The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-17
An, ,,'THER TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.
Bark win, 'am and Mary, Of Bal
timere, F.> ''ndered at Sea.
NEARLY TWO HUNDA AEDLIvEs LOST.
Arrival Of the Officers and P,rt OF the
Crew in New Yefk.
&c. &C. &C.

&C., &C, &C.
One Of the most disastrous shipwresEG wficr it has
ever been painful duty torecord occurred the Sd
inst, at Stirrup Key, among tie Bahama Islands The
news Of the fearful calamity was brought to this
Fort yesterday by the brig Reuben Carver orn sagns
Grande which had board the eaptan first and secoad
mates and six Of the of the N faed vessel William
and Mary We published the particulars ef the ship
wreck In yesterdays evening edition. but have since
obtained considerable additional information which we
pre.ent to readers
The bark William and Mary commanded by Captain
Stinson, left Liverpool about two months ago. with
hundred and eight passengers, principally emis1ants,
and cargo OF railroad iron, for New Orleans.
On the Sd Of May, they entered the dangerous
channels OF the Bahamas, with the most unfavorble
weather. the sky elouded the wind b'owins strong
from the South. east with heavy About
O'Clock in the morning the bark passed the Hole in the
Wall the most southern point OF the Island of Abaco
so called from one OF the most prominent rocks OH the
coast being perforated with large hole which is vs
BILE considerable distance ut Passing sis io safety
Captain Stinson steered for Stirrup Key which at IL
ten miles distant, the weather becoming
clouded and the wind increasing. Till the afternoon
the vessel kept her without accident of any
kind but at half past eight O'Clock she struck sunken
rock which che remained for about fifteen minutes
The captain it appears had at sunset lost sight of the
key and supposed that it lay to the SOUTH he had
steered northwest from II o'clock. few minutes be-
fore the accident however, he changed his course
ing west by south and did not discover his mistake until
the moment the bark struck The scene presented on
board the doomed vessel at this moment terrible in
the extreme About fifteen minutes elapsed before she
off, but she had scarcely got clear of this rock
when she struck another and began to fill with water
rapidly to render all labor Mt the pumps utterly
less At midnight the water had gained rapidly on the
sinking vessel that is four feet in the hold
four NJ. eight feet. Scarcely had the day dawned
feet OF water in the hold, and the pumps we're
abandoned in despair. The boats, the last resort
Of the terror-stricken passengers, were unshipped
from the davits but Of four five all except two
swamIed The captain and hs crew, and about thirty
passengers got into these the remainder numbering little
less than hundred souls being left from terrible
cessity to their fate There they stood the deck,
vanly calling for that assistance which it IMPOSSIBLE
to render without 1sking the lives Of the few who had
got into the boats. In a fen minutes after Mcy left the
resd aoent doacn and all board numbering about
hundred a',s eoU-.,y beinns ,,srshef. Finding IL
impossible to keep the boats together they
compelled to separate, and after tossing shout
some hours the crew and passengers in them picked
up. 1t would appear that of the boats manned
entirely by the crew-s the passengers being crowded
into the other Of this however, not certain bnt
supposed that there three four of the in the
boat containing the passengers
After beating about for some hours, have said,
the captain first and second mates and taken
up by Capt Edward Cobb of the brig Reuben Carver,
bound from sagna La Grande to this port The haste in
which they compelled to leave the vessel rendered
imposs for them to any propert y, and
were glad escape only half dressed Captain Cobb in
formed that he the passengers taken up by
sci which he supposed to be English that apprehen
sons need be entertained of the passengers who made
their escape ait.
The following is Captain stinon's account If the ship
wreck written at the suggestion Of Captain Cobb,
after his arrival on boa,d the Reuben Carver
A.7A NJ May 3, strong breezes from the southeast
and cloudy passed the Hole in the Wall At IL NJ, Stir
rup Key bore fouh ten miles distant after which the
weather became thicker ard wind incre ased with heavy
sea AT tnnset nothing of the Keys; supposed we
we're well the nothward after steering west by north
from IL NJ AT +. NJ Judging ourselves to the north
ward ana westwaIa o GREAT saac kept he snip west oy
bottom in twenty fathoms at 10 the same; at so
struck on sunken rock and hung about midshps, with
ten fatboms water all around Ater pounding heavily
about fifteen minues she went of ard struck another
rock within tew reds Of the first, when she poundeda
few times and went of. We then let GO the anchors,
ard commenced getting out the boats--the fasseu-
gers at the pulrps, but could not keep her free,
A NJ weather black aud squaiy with heavy eight
feet water in The hold, both pumps going A. NJ, ten
feet water and the ship going down mates and crew in
slowed in the opgboat and febost the other two boats
having been stove after launching ASA left her,
snd in few minutes she wert down, the Great Isaacs
bearing east by southeast seven miles distant
On the 4h OF May Captain Cobb made the following
try upon his log book -
WDSEDAy, AY4.-Tbe day began with squally wealth
err ard heavy At A. NJ, ship towards south
southeast arr Mt wore ship off northeast. At IL NJ,
boat to windward hove the topsail back boat
alongside with the captain two mates and six men
beard They came from the ship william and Mary,
which was wrecked during the night near the Great
Isaacs. She loaded With railroad iron and had about
two hundred passengers on board from Liverpool bound
to New Orleans.
As may naturally supposed from the increase in his
company the provisions board Captain Cobbs vessel
began to diminish very rapidly but the 10th CT May,
the bark Oneco, OF Portland, Maine bound from New
Orleans to Baltimore, fortunately appeared in sigh and
generously supplied them with all they waited. The
Reuben Carver was twelve days at sea from the time
she picked up the of the lost vessel till her
arrival at this port. The following the of the
officers and men Of the William and Mary
OFFICERS.
Captain Stn, on, OF Bordenbsm, Me.
First hate--Samuel B. Welch.
Second do,-Loami Ross.
CREW.
Stephen w. Pennington Of Maine
Nicholas Card,
John u. Best,
Henry Moore OF New York.
Ed ward Weeks, of New Brunswick.
= Williams OF England.
The William andlhary was owned in Bath, Maine, and
registers SEQ tons We have not been able to ascertain
whether she has been insured. Captain Stinson, we
aIenformed left this city yesterday for Maine but Of
this we not certain.
Personal Intelligence.
Dr. Cncken ''the Luther of the nineteenth century"
who came from Hamburg to attend the New York re-
ligous anniversaries, and detained from them BY
the railroad massacre at Norwak, was able to be re-
moved to this city yesterday and will probably be sum