New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-04-25

two men barely escaping with their lives AL
second boat was now lowered and manned by
volunteers from among the fremen, who we do
not hesitate to say have shown themselves the
most noble hearted and heroic Of men by their
fortitude and courage through the terrible
scenes which followed. These brave fellows
reached the shore and succeeded in making A |
small three inch hauling line fast to projecting
rock, which was at once hauled taught by those |
ON board. The precise q iect Of this line We do |
not perceive, as it seems that immediate use
was not made Of il, and third boat was lower
ed by order of the Captain; this boat was put
in charge Of Capt Steel an experienced ship
master who was a passenger on board. During
this time the ship remained immovable, the surf
striking her in the stern and perhaps tending to
to set her frmer into the sand The third boat
having been lowered, it was found that she was
half full ofwater and of service unless bailed
out and Doctor Torbett sprang into her for that
purpose; this affected, six ladies were passed
down into the boat, among them were Miss Con-
way, Mrs. Haley, Mrs. Seymour and Mrs. Coots
there were two other ladies whose names We
have not learned the boat rode the first break
er but was filled and swamped by the second
and those already on shore rushed in to the
rescue Of the ladies and dragged them on to the
beach. Doctor Torbett was in this boat and
gaining the shore turned towards the ship at
the cries of terror proceeding from her and
beheld the quarter deck enyeloped in flames.
And now ensued one Of the most narrowing
scenes ever recorded in the history of shpwreck:
the flames leaped rapidly across the after part
of the ship driving the masses before it and doz-
ems sprang into the water and were seen strug-
Cling in the surf All the boats were now gone
| and it was impossible to regain the ship from
| the shore or to render any succor whatever;
| dreadful cries and screams proceeded from the
ship which, mingled with the roaring of the sea,
the cracking of the flames and shouting Of those
on shore, who could only gaze helplessly on the
| sight. must have been era of terror in the
| lives of those who beheld it from the beach As
| the flames advanced forward the unhappy VIC
tins were forced into the sea, and every surf
came freighted with corpses exhausted half
drowned men women and children. Such scene
has never before been witnessed on the Pacific
coast. To add to the excitement the flames had
now communicated to the powder magazine,
which exploded tearing the run and stern to
pieces and splintering all that portion Of the
ship the two guns surrounded by the flames,
also sent their solemn booming over the scene.
Those who were fortunate enough to get within
reach of their friends on shore were dragged
half dead out of the reach of the surf, while
others were swept around the stern of the stea-
mer or out to sea, there being strong current
making seaward from the ship. AT one moment
not less than thirty corpses and bodies of the
dying were in the edge of the surf some of them
divested of clothing. Out of party of eighteen
Jews who were on board, sixteen perished from
the weight of coin, it was supposed, which they
attempted to bring with them through the waves
3 The outward current above mentioned car
ried off numbers of persons who were good swim
mers, OF foated, who would otherwise have beeI
seved several women thus floating were swep
e away, the baggage such as would float, ais,
went out with the ebb; none of it was saved by
f drifting to the shore.
, We have spoken above of the manly conduc
of the sailors, fremen and coal passers. Som
| Of these noble fellows, disregarding their owl
= danger, seized little children in their arms Q
d dashed them to themselves and attempted
!, gain the shore several are known to have thu
> sacrificed themselves. We have no space
heart to insert the numerous affecting Instance
, | of courage and self-sacrifce of which we ha'
received accounts. Among the most conspic'
GUS is that of Mr.. Tarr, of Sacramento, who 10
his life in attempting to save a son of MIR. Wa
son-they came ashore together-both browne
One Of the fremen, whose name we did n
er learn, brought on shore two children, who
er parents were both drowned. Another frem
yu brought beautiful boy ashore to his moth
lis who had just been washed TO the beach; b
cd husband and two children were drowned, al
Is she supposed this child had shared the san
ts fate the meeting may be imagined.
sr The Purser of the ship, Mr. James Freeborl
10 remained upon the deck until driven off by ii
y fire, when sprnging overheard he clung to
floating spar, and was washed ashore insens
of BILE; he was resuscitated, but barely escape
v with his life, being attacked with a violei
y fever There is one fireman, known as To
10 Sawyer, a wild, reckless scamp, but who,
" faults, be they what they may, should henc
X forth be forgotten; this brave fellow, entire
m stripped, went to and from the wreck four time
to He is only nineteen years of age. After Il
as third time, and when nearly exhausted with
- exertions, he learned that the Chief Enginee
adj Mr.. Collins, was unable to swim and likely
ch lrown; he Immediately started off again throui
MT the surf with hfe-preserver, fastened
he around the helpless man and accompanied h
nj to the beach; he was also instrumental in pI
er serving the lives of several others.
ire | Most of those ashore were too exhausted
.os | render assistance to those beating about in t
he surf People ran about the beach perfect
on frantic one party attempted to launch a bo
be | to reach the steamer, but it was overwhelm
m by the surf, and this accident intmdated othe
ia so that it was impossible to muster the requis
,ra | force to launch a second. Meantime, the sh
ot had become living mass of fire; the heat W
be | intense even on the shore, and every nome
m the beach received new aecessions to the list
cb dead and dying. The scene was truly harro
he ing, and when, at last, the steamer was
IN charred and smoking hulk, her stern lifted, a
AN she swung heavily round and went up broadsi
,lv on the beach,
~ Some few provisions were saved from
itb wreck, such as salt beef, pork, molasses, viz
inc gar, q few tin cans of preserved meats and sol
cor cheese, but no water, nor was there drop
ost water on the island, which, we have before
nv served, was utterly barren and uninhabit
vas The usual amount of suffering, particular
at among the women and children, was experience
the During the first day, attempts were made
emf the survivors, after burying the dead, to p
nse cure water by condensng steam, but the expe
nr- ment failed.
)nr There were now some two hundred and 81
M enty souls congregated on the beach, and tn
HE all went without tasting water for fifty
lad hours the salt provisions only aggravated tn
the sufferings. Shortly after the scene we have
.ess scribed above, party started for the neighb
md ing mountains, and ON reaching their SUM
ok they were enabled to descry Magdalena Bay
un the mainland opposite, from which the Island
az Margarita is removed some fifteen miles; HI
or they observed four ships at anchor they pro'
AXE to be whalers, busily engaged in frying out
the while beyond in the vast panorama they disc
,wd cred several small boats in full chase aftel
the whale, for Magdalena Bay is resorted to
the whales in the winter season. Observing Il
the party descended to the wreck, and the cf
md mate, the engineers, and a few others, slung
nly of the cannons of the Independence, dragged Q
on lugged it with great toll to the top of the b
err and with what little powder they had, fl
no. twice to attract the attention of the whale