Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-05-21
Terrible Disaster at Sea.
LOSS OF NEARLY TWO HUNDRED LIVES

We have TO record to-day another fearful Gu
lamity, the laundering of vessel at sea, with the
probable loss ofnearly two hundred lives.
Capt. Forbes, of the brig Reuben Carver, from
Sagua la Granle, brought into port this morning,
the captain, mate, and six of the crew of the ship
William and Mary. of Bath, Maine, who were
picked up from boat at sea- lat 81 so and
long. SO 20, having been wrecked near Stirrup
Key, among the Bahama Island, on the Sd of May.
Captain Stenson, Of the William and Mary, has
furnished us with the following particulars of the
loss oil his vessel, which was on the passage from
Liverpool TO New Orleans, with cargo of railroad
iron and two hundred and eighty passengers,
chiefly cmigrants. At Z O'Clock, A. NJ, on the
third ofMay, during cloudy weather and strong
breezes blowing from the southeast, they passed
tue Hole in the Wall, which is the southern part
OF The little island of IAbaco, one of the Ba-
hamas, nearly north of Nassau. AT noon they
made Strip Key, and then bore of about ten
miles in southerly direction. The weather grew
thicker all the while, aud the wind stronger while
the sea began to roll at fearful rate. At SUM-
set nothing could be seen of the Key, and the
captain supposed he was well north of it, having
Steered west by north meridian. AT A. NJ, when
he judged himself sufficiently 10 the north, and
west of the Great Isaucs he put the ship west by
south, and commenced heaving the lead, but found
no bottom in twenty fathoms.
About half past eight, p. NJ, the vessel struck
upon Sunken rock, where she hung for some
time, with ten fathoms water all around. After
pounding heavily for fifteen minutes she got of,
but Immediately struck another rock. within few
rods Of the first, where She again pounded for
some time, and again went oil. 1t was then
thought expedent 10 let go the anchor and prepare
the boats for launching. The ship was taking in
water very fast, and though the passengers work.
ed for life at the pumps, they found 1t impossible
it TO keep her free. AT midnight there were four
feet in the hold, and at4 A. NJ, with both pumps
going, eight feet. The weather was very black
and Squally, and the sea tremendously high
shortly liter day break, they found ten feet water
in, and the vessel apparently DING down. The
CONSERVATION OF the crowded decks at this period
may be imagined, but cannot be described.
All the boats, five il number, were then made
ready and launched, but two of them were stove
on touching the water, leaving only small boat,
and one long and one life boat. These were man
ned by tie captain. his mates and the crew, to-
gether with as many passengers as could be crowd
ed into them. The remainder of the passengers
iUere left board, and in teu minutes after,
about eight o'clOck, Il. NJ tCent dotcn Ipith the ues
sci. How many persisted it is impossible TO as
certain, but from this account of the captain, we
infer that not less than one hundred and fifty per-
sons, men, women and children. At the time,
the Great IsaacS was bearing east by southeast,
about seven miles.
The several boats were separated after leaving
the ship, but the captain saw, from the bont in
which he was, u bark, apparently bound TO Eu-
rope, hove to i'll the direction of the long and lille
b. ats and he SuTmiSeS that the people in them
were picked up. But there is no certainty of
this; and surprising them also to have been lost the
total number Of deaths will be over two hundred.
The cook and steward of the William and Mary,
together with two of the seamen, were among
those left behind, whLn the small boat put oil.
Captain StenSon has no memorandum of the names
of the lost, which we consequently unable 10
give.
This is one of the most dreadful wrecks that we
have had OCCASION to record for many years. and,
coming so soon after the late railroad calamitieS,
fills us with emotions of horror and gl0om.-N. Y.
Post, May 16.