Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-05-25
From the New York Times.
Dreadful Week of the Bark William
aud Mary.

ana Mary
The bark William and Mary, Captain
stinson. belonging to Bath. Me-, sailed
from Liverpool early in the month of
March last, with cargo of railroad iron
aud 2o8 passengers for New Orleans.
The voyage proceed prosperously until
Friday, Nav Sd, when the William and
Mary had passed the spot designated as
the ''IIo1e in the Wall" the most south
erlv point of the island of Abacco, one of
tho Bahama group. After passing this
point, the captain steered for " SJrrup
Key which, at noon that day was ten
miles distant. The weather became ha-
kept on her course without interruption
until 81 o'clock in the evening, when she
struck on a sunken reef lying directly III
her course. At sunset, the captain AYERS
nothing could be seen of the Keys, and he
supposed the vessel to be well to the
norIhward, steering west by north. At
the time the vessel struck, Captain Stin-
sou Judged himself to be northward and
westward of the "Great Isaacs," kept the
vessel west by south, and had common
ced heaving the lead. Fifteen minutes
before the ships bottom touched, the lead
sounded twenty fathoms. The bark
struck nearly amidShips. and hung sus-
pended from the rock for some minutes.
She had then about ten fathoms of wa
ter all around.
After pounding heavily for about if
teen minutes, the bark freed herself and
swung off. In fifteen minutes afterwards;
she again struck upon another part of the
same reef, distant only Il few rods from
the first, and after bearing hard upon it
for some minutes, again went off. BY
this time, Il severe leak had occurred
The pumps were set going, the anchors
were lowered. and preparations were made
for launching the boats. The passengers
worked the pumps, but their utmost en-
deayors could not keep the ship free
This was about o'clock at night. AT
midnight there were four feet of water in
the hold. At A. NJ, the weather be-
came squally. with heavy sea, and there
were eight feet of wafer in the hold; both
pumps still going. At 7 y. NJ. the wa
tel; had increased to ten feet IN depth, and
the ship was beginning to sink,-the leak
gaining very rapidly.
The greatest terror now prevailed. The
the boats and then launch them ; they
crowded about the gangways, and raised
deafening clamor. In the confusion,t two
OF the boats were stove in and became ut
tery useless. The life boat and long
boat were finally got out in safety, and
to their preservation is due the rescue OF
the few remaining persons of the crew
and passengers. The emigrants. unskil-
led III the management of the boats, pre-
cipitated their fate. The boats were
crowded with men women and children,
while yet hanging from the davits, and
by the breaking OF the chains they were
let down into the sea. Topreserve the re-
naming boats from injury, the Captain
ordered them to lie outside during the
night, and when the vessel was forsaken
they were able to pick up the captain, the
two mates and six scamen, besides some
thirty passengers who put to sea in the
long boat.
The vessel was abandoned by her OIL
GERS at 8 A. NJ. on Wednesday,, May 4,
and..she went down few minutes after
wards. Upon the deck was left the en-
tire number of passengers on board, with
the exception of the thirty before men
toned as having escaped in the long
boat. The screams and agonized appeals
for aid from the decks of the Inflated bark
still linger upon the ear of the few survi-
vors. We conversed yesterday with an
intelligent seaman, Dane, who was one
of the nine persons picked up by the Reu-
ben Carver, and brought TO this port, and
gathered from him the particulars of some
of the scenes on board the vessel, He
was impressed with feeling sense of the
horrors of the calamity, and desired ne
yer to witness such another scene. The
wells of the unfortunate wretches who
were left to perish. are described as I'M
earthly. Irish, Dutch and German, each
in his own yernacular, joined in lmplorIng
help from quarters where none was to be
Obtained. Not spar, we are credibly in
formed, was made loose; not Il mast was
cut away nor raft constructed; the boats
were swampsd. and the vessel was sink
ing. Ofthose on board, not less than one
hundred and seventy persons must have met
q certain death The number is even
placed as high as 1870 or 1856, but the well
authenticated escape OF some thirty of the
passengers, besides six of the crew, the
mates and the captain. indicates that the
loss fife must have been in the viciuir V
of the figure first stated. We are unable
to state the names of any of the lost.
The boat containing the captain. mates
and sailors. after beating about for some
hours, was finally picked up by the brig
Reuben Carver, Captain Edward Cobb.
bound from Sagua la Grande to this port.
The men who escaped saved nothing but
the habiliments they stood in. and some
ofthem lost considerable amount of mo-
ney. The provisions taken in the Cap
tain's boat consisted only of a box of bread
and u small can of water containing lit
Il 1. Il.