Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-05-05
Burning ofthe Independence.

To The Editor Of The San Francisco Herald;
am under the painful necessity Of reporting
the loss of the steamer independence, lately I'M
der my command on her passage from San Ju-
an del Sud TO this port. and about one hundred
and twenty-five lives, consisting Of the passcn-
gers and fifteen Of the crew. She was lost on
the Island of Margarita, of the coast of Lower
California. After leaving Acapulco, we expert
enced strong breezes from \. VITO n. Passed
Cape ST. Lucas on the morning Of 18th Feb. At
II o'clock on the 18th, we were in lat % O4
~, Ion. 10 ~ w. steercd n. w. by W3W.
per compass intending 10 20 70 the westward Of
Margarita Island. On the morning Of the 10th,
at | o'clock A. NJ made the main land to the
eastward of the Island. having been set in shore
by the current. Altered the course to ). W.
At 2 A. NJ made the Island of Margarita, the
south point bearing W. BY $. per compass
then altered the course TO w. ). w. | intend
ed to give the point a berth of three mics, but
owing to a haze over the land, | was deceived
IN the distance. At j.l5, Just as the day was
beginningto break she struck on a sunken reef,
extending off from the south point Of the Island
about mile from the shore he sea was very
smooth at the time, not breaking on the reef at
all. Backed the engine, and she came off; ex-
omned the hold and found that she was filling
rapidly; knew that should have to beach her to
keep her from sinking got sail over the bow
under her)to try to stop the leak, and seta gang
of men at work at each hatchway bailing, and
ran along the west side Of the Island, close in,
to find good place to put her ashore Told the
Engineer to let me know five minutes before the
water would be up high enough to put ont the
fires. When we had run about four miles the
Engineer came up and reporte d the water nearly
up to the fires, and that they would be exiting
uished 10 a few minutes. Put the helm hard a
port. and ran her ashore IN a small cove on the
). w. side Of the island head on Lowered a
boat, and sent the mate and two men in her Ia
run line ashore to the beach, which was about
one hundred yards distant but the boat preached
10 and was swamped in the surf. Lowered an.
other boat, and sent three men in her with an
other line, which they succeeded in getting a
shore. now ascertained that the ship was on
fire. Told the Engineer to take his men and
put out the fire If possible. Ordered the other
two boats to BE- lowered and to come forward,
and the women and children 10 come to the for
ward gangway loaded both boats with women
and children and sent them ashore. The ship
had now swung round broadside on. The mate
and two men came Off with the boat that took
the line ashore, and she was Immediately loaded
with women and children and went ashore with
them. The fire originated from the furnaces
II was necessary, after the steamer struck on the
rect, to use wood and boards for fuel, in order
to keep up steam until she struck on the beach.
when the water was high as to stop the draft
from the lower iluos which forced open the fur
mace doors. and flames rusbed ont and cep,bf
the wood work in the frc.roof1 and also arolnd
the smoke stack thence s,re,din,r ,,er, r,,,ilg
Every efart was made to ,r,t Tho fr. ,,,,lcr ~
OF no ay,il The flames Sv,re ro, ,,,.,.,,,,r ,,,
froin the hatrhvo,s Gro rom, ,,,,,,, -, ,
tilators and ar,.,,,i ,i,, go.
was con.tort,,,,,, .,,.l He. 49,. '''''7
cd coonlctolv bo,ylIeroJ ga ~, f:...-.,'.,'.
ovcrbo4ri b,. so,.ns Tla -, 49,,
borr,bia and inlasrr;l,-tlo -
clildran err.ocl,;,, crt.i,o ,,.J I.,.,..'.,'..
ordered fine .nars b.,cbas I'M .,,i -,
tl,ino tbof ,r,,,Il a,,t "a by H., l,.'.t ,-
which wos d,,o md ti.,. ,.,,..,
crod wifJ, ~. At,a,..,.. i.....-'c-
struck tbo ba,rl, sb,. ,,,. ..,, -, 'i,
ANN. ,.,l No., ma. ....., -
cent one of the coal nos.ors n.,nsd itea',,',,,,.
and mvselr mo s,,oi,o s,,,l. h,i an, ..'I ,t
promenade DOH f1r,yar5 t,l tn,tioa w.. w.
a,,nes ,.o-, ..'... -.. ,., ~ .i, ''' VI
Il was i,nrossibi, - s,a,, ~, ''a, o''u
4 hon, ,.1,no al, c,o,, H., -, .,.
decl hands il, ber nsa,,-a',.,, ,.L W Wv
the fore riggino ino,nod in,o bor a,.d ;,..,,-Di
e'.,-hIe- 75''s' Ju'p1u iu'o "e'' uuu l"n'peu
mo- nm tboso ubo y.aro ,en", NGD.', 20
tbToe bnatl o,I, rL..'i IT, ~ P'0a'ns
succeeded H. l,,,,ci;,,D, III. ~ ~
Some of tho noonio WI ~; d., ~.
Ind hecn n;cio5 ~, al .. ,',i' li''
landed np1 bod ,bd -, nl...,l't 'l
shore hauled nm into n racine .nd ,,;,h a,a a.,
sail that had washed ashore n.Ie n tent i,r,,e
enough TO shelter the women md cb,llrnn T6o
ship was still in flames so tl,ati, ,,os i-n,oss-
bic for any one 10 board her. oaye .be Mate
and Enrineer orders 10 have ibo do,d ,,to, ~,
above hirh water and buried and to bo,r5 ,ha
wreck as soon ms nossible and ..,o IN H., ,ra
visions and wafer that tbev c,,ld ,bon ~
a boat and four mon and started Il, mil r,,,I
the north end of the island ~ J,rI,ion, ~, ~,
search of assistance ovnect;n,, m f,,d 800
ships there. We pulled unt I0 o'rlort rIat
night. when. not being able In soa a,v ,ossols
and not knowing in what dirrrtion m npu I1sn'
ded ON the north shore of AN, on,-,,,cn 80 MAJ.
dalena Bav. banled nm tho b,st ana ,yoi,oj ne
I'll davijobt. when started s,,,i, ~ ,,,,n 80.
the BAY after pullinr nm bo1r and bslf lis.
covered vessel close into the ,oai, i.,'d n,iIoi
for and reached her n, n o,ciocl, a n c,,,,,5
her TO be the schooner A Enary Co,,,a;n GOV
don. The Canaan and mo.t III The cro,, 80
ashore lookinO.for wotor III, n s,rrl AMI ,I,.,,.
came on board.
Capt. Gordon said that no had boo,. ;,, tho has,
five DAYS. and that there wer. mn o,Lo- ,.,,sois
in the Bay. After s,otioc, The ci-,,,,,,s,,,..,. -
the wreck IN him he c9,s,n,ol =, ,,., ,,.,i,..