The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-06-28

TIE ESCAPE OF SIR RO3ERr PEEL
Readers will remember the wreck of the
steamer Ercolano, by collision with the steamer
Stella, and the escape Of Sir robert Peel, who
was L passenger in the former vessel. late
English paper gives The following account by
Capt Townsend, of the British Navy, WHO had
it from Sir Robert:
Sir Robert Pei said that, feeling i'll from the
motion of tie vessel, he was sitting n his car
rage. L,ch had been moved To .niaships on
acc unt of The heavy rolling OF the se u Smoking
a cigar, hen suddenly. aud without the slight
esl waning a coi,is,0a occurred.
A large vpsse, Cne Sici,.a,) came upon them
al the rate # II or y knots an hour, running
for eght nine fcs. into ire ERGO a'lo aad
literally doubling her up The collision was
s, sudden, and death imminent that there
was time tor consideration. Sir Rnber, had
just time 10 spring out Of his carnage before the
tunnel of The steamer and the apparatus of the
galley fell against it, and threw II uve- board =
To take of has coat, his trousers aud his boots
was the work OF moment. His servant was
standing bv him-an old and valued servant,
much attached to him and in that moment Sir
Robert (mho must pardon US for referring 10
rcu i'staHce W!!iciI he never intended TO be
made pubilc) found time, and courage and calm,
ness enough TO say few words TO his faithful
servltor--'. Good bye God bless you, Nothing
can save us In very few minutes we shall
b. in the either GRID bat be comto!ted,
have ade provi>ia. for your daughter" Che
old mans only child)
The old servant said he would never leave lis
m ls,er ) but SIR Robert, feeling that there was
no chance for either of them, except in prompt
and individual activity, exclaimed, .'You cannot
help me. Do the best you can. | shall jump
into the sea - and then he took strong leap
to escape the ecdy caused by The sinking vessel,
which he happily cleared. In the Sir
Robert got hold of something which he sup
posed to be the bowsprIt of the Stella. which
was carrie away at the moment of the collision
Then he got hold of chan, and finally If a
piece OF the wreck, to which he found three
other persons. one of whom, he thinks, was his
old servant, were clinging. In this position he
remained, the sea rolling heavily, for three
quarters OF an hour.
One by one his companions relaxed their
grasp on the Coating portion of the wreck, and
dropped exhausted into the sea-their grave !;
ans at las, he alone remained holding on, TIL he
was picked up by boat belonging to the vessel
which had run them down Till that moment
ST Robert never lost consciousness or self
command, bu, once on board the boat he sa,k
in,o state of insensibiliiy, from which he wa.
restored in the engine room of the Stella Sir
Robert says he heard the cries of people in dis
,ress from the Ere lano before she sank. and he
thinks tina; lives might have been saved, If pso-
per means had been taken MIR. Heaisey and
his family, and many other passengers, he be-
lieves, were below in the cabins, in all proba
billy asleep, at the time 81 the collision, and
| the uhng up of tne vessel wnuid prevent
tlen tro.n getting on deck; but SIR Robert
thinks that il The Stella had remained about the
spot al daylight she might have picked 10
some OF ,ts passengers who would probably
have been washed out and found clHeing to tn,
wreck