Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-11-16
ANOTHER DREADFUL SHIPWRECK-
THREE HUNDRED g. FORTY-EIGHT
LIVES LOST.

LIVES LOST.
Our English files by the Niagara announce
one of the most terrible catastrophes on record
the total loss of the ship Annie Jane, Mason,
commander, belonging to Liverpool, which was
driven ashore on the iron bound coast of Barra
Island during the recent gales, on the night of
Wednesday, the 2Sth ult, when no fewer than
348 passengers-men, women and children
met with watery grave. The Annie Jane was
q large vessel, and sailed from Liverpool, for
Quebec and Montreal, on the 9th of last month,
with some 450 emigrants, most of them Irish
families.
We give below portions of the fearful narr-
tive:
4 At the time the ship struck,
all the officers and crew were below, but there
were also on deck large number of male pas
sengers, who held on by ropes and rigging, and
with feelings of despair contemplated their fate
Meanwhile, the great majority of passengers, in
GLIDING all the women and children, were below
in their berths but the striking of the ship gave
them fearful Weakening Many rushed on deck
in n state of nakedness; wives clung to their
husbands, and children chung to both, some mute
from terror and others uttering appalling screams
and eagerly shriekng," Is there hope!"
The scene is described by the survivors as the
heart Of man to conceive. After the first shock
was over the passengers rushed 10 the boats,
three Of which were placed between the mizen-
mast and the poop, and the fourth lay on the top
of the cooking house forward. The light boat
had already been lost. Bot the boats were of
no earthly use, for they were all fixed down
and secured, or lay bottom up. While the pas
sengers were thus clustered around. the boats,
and within a very few minutes after the. ship
grounded, she was struck by sea of fearful po-
tency which instantly carried away the dense
mass of human beings into the watery waste, and
boats and bulwarks went along with them. AT
least one hundred of our fellow creatures perish
ed at this fell swoop. The wild wall of the suf.
ferers was heard for moment, and then all was
still.
The great majority Of the women and chill
dren as well as some of the male passengers,
remained below, either parayzed by terror or
afraid that they would be washed away in the
event of their coming on deck. But their time
had also come. The frightful humping of the
great ship, taken in connection with her cargo of
railway iron, must have Immediately beaten the
bottom out of her. and while her fabric was in
this weakened state, another dreadful sea broke
on board and literally crushed that part of the
deck situated between the mainmast and the miz
enmast, down upon the berths below, which
were occupied by terror stricken women and
sleeping children. They were killed rather than
drowned, as was fully evidenced by the naked,
mutilated and gashed bodies which were after
wards cast on shore. The main and mizenmasts
went at the same moment. This second branch
of the catastrophe took place within a very few
minutes after the passengers and part of the
crew had been swept away from the deck along
with the boats. The most of the remaining crew
and passengers now took refuge on the poop,
which was very high one, and each succeeding
assault of the sea carried away its victim or VIC
Tins. In short, within one hour after the Annie
Jane struck, the remaining stumps Of her masts
went by the board, and she broke into three
pieces. An additional number persisted at this
disruption; and all the survivors remained on
the poop, with the exception Of seven men, who
had secured themselves on the to-gallant FORE |
castle. The poop fortunately floated well, and
rs it was about high water, the wreck was drift
cd inward by the wind and each heave of the sea,
when it finally grounded about o'clock A. M. |
The forecastle with the seven men, came ashore |
much about the same time.
Such as were saved remained by until the tide |
ebbed, when they waded ashore,th water taking
them nearly TO the armpts. At daylight the bay
was strewn with dead bodies, to the number Of
nearly three hundred, greatly dlshgured, many
of them without limbs and heads, and nearly all |
naked, thereby showing how instant must have
been their death, and the fearful struggle of
the waters which in SO short time made such
havoc.
Only one child was saved. II belonged to
humble Irish woman, who, with her two children
was about to join her husband in America. She
struggled hard to preserve them both, one on
her back, and grasping the other in her arms
but when the ship parted, the latter was dashed
into the sea, and the other remained.
Recently, MIR. Van Buren,, being in Belgium,
sent word to the king that he desired to pay his
respects to him if he could be permitted to do so
in plain citizens dress; whereupon the king
came in from the country, and spent several
hours with Mr.. Van Buren, in his palace
Oh, papa, DIR. March had work to pull moth
ers tooth out"