The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-18
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS
OF THE
BARK WILLIAM AND MARY.
Names Of a Portion Of the Passengers and Crew

.
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Statements Of the Captain and One
Of the Hands,
&c., &C., 80.
We are enabled to lay before readers this morning
some additional particulars relation to tho loss of the
ship William and Mary, of Bath Me- OF the Great Isaacs
In the Bahama Islands. The ship was 512 tons burthen
was built in Bowdoinham last year. and was owned by
John Harvard, of that place. She insured in Boston
for $26 C0O at the following oces-New England 80 900;
City, S. 00O and Hope $780, The passenger agent In
Liverpool was James Chambers.
About eighty Of the passengers were Germans, who
were going out in company, with the intention of set.
ting large tract Of land which had been bought in
Illinois. The remainder composed Of Irish Eng
lsh and Scotchhe Irish forming the largest proportion
One OF the sailors of the opinion that of the
sengers may have formed raft and saved themselves
upon it, or by floating fragments Of the vessel
This he considers not at all improbable as there were
two three sailors left behind the vessel and these
he believes would have devised such of
ing themselves and Of the passengers Shonld they
have done they would not be long floating about be-
fore they would be picked by vessel the pa
where the William and Mary foundeced is general high
way to vessels bound south.
Of the rescued passengers not than three four
were women, and these flung themselves precpitately
over the side of the sinking vessel into the boat Several
were severely hurt in jumping into the boat and some
leaped into the water in their efforts to escape One of
the auors named John Best that the boat in which
he was, was crowded that they seriously deba
ing the proprety of drawing lots to see who should 60
overheard, it was feared that the boat would be
swamped The poor fellow standing on the side OF
the vessel just the rope which held the boat was about
to be cut, and asked the mate would he jump but re
ceving no encouragement from him. he about giving
himself up for lost when he thought that by rendering
some service he might be allowed to get into the boat
Knowing that they in want of sail, he took one
of the ships and handed it to those in the boat
who, although the boat already overcrswded could
not refuse him chance for his life. The rope was cut
by another sailor named Ridley who Immediately after
jumped into the water and was taken on board
The following is detailed account of the disaster
which was written by the Captain of the William and
Mary
Statement OF the Captain.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
SIR-In your statement of the wreck of the ship VIII
liam and Mary. of Bath Me- there inaccuracies
which desire to correct to prevent any false impressions
from being entertained in relation to that disaster This
consider but act of justice to myself and to prevent
the possibility of false reports being circulated hereafter
The William and Mary sailed from Liverpool for New
Orleans the oath Of March, with assorted cargo
and 208 passengers, including the cook and steward
Nothing of particular moment occurred during the pas
sage the deaths Of fourteen PERSONS and BIRTH
until after passing the Hole in the Wall the morning
of the Sd of May The wind blowing fresh from east
southeast and the weather partially cloudy. found
it necessary to carry heavy press of sail in order
to make the Isaacs before dark. Up to IL NJ
Stiriup Key bore south ten miles. then shaped my
course west by north for the point of soundngs north
Of the Geeat Isaacs when the weather became still
cloudy and nnfavorabe, with heavy sea. Owing to
these circumstances it was impossible .oget the suns al
ttude that might determine how far we were to the
westward At sunset about O'Clock the weather be-
came thick and the wind increased in squas chang
ing to the southeast At P. NJ, judging ourselves to
the northward and westward of Great Iaacs kept the
ship west by SOUTH and commenced heavng the lead at
found no bottom in twenty fathoms at s15 the
at $50 struck sunken rock, and hung about mid.
ship with ten fathoms water al around After pounding
heavily about fifteen minutes she went of aud struck
another rock within few rods of the first when she
pounded few times and went of. We then lie. go the
anchors and commenced getting out the boas-the pas
sepgers at the pumps but could not keep her Free At
IL, midnight found four feet water ia the hold A. NJ
weather ba ck and squay, with heavy sea- eight feet
water in the hold, both pumps going A. NJ, ten feet
water, and the slip going down mates and il the
boats, together with many passengers could be
slowed in the cngboat and teboat the other two boats
having been stove after launching At that time the pas
sepgers abandoned the pumps in despair and finding
utterly possible to the whole of them it was
with the greatest difficulty that could induce them
to launch the longboat great their fear of being
swamped.
should state that at this time G A. NJ, 4th of
May,) the Great Isaacs bore east southeast six or
seyen miles, the wind blowing heavy from the
southeast ia squalls, that It was impossible
for us to have reached them against the wind and sea-
unless the risk Of losing the lives of those We had
been fortunate in saving from the pnkng vessel The
only resort left to keep our boats before the
wind and the sea- in the hope of reaching the Florida
coast. Half hour after left the ship she dsap-
reared, and supposed that she had gone down. 10.
ge.her with probably hundred and seventy passen.
gers and two of the crew, and the ships steward
At II 81. bark hove in sight, bound up the Gulf which
proved to be English vessel The lfeboat in which
was far to leeward to be by the bark but
she fortunately fell in with the lsngboa containing the
passengers and of the crew, and picked them up
The number of passengers aud crew in the longboat
was, as could judge, about twenty. At one
O'Clock brig hove in sight, which proved to be the
Reuben Carver Of Rockand Maine, Captain Cobb bound
from sagua Ia Grande to New York. She was at the
time boarded her. under close reefed foretopsa and
two Ieefed mansail AS Capt Cobbs conduct in not look
ing after the sinking vessel has been censured in
quarters desire to state here that it would have been
perfectly impossible TO have beat his vessel against the
wind, sea- and Gulf stream, to reach the William and
Mary, If she had been aAoat which it would have
been foolish to suppose would take the present oppor.
tuny of returning thanks to Capt Cobb and his lady
for their kindness and hospitality to myself and those who
saved with me. They did everything in their power
10 render us comfortable.-Your obedient servant
I. r. STINsON.
Statement Of one of the Crew.
The following statement Of os the will be read
with painful interest. It is plain but we have no
doubt true account Of the terrible disaster
We weighed anchor the oath March, and set sail on
the same cay from Liverpool bound for New Orleans the