Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-01-17

s,o..,nnnt of one OF the PnssenE0rs.

On MONDAY December u, the ttoops Cohsis"us v.
,omranjcs of Inc Tkd Regiment OF Artillery were
VI rnm seamtrps on board tho steamer then anchored III
tho North River. They numbered rank and ME- soc U
men The officers with their families together WIN me so.
ers, wives and iemalcs-a certain portion u ~hom "elt
allowed to each company-brought up the namoet w aoo
600 There were 20 81 other passengers The crew mum
bsred from 100 10 lou; so lha all lod, VIC "eo "
and 500 souls on board. , -. ,,,
On Wednesday morning the steamer dropped down 10 .ht
Quarantine and anchored for The night. On lhufsohy III
n,d ,f,rr having detained three hours ~ahe
f,r daory officer she weighed anchor about III cloch
and stood ont TO At IL passed Sandy Hook and dis
charged our pilot.
conslnhly recurring and repeated delays had delayed ou
departure week after week and month ALTER month Al ias
every obstacle had been and the gallant ap VIII
her head pointed TO the southwest moved steadily honcn
not swiftly her She was deeply laden-far loo
deeply az result proved Her engines new and M
tried und the strain upon them great Thursday was oVcy
morning; tho calm and smuolh with geutle beczss from
,c north west Whatever gloomy fOebodngs might la We
Friday morning the 23i, brightly our course
We had entered the Gulf Stream, and the weather. which
Yesterday had been chilly ind caused the ladies' and child
rem 10 gather around the stove had become mild The wind
s from the Northwest with sea enough TO cause The din.
uer table TO comparatively deserted The day passed
without incident OF any kind and gave no presage oi the
awful disaster 10 follow.
Immediately utter ten retired 10 room and after read
ing two hours quietly shore addressed and
tired There was more roll 10 The ship than had previously
experienced and the wind seemed reshenng but though,
nothing O! IT, But found there was no sleeping IL
soon blew ene The ship rolled and pitched 10 degree
difficult keep BY 0eh- All the books and
uose articles upon the table were thrown upon the oo
Every article in the oom though confined, thrown in
IN alarming manner.
hurricdy and went out upon the deck. My on
the hurricane deck the forward part OF the ship The
scene as stepped on deck was terrific me sea was
The gale terrific The steamer had broached 10 twice
and had really become unn1anageabc. Her head TO-
Gus but vain efforts to take in the sails They blown
ribbons The foremost-we carried no mainmast-was
wrea,hng and twisting like young sapliug was large
euou oh for The mainnast OF 600 ton ship. The fury
the tempest was such that could not stand before il
ment but seized the iron brace connecting the king bolts
and surveyed the scene for moment Then throw my sell
on INV hands and knees and made for the nearest
get below This happened TO be over the forward galley
Swinging myself down by the cabin. reached the main
| deck.
Hero scene OF confusion indescbnbic and conounding
presented ITSELF Four hundred soldiers berhed his
deck in double Of sandee berhs three tiers EACH
They had all crept from their berhs Of the standees
had been broken and thrown down. The live stock, OIL
which there considerable had escaped am their pens
on The same deck soldiers buocks calves pigs sheep
and poultry. all mingled together amid the broken
sandees The steamers guards had been carried nway
some time previously, and the washed Tho dock
with every roll Of the ship The lanterns were extngush
ed and the darkness was almost total made cur, to
reach the after cabin, but found ii impossible With my pen
knife leather belt from Of The soldiers knapsacks
hanging around and fastening II carnc made secure
place 10 hold | remained there toward hour, the
storm all the while increasing
About o'clock the foremost down almost my
that the deck would be swept clean Of everythng and
tcmined to seek refuge below. first into the steer
but as they commenced oaterng down the hatch with
perhaps hundred soldiers in IT, Left and the
second cabin, occupied by the commissioned officers
their families. wet to the skin and chilled through
After waiting here for hours with abatement the
fury OF the gale cep Into Of the soldiers berlh pull
ed blanket me- and after while fell asleep. Tia frs,
ray Of dawn awoke arose. and through the Store
and pantry succeeded in gaining the main saloon Saturday
morning the 2sth had last dawncd upon u.s. and this
full night had 40 end
tremendous strike the ship but had idea OF the
awful consequences. II the denoument-lhe finale OF
the awful tragedy which had been going through tho
night An overwhelming had struck the ship on her
starboad quarter carrying away the sarboad paddle box
both smoke stacks the whole promenade deck aba the pad
die boxes Two Of state rooms OF twelve esch the
uan deck and in the main deck hatch This
smallest part of the havoc AT fell sweep nearly
hundred and fifty human beings swept into eternity
The majority were private soldiers OF the different compa
MES Of the Third Artillery One company lost all but Ten
OF members. Four officers with them: Col. Wash.
ngton distinguished Buena Vista and other hard fought
elds Mai Taylor and wife, Capt. Field and Lieut. Smith
The sea covered with drowning The roar Of the
tempest smothered the "bubbng cry Of strong swimmers
In their agony" In few they sunk rise
ill the gives up her dead. Two OF all The crowd
succeeded in reganing the shp-Mr Rankin, army suit
tier, and MIR. - merchant of Rio Janeiro,
few moments had elapsed when reached tho saloon It
and a IL dGp 81 nsI, S %H se and Mvi
TO the skin were scattered pIauks waling and
sSSnS some c and y TIC
their Muker face to fuce
.Tn.u rose from sec to sty the wild farewol-
Thcn slr!ckcd the Imid md stood st, the brave
Happy those who 10 this awful moment, felt that their peace
was made and nothing left but calm resignation to their
Makers hand But Death s tho King OF fcrrorS and when
he in the midst OF life, with our bones full OF mar
row and our limbs full of sap human nature cngs 10 life
and even instinct OF the dumb animal shrnks from death
The dream poor Clarence and thought
"Aas il Is fearful thing 70 drown"
Another sea like that Which struck us and our Tale had
been that of the Pesident-nOt soul would have survived
10 tell the alo. But It pleased mercu and awise Provi.
dencc 10 say 10 the sea- Hitherto shalt thou come aud no
further and here shn thy proud warcs be etaYcd IL
that drowning catch at sruws and stns
lively did many Of lie lash ourselves 10 lilo preserVer though
in the raging pillows of that angry five hundred miles
from the shore would have been but little better
dependence than the other
After the first of dismay over hope began 10 &c
vyc in our bosoms The hull still staunch and son
and come assng vessel rescue as from the wreck
Something whispered you arc sale :" and after commit
ting myself and those most dear 10 me to The Father o Mer-
ccs ] fell al peace.
Ascending the companion. way from the saloon to the
main deck seated self the head OF the staircase and
surveyed the scene. The was, in all her upper
works perfect wreck Foremost smoke stack tho greater
par, of the promenade deck the saoon and all the stue
rooms on the main dcck-al were gone The main deck
WINS stove and the rushing in at every shipped
On the opposite side of the companions way lay tho manYcd
and bleejins corpse solIie who killed Instantly by
The falling OF the deck few feet further lay groan
np and near dea. injuries received al The ime
rhe sea running mountains HIGH aud bilUw that
came with its curling crest toward u.s. seemed about ~ pour
II was not 80 10 be- We were in imminent danger Of
foundcrug but gallant and undaunted commander,
Capt Watkins whose cxcrions during all that fearful night
had been aimos, superuman, directed all his energies to
save US TO tighten the ship and stop the leaks the
frs, Objects TO break up tho haches and commence dis
charging cargo the work Of moment. Soldiers and
sailors all lent helping hand and as each knew he
worked for his life, all worked with will Stanclcons were
pa ced under broken deck and 1t was partially forced
back to its place found that the gained upon
US rapidly The seanrpump had become obstructed. Fifty
soldiers detailed TO commence baing All day and all
night the work without iniermisslon. STILL with
every roll the ship took in largo quantities Of watc! and
gained little upon the leak.
Sunday morning the 25th the day OF the nativity OF our
blessed Saviour at last dawned upon The sky lighted
up i,c there short CLEAN of sunshine and The sea
Gained little. sail or two was seen In tie distance but
| none orproached u.s. 1t gloomy Chrislm,s US
The work Of baiing and pumping went on and we had
gained the leak Monday, The 2Gth The eue continued
with little abatement All night Sunday The tempest roured
round our devoted ship The hundered against
sides and like the gates Of beeagueed city.
Sleep out OF the question For three nights we had had
nOnu We discovered sail not far oil. On approaching
she proved be brig spoke her She reported herself
short of provisions and after supplying herself with barrels
of beef and pork had thrown overheard she went
way.
On Sunday the 9th discovered another sail bearing down