Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-11-30
Total Loss Of The Yankee Blade !!
From Thirty TO Forty Lives Lost Eight Hundred
Passengers in Peril Fate of the SurViTOrs-
Dreadful Scenes on Board

IdsNHStlS III ltlH TGtt vi tllC ouItlbVIo-
Dreadful Scenes on Board.
From number of the passengers on
the ill-fated Yatkee Blade. We have OBJ
tanned the following additional particu
lars of the disaster. The ship struck
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the lst
inst. Sunday in the midst OF "a dense
fog. the land being distant about three
fourths of mile. The sea between the
ship and the shore was very rough. break
Willy in many places over the reef. As
soon she struck, the engines were re-
versed, and every effort made 10 back her
off; but so strongly had she become fixed
upon the rocks, that she would not bulge.
1t then became apparent that she must
be wrecked. and the only salvation of
those on board depended on their getting
on shore. The boats were Immediately
lowered and in an instant crowded. Three
Of them started from one side Of the YES
sci; the fourth under the command OF
Captain Randall, from tho other side.
In these boats were large number OF
women and children. One of our in
formants Mr.. J. Noore. with his young
son. Adolphus, bound for Hancock coun-
ty, Illinois. got into one OF those boats,
under the command Of the first mate. She
was swamped in the surf, and out Of
twenty persons in her but five escaped.
OF the fifteen lost fodr were ladies and
seven children. The violence OF the
! breakers hurled their boat end over end;
J but as it was life boat. it would not
sink. and few of the drowning wretches
managed to cling to it. 1t was turned
over again and again. bu. by dint
of struggles. propellinS themselves
| by their hands only. they contrived to
hold on until they were washed ashore.
NJ. Moore lost his young son, and was
himself cast insensible upon the beach.
! He was picked up By woman on shore,
carried up the bluff, and by her untiring
exerlions brought back 30 consciousness.
One lady in the boat had on two life
presersers. which prevented her from
! sinking. She was knocked about By the
waves, however. until she became insen-
| sible. hen she washed ashore and left
| for dead. She remained all night upon
the beach. and next morning gave signs
of lifs, and was finally restored. Before
the boat was swamped the first mate ex-
pressed his determination TO GO back al
ter he landed and save more Of the passen-
gers. He was himself so badly crippled
that he could no: afterwards move. One
of the other boats that started at first
was also swamped. Only two boats were
now lef, to rescue near eight hundred
ana fifty souls, und night closing and the
wind raising. These two boats, however.
returned TO the wreck and took off as
many more passengers as possible. By
this time the fog had set in more densely
than ever. and the gloom of night bryan
to oversprend The scene.
When it became known that the boats
were on the eve of leaving the ship tor
the last time that night, many OF the
passengers became frantic. and in their
eagerness 20 get on board the boats, long
after they were full. jumped from the
deck into the sea- struggled TO get hold OF
the gunwale. struggled and went down.
| 1t is supposed that large number of I'M
fortunates lost their lives in this way.
Some in desperation, jumped overheard
and tried to swim ashore, but duck
could not live in such a sea. and they
soon sunk to rise no more, Our INFORM
ant estimates the number of lives lost at
one hundred and fifty. some say two hun
dred-far more than reported by The pur-
ser. After the boats had stopped run
ming, and night with all its horrors had
set in, the scene upon the wreck was ho.-
rible beyond description. All the after
part Of the ship and the lower steerage
were under water. Upon the forward
upper deck and in the upper s;eerase
were crowded nearly eight hundred souls,
wet with the surf hat broke over them,
and chilled TO the marrow by the cold.
All that di small night they huddled to-
gether, expecting every moment that the
hulk. which was quivering and creaking
at every dash of the waves, would 60 TO
pieces and launch them into eternity.
No sooner had the boat struck than
large band of men, armed 10 the teeth,
consisting of notorious shoulder strikers
from this city. and portion of the fire.
men and crew Of the ship. rushed below
and commenced pillaging the baggage
they hurst into the state rooms. ripped
open carpet bags and trunks. plundered
them of all the money and valuables they
found. and cast the rest aside or over
board They displayed knives and re-
yolvers and threatened the lives OF all
who attempted to interfere 18th them
or even made an effort to get at their
baggage After the rise OF the waller /
drove them out of the cabin. they betook
themselves to the upper steerage. OF
which they took possession. and com
menced course of wild riot. They got
hold of the liquors-many Of them drank
themselves furiously drunk--ransacked
the luggage obtained large amount OF
money-attacked. beat. cut, and shot, all
who got in their way. aud became. in
deed. band Of Infatuated fiends They
stationed guard at the sangway TO pre-
vent the better portion of the passengers
from coming down. Some Of the passen-
gers attempted to force their way in,
when they were dreadlully cut with knives
and bottles. and even their parsons rob
bed of their watches and valuables.
Our informant saw one man stagger
out with his head dreadfully cut and