The Nevada journal., 1853-04-08

The ship was still in flames, 50 that it
was impossible for any one to board her.
gave the mate and engineer orders to
have the dead taken above high water
mark and buried, and to board the
wreck as soon as possible, and save all
the provisions and water that they could
then took boat and four men, and
started TO pull round the north end OF
the island to Magdalina Bay in search
Of assistance, expecting to lind some
ships there"
Several vessels were found on the 9th
er side Of the Island, the officers OF
which rendered oil the assistance in
their power, and took the passengers
of. The Meteor took most of them to
San Francisco, but some Of the passen-
gers preferred to 60 to tho Sandwich
Islands.
We take from the .aha the following
later particulars =
Yesterday, after the arrival of the
ship Meteor which brought in the sur
viving passengers and crew of the
Vanderbilt Independent Line Steam
ship Independence our reporter board
ed her in the stream and obtained the
following particulars connected with
her loss and the destruction Of life and
property from a number OF her pas
sengers.
On the morning Of the 18th, about
quarter past FIVE. a good many OF the
passengers had turned out TO give the
crew q chance to wash the decks. A
number Of them pointed TO some 70 ks
ahead and informed the Captain that
they were then running dead on ; to
which he curily replied, "mind your
own business at the same time de-
claring that what they took TO be rocks
were nothing but whales The wealth
er at the time was extremely clear,
and not hazy, as the Captain reports.
A few minutes after that, the ship
struck. and the Captain told them not
to be afraid. they would all ct on
shore safely. The engines were back
ed, the ship went of, and they found
she was rapidly filling. The Captain
again treasured them, and appeared
to be perfectly cool. Shortly after,
the ship was pointed head on 10 the
beach, which she no sooner struck than
the fires burst out. The passengers
state that the Captain then seemed to
lose his presence of mind, and several
ladies assured Us that the terror de-
picted on his countenance was such as
to impress all who saw him with a
feeling of despair. The crew paid no
attention to his commands, and every.
thing was a terrible scene Of distress
and confusion. They however yield
70 Captain Sampson the credit OF re-
naming on board with MIR. Beaumont
10 the hast.
We understand that Mr.. Drown,
oue OF the passengers, who had the
misfortune to lose his wife. is prepar-
ing a statement which will De signed
by nearly all OF the passengers, which
will Sc, the matter in its true light. and
il there is any blame from carelessness
and neglect, fix it where it properly
belongs. Re haze heard that the
number Of deaths that has been pub
llshed as caused By this catastrophe, is
not exactly correct, from the fact that
many passengers went on board at San
Juan and Acapulco, whose names were
not registered on the regular list, and
consequently it was not in the power
of the purser to give an accurate ac-
count of them. The whole number of
lives lost is estimated as high as ore
hundred and seventy-five.
The Vanderbilt line has, to say the
least, been unfortunate since its organ.
ization Casually after casualty seems
to have crowded upon it. Whether
these fatalities result from accident,
carelessness, or ignorance, we are at
q loss to say; but the repetition Of
them looks more like the two latter.
The immense loss Of life attending this
last sad affair has thrown a deep gloom
over the community. 1t is but short
time since that we were called upon to
chronicle the entire loss Of the North
America, which went ashore, in broad
day light, at Acapulco, under circum-
stances that severely shook tie public
confidence.
Not two months ago, the Pioneer,
was stranded in st. Simeon's bay, and
then abandoned. The S. :. Lewis
was towed in net long since in sink
ing condition, and would probably
have foundered had she not been so
near port. The terrific narrative Of
the Indep ndence iS now bo, ne to us
in tones Of wailing and distress. She
was at best but poor vessel for the
trade, and could hardly have been