID of Sacramento; MIR. Knox, of Rhode Island, and
t Senior LARGO, of Val paraso, not recovered. Th
z last named was ChIlian gentleman of veal tn an
E standing in Valparaiso. Finding himself driven int
h the waves by the fumes, he turned a few VIII
were about him, and offered $50, 900 to any perso
8 who would assist him save his life; but in such
- moment, none could think of the offer. Seeing thi
l. his end near, Senior LARGO said Farewell
e is only once 20 and plunged into the waller; he wa
e quickly drowned.
= The body of Martin O'Mera, an Irlshman, we
II also lost; he had many trends in New Orleans.
u Shaw, who was among the passengers, went back
d Mexico by way of La Paz and Mazatan; he wa
d carried by the undet0w of the surf beyond Ii
steamer, but eventually reached the shore by increC
- ibe eXertons. When he had landed he threw hin
e self upon the beach and wepl like child. After til
e Independence swung round broadside to the beach
u her coal took fire, and the sight will be long
N bered by those who it. The mass of coal b.
N thoroughly ignted, and through the blacl
ened ribs of the SHIP it gave her the appearance of
he gigantic graie of coal fire.
n The Captains Sotement-Censure by Tie Passenger