The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-27
LOSS OF THE TENNESSEE.

q The P Nj. steamship Tennessee, Capt. Mel
9lus, went ashore at o'clock in the morning
u March 6, in dense fog, at place called Tagu
Il Beach, in Boians Bay, about three miles norlf
:Sssof the Heads.
d The Tennessee started from Panama on the
81 9th of February with 600 passengers, of whom
Sil00 were ladies' and children. There was com
xparatively little sickness during the voyage -
e5Three deaths occurred-one Mr.. Stevens, thu
aExpress Messenger Of Wells, Fargo & Co, o.
'yyeIow fever another of cholera, produced by
simprudence at Acapulco and The third from
&c Exhaustion. We regret to learn that DIR Nc.
iNaughten, the Surgeon, has been very sick du-
..sriDg the passage, so as to incapacitate him FOL
ssShis duties.
q The passengers were highly pleased witt
yySstheir trip up, and on Saturday, within $50 mile.
Iof port, passed resolutions highly complimentine
Tthe ship, the Captain and officers.
q About midnight of Saturday, when the shiI
s;was supposed TO be not far from the Heads,
fdense fog set in, which continued all night anc
sSyesterday morning. At 81 o'clock A. NJ, the
EsCaptain, supposing he was off the entrance OF
sathe Harbor, commenced to let off steam ant
BACKED and filled to maintain his position uni
Smorning. About o'clock mu Idly Water wa.
sseen, which strengthened the idea tina, the ship
s:gwas off the harbor. At sunrise the fog still
Elects could not be dscerned the length of the
Essship. The Captain still continued to back and
SiIl, and was standing on the starboard wheel
Nhouse about 9 o'clock, when steeran passen-
Sger came running aft crying that the land was
ssjust ahead On peeri u through the fog an i'm
IMMENSE bluff, that seemed to tower 10 tire skies
Epresented itself within few yards In effnr,
swas made to avoid it, but on turning anotheI
ssbuff equally lofty opposed itself AT this mo-
,1Nment the ship struck broadside on the beach
sssand the surf dashed against her side and made
Cher roll violently. From time to time the pas
Esenoers could feel her strike on the rocks. The
sinstant she groun led, Mr.. Bowling, the first of
ssfcer, with great intrepidity, leaped overheard
with cable and dashing through the water,
|made the ship fast to the cliff. This secured
eher The confusion on board was at first very
Rgreat, and several of the passengers seized hold
Hof thecable, which was made fast to ~ stern,
Hand attempted to run down it to the ~Siore.-
fSome few accomplished this, but order was
S.soon restored, and thd passengers became reas-
H!snred.
The beach where the Tennessee lay was moi
amore than four OF five rods in width. The tide
Fwas about half ebb, and with every shock OF
lhe surf the dip set farther and farther into
sthe sand, until L o'clock, when she was COM
sspletely imbedd-d and steady.
Email on board was very heavy, there being no
fless than 80 bags. When Mr.. Whiting left. at
Eli clock, about dozen bags had been brought
gashore. 1t was expected that all would be saw
.ed at low tide.
An hour before the Tennessee struck, the
ssoundngs showed eight fathoms, and few mo-.
ments before, six iathoms. Strange 10 say, no
one heard the sun till they were in it. The es
cape Of all on board Is Providen,ial We are
informed d, that had the ship struck thirty yards
.ahead or astern Of the position she did, not a
soul could have been saved. just in front of
her is an enormous cliff, several hundred teetI
high, agains which she would have been DASH
led to pieces. About the same distance asterni
|is another equally lofty. BY the most fortunate!
chance she struck on beach forming gap be-
tween the two eminences.
No lives were lost. At the last accounts the
(ship was going to pieces fast on accoun. Of the,
heavy surf.