New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-23
time fly quickly BY in keeping with tho rOting sea- over
which gided

On the evening Of the seeond day December 22l the
first breath Of the coming gale felt At about O'Clock
the wind came ont very suddenly from the northwest
and the surface Of the began grow white with
foam Various sails were blown 10 atoms the shp beat
heavily and the report circulated that some OF her plank
ing had been carried away There yet no evidences
Of fear board the ship firmly did each rely upon her
strength little after midnight the vessaI became un
manageable, and lay in the trough Of the each
sweeping over her aud carrying away panks barrels
boxes ETC. The passengers deemed their situation
perious and confusion reigned among them The
word given to tighten ship. and all passengers and
crsw engaged with will in clearing deck and working
The pumps for Che report also made that the
snip Was leaking badly The soldiers organized into
oa1ng gangs and every stretched keep the
null frse from water.
In this way the steamer lay rolling and pitching, and
shipping heavy bows from midnight on the 18th til
O'Clock next morning and now sysIy vavpg sea threat
ened All with watery grave At this hour the foremast
Iel WIN tremendous crash and In about two hours a
JsfWerds heavy sea swept the decs carrying away more
than one hundred souls. staterooms we're ARRANGED
around the quarter deck On the main deck which were
occupied by the officers aud soldiers Some Of these oc
eupants in their staterooms and otbers ere an ec
when this taken amdships and ali we've csrrie
assroosrd including Col Washington asleep his state
room Major Taylor and wife, Capt Field, Lieut. smith
aao the others The which enstaed ia sInest
beyond the power of description The sky black with
clouds the rain poured in torrents and all airettions
the vision was limited by roaring pillows white Tftfrot,
and foan The wind blew perfect hurricane and sar
@ shs vessel tore and aft The engine broken
1e Iofeinest was gone ptanks from the hull
water was mskisg in tha hold and from all sdes ca1as
piercing cries OF drowning soldiers The stateroons swept
n
mates thrown upon the biIows No attemnt was tn
rescue any for all efforts to this end wers ,seess Some
o the ofowns men gsppied as spinters and boards
assistance others swan Until smothsred or tired out
aud many without effort sunk beneath the 500 II
that moment, those still beard themselves Suffered an
the horrors OF death Sone had relatives and all had
friends and acquaintances struggling In the wavs rac
tried to shut his eyes heart
him, nofnentariy expecting ojon tn sodiars
During the afternoon of this horrible day eysry rat
Of which appeared like hours sail hove in sight and
though great sxpanss Of raging water rolled between
afvff rF
aiFs with hope and the prospect of deiverance This
nope, however. short lived, this vessel was the
saPeson which was lost sight of next naornus 25t
A me hosrors OF death sgain gathered sraund the
aatAenins heavens the petng rain, the raging sea- and
sas sinking vessel Ia the midst Of this tespondency
HoWeVer tnere were sone who in this hour of peril
felt not it's tsrrors The officers Of the ship went from
man 70 man inspiring all with hope and cheering them
M . sastJ some Of tbs officers of the
amid creaking cordags and falling spars a. tte9 ens
nave been amid cashing .sbres cleaning arms
Winaer Lieut. Van Voorst Lieut. Chandler and sergeant
Brown Of Company g. among those most consoicr
GUS in their efforts to revive the rooprg piric of The
passengers We the Maria on the night Of ts ostb
but lost her the 18th We lived mainly on sat beef
and biscuit and very many kept their spirits up BY par
taxing freely of brandy and water Of which there xas
much on board Some owe thair lives to ths moderate
use Of ardent spirits.
This situation, rolling and pitching as at first
until the 2sh when the bark kiby took off portion *
the company On the 5ist. we spoke the British shin
Three Bells of Gasgaw Capt Creighton who promised
for three days before being able board her and on the
night OF January We hailed the Antarctc who in CON.
nection with the Three Bells promised Us deIiyerance On
passengers.
In concluding this statement our informant says. too
much praise cannot be awarded to Capt Creighton Of the
angsh snip Three Bells Tor his truly gallant and heroic
eohouet IN rescuing the passengers of the disabled
steamer He lay with the San Francisco at the psrl II
his own life and vessel The weather as has been de-
scfibed The Three Bells herself leaking making the
pumps necsssary She was short Of provisions water
IN almost disabled state yet notwithstanding all this
tne gallant resolved to his brother
this needs comment Most of not ali Of those WHO
have arrived in the city have lost all they had with them
on the fated steamer, saving nothing what they
had On their backs disaster like this loss Of life
peril or suffering is seldom recorded in the history of the
ocean. :