Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-30
From the Liverpool Times.
Incident In the Career of Captain Nye, of
the Pacific.


From the Liverpool Times.
| Incident In the Career of Captain Nye, of
the Pacific.
| We had occasion, twelve months ago, to men
ton an incident in the career of Captain Nye;
Of the American mail steamship Pacific, which
redounded highly to his honor and humanity,
and which awakened at the time great deal
of sympathy. 1t was the rescuing of number
of persons in mid ocean from a laundering
| vessel-rescung them during severe storm,
| and at no inconsiderable danger to the safety
Of his own vessel. In referring to this thrilling
incident, we observed at the time:
"The part of the good Samaritan, when per-
formed on land, is always beautiful, and when
! done quietly and unobtrusvely becomes addi-
| tionally ennobling. WHAT'S it then, when acted
amidst the bowling of the tempest and the fury
of the waves when death shrieks in the blast,
and the elemental warfare threatens to engulph
every object-crew, passengers, vessel, cargo,
| all? Mr.. Disrach, in his plagiarised impromptu
| on the Duke of Wellington, from Theirs, dwelt
in strong and impressive terms on the necessity
| for GOODNESS and judgment on the part OF a
| great soldier, when bullets were whizzing about
| his ears, and one false movement might end in
! the destruction of himself and those under him.
The same intrepidity, the same presence of
mind, the same ready adaptation to tiIcum-
stances, and nearly the same scientific genius,
must be possessed by the successful commander
| Of the ocean. He has to face danger in form
quite as appalling, and, it may be, quite as de-
structive for the war of nature, in her widest
moods, can only be overcome by strategy and
skill. But so accustomed are men to applaud
martial glory. and to undervalue risks not less
| hazardous in the pursuit of the arts of peace,
| ~ q. 4 = IL !
which really combine heroism with glory. J"
| We quote this passage from our paper of
December, last year, because it will serve to ex-
emplfy what follows. To the credit of the
British government the noble act to which we
have referred was not suffered to go unre-
warded. Soon after, the admiralty presented
! Captain Nye with a souvenir, commemorative
Of his bravery and devotion to human life,
arising out of the occurrence now noticed, and
bearing a highly complimentary inscription,
which he can hand down with pride to his chill
| dren. His officers and men received sums of
| money from the same source, apportioned to
| the part which they performed on this interest
| ing occasion, and the circumstance elected
| much commendatory criticism on both sides of
the Atlantic. These facts have been again
wildly recalled to our mind by the arrival, this
| week. of the same steamer and the same com
n,ander, from New York; for, as the vessel was
! pursuing her course, the anniversary of the oc-
currence drew from the passengers the follow
| ing address to Captain Nye:
U. S. NJ STEAMER PACIFIC, AT SEA-
| December A. 1853.
| SIR: Your passengers on the present voyage
learning that this is the first anniversary of day.
| the remembrance of which cannot fail 10 be cher
shed by you as one of the most interesting (if not
the proudes) of your life, they have called on me-
as countryman of those whose lives you then
saved, to convey to you their congratulations on
| its happy return, which, with my own, now pre-
| sent TO you.
Not deferred on that occasion by the danger to
| the ship, from that hazardous and difficult under
takng--still less deferred by your own delicate
state of health, you rose from bed of sickness,
and by your cool and jndicious management amidst
the fury Of the gale you brought your ship along
side of helpless, tempest tossed vessel uhe Jessie
Stevens, of lrvn0 and with the assistance of your
| brave officers and men, rescued sixteen of your
| fellow creatures from watery grave-an act of
disnterested humanity which, while il has brought
TO Your own bosom its own reward, has been ac-
knowledged with admiration by the British gov
eminent, the Liverpool Humane Society, the Lon
don Fishermen and Mariners Royal Humane So
ciety, as well as by all who have heard of il.
Sir, we know we only express your own senti-
ments when we recognise in this event. the hand
| of wise and kind Providence employing you and
| your brave men as the honored instruments for
| the accomplishment of this merciiul deiverance;
| and tossed, as we now are. on the mighty ocean
near the spot where the unfortunate vessel perish
| ed, we think it becomes us, especially on this
| sacred day (Sabbath) to acknowledge at the same
time, our entire dependence on Slim whose
way is in the sea, and whose path is in the mighty
waters" And while we gratefully acknowledge
His goodness TO you and ourselves, we confident
ly commit ourselves TO His keeping, praying for
speedy and safe arrival in port.
The passengers also desire to convey, through
you, 10 your officers and men, their hearty con-
gratulations on the return of this suspicious day
of which may you and they see many returns.
Signed in the name, and by order of the pas
sengers VIM STEVENSON,
Captain NYE. Chairman
We were not previously aware that Captain
Nye, when he rescued the crew Of the Jessie
Stevens, rose from bed Of sickness to super
intend the operation, and this new fact has
been brought out by the address which we have
give above. As we said on the first occasion,
so we repeat on this" that the whole affair,
from first to last, was one of the most humane
and most praiseworthy pieces of nautical daring
which has occurred since steamers first plough
ed the Atlantic ocean. Nothing less manly
could have been expected from the gentleman
ly and accomplished commander of the Pacific,
whose friendship we have had the honor of en-
joying for more than twenty years. Some one
has said with great truth that a yalorous heart
is not incompatible with q refined exterior-a
striking instance of which is to be found in the
case brfore us ~