Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-04-29
NUMBER IO2.

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" TO and was swampcd in the surf Lowered
rr ooa aud sent three in her with another line which
,ey ueteeueu ~ getting ashore ascertained that
ltr snip was on hre Told The engineer TO tike his men
ana pn Out the fire possible Ordered the other Two boat
10 Ge lowered, and 10 forward and The women and
cureh =" come 10 me forward gangway loaded both
with women and children and Them ashore Tho shin
had now swung round broatsitr on The mat, and iva
men oil with the boat that the line ashore and
she Immediately loaded with women and children and
went ashore with Them The fire oricnsed from The fur.
naces II was necessary, after the struck on The
reef 10 wood aud boards for fuel in TO keep up
steam until she struck the beach, when the water was So
high stop the draft from the lower fues which forced
open the furnace doors and the flames rushed out and
caught the wood work IN The e.room and also around the
smoke stack thence spreading very rapidly Every effort
made get the fire under but Of avail The flames
were coming up from the aichways fire room, engine
roon vcnlatos AMI around the smoke stack ever thing
was CONSERVATION and dsy; The people seemed complete
~ bewdercd, and were jumping overheard by dozens.
the perfectly horrinle and ndescrbabl1
women, and children screechng crying and drowning.
ordered the spars hachts tables, and Thing that would
hoa Ia be thrown overheard, which done, and they
immediately covered with people Abou. hour ai
The ship struck the beach, she perfect sheet of
tim and there was board oi her except OF
the cuaipasscrs, named Beaumont and myself. The smoke
stack had faen and The promenade deck forward had
br in the flames were coming out OF the sdeighs and
Impossible tn stay board any longer boat
oil from the shore win the deck hands in her. Beau
who the rigging Jumped into her and
Jumped overheard 10 her and commenced picking up
those who were aoa After picking up three boat loads
Thomas Herren the steward succeeded in launching
ttcr boat and saving some Of the people
When all that alive had been picked I'D and some
" the baggage landed and had the spars which had drted
ashore hauled up into ravine, and with old sail
had washed ashore made large enough shelter The
women ana children. The ship still in flames that
II impossible for any 10 board her gave the
engineer orders the dead taken no above high
water mark and barrd and 10 board the wreck
possible and all the provisions and that they
cond then took boa; and four and started pull
round The north end OF the Island To Magdaena Bay in
search OF assistance expecting find ships there. We
pulled until ~ o'clock that night when being aele
vessels and not knowing in what direction 10 pull
landed on the north shore of the entrance 10 Magdaena
Bay, hauled up The boat, and waited until daylight when
started again pull the bay. After pulling hour
In IT, discovered close into the main land:
pulled for and reached her II o'clock A. NJ found
10 be the schooner A. Emery, Capt Gordon The captain
am! most OF the crew were ashore looking Io water SET
signal and they came on board
Captain Gordon said that lie had been in the bay five
days and that there were other vessel in the hay After
stating The circumstances Of the wreck him. he consented
Ia et under way alhough he had but sixty gallons o
board al The mc) and lake the survivors San Jose
tape ST Lucas where they could The OF
life until other assistance could be rendered themand
immediately got under way and commenced beating Al
day night O the lS il being cnlm and The schooner being
lang distance from The wreck took twenty gallons Of wa
lnd sack Of bread in the boat and sarIe Tor The camp
expecting 10 find the people suffering for water "- there was
The island tit 10 drink Arrived abreast IT the wreck
a; 2P. NJ, having been gone from there fiji, "ne hours
The surl breaking very heavily making dangerous
and The male came down on The beach an said that The
passengers had gone the island aud tt had better
pull around The south tie island The other side
which did, and found the boats ana from the whale
ships Omega James Maury Meteor ami bark Clement busi
engaged al work lakn2 the passengers on board The ships
which lay about II miles distant from the point oi embarcd
ton in the lover bay
While uway in the boat the mate and engineer had
gone the Island, the ships boats. signaed them,
an! obtained relief then look boat and crew and start
ed oil To meet ctuurr ani take her back into the bay,
where arrived on the morning OF the 2Uth then went
on board the ships and mustered party o men, aud went
island 10 The wTecS 10 save anu ofng over all lhe
pro visions could lind.
wills, a, work getting pr0vsonsrom The wreck,
bound down the coast, about SIX miles distant
We made signals for her, but she did not notice them
Launched boat and took Two men n and attempted 10 get
oil 10 speak her but the which breaking very hea
vY 81 The time swamped the boat and broke OF the oar
when reached The shore again vas so much exhaust
ed that could not maze another attempt
After getting all the provisions that had been saved ~hcn
occ DAYS chartered The ship Meteor Captain
Jefes, take all I" San Francisco I" sail as soon as
the ves-e could be- made ready While The ship was being
fitted look boat and crew from the ship Omega and lay
oil and The Island on the hoS "u for steamer hoping
speak her passage up and get some assistance from
her, Lul came in sight OF 80.
n The Sd o March, everything being ready and the pas
sensers all board except few who chose TO g. To inc
Sandu l Islands in the other ships we sailed Tor ms
puIt.
was On the labard paddle boS when the steamer struck
and had deck the whole night If the steamer had
not taken fire. not soul would have been lost for they
could all landed safely il there had been time
In. reef on which the struck ls about Two miles
,u, making OF in 4 Sonh- Easiey direction, and is not
laid down in any of The charts that have ever seen.
Too much be said in favor The humane conducI
and kind treatment received from Capt }. Fisher and OIL
y.rs Of the ship Omega; Capt Mheldon OF the ship James
lauv Capt JeirIrs OF e ship Nctcoi; Capt Lane OF tho
bark Ciemcnte Capt Gordon OF the schooner A. Eme-
ry who promptly came 10 our reIiel az soon as try hea
u our situation and rendered all the assistance, and
made us as comfortable possible during our stay 10 the
bay Yours, respectfully + L. SAMPSON,
Late MASTER steamer Independence.
SAs FRANclsco MARcH 81, 1853
Two hundred and eighty passengers were saved and
among them delighted recognize tho name o! Dr
G. r. Cnlcn fine young and son OF the late Simon
Cullen of this city about whose fate his friends have 10 the
lac. few days entertained The serions anxiety 10 yes
,,v nuner we published list OF the names OF those
who lost.