Washington sentinel., 1854-03-11
6fnsral Sntelligents.
DreadfnI Disaster AZ Sea-. -rhe haroue {

Il SdptdH ~. arrived attnlS pOr
yesterday afternoon, from Calcutta, with the cap
tain, mate, cook, and two seamen. who she took OF
the wreck ofthe barquc Orline st. John, on the Is
instant, in state of great distress and suffering
The particulars of this sad disaster, as we learr
| them from the mate of the wrecked vessel Josial
! Townsend, Of New Jersey, are as follows
! On the 10Th ultimo, the barque Orline ST. John
Of Gardiner, Maine, Captain William Rodbird, sail
| ed from Norfolk for Barbadoes with an assorte,
cargo consisting of slaves, cora meal, -four, rice
&c, and having, as passenger Mrs. Rodbird, tn,
| Captains WIFE, The wind was fresh from thu
southeast during the next day. Monday, and to
wards night blew very fresh.
AT about 10 o'clock the staysail was sen. Soor
after the captain gave the orderto swing the fore
sail, and while this was being done the barque ship
ped sea forward, which stove the forescuttle Off
and IN less than twenty minutes the vessel partly
| filed, and came down on her beam ends. She laid
on her beam ends about an hour, when the masts
went by the board, and the barque partly righted
When she went over, a colored seaman, named
Martin, who was in the cabin, was drowned. He
belonged to Liverpool The captains wife was
also in the cabin, in her berth. AS soon as posi-
BILE the captain went TO her assistance, and sue
ceed in rescuing her from drowning, by pulling her
out through the cabin windows.
Tuesday, the sea breaking over the vessel, the
crew lashed themselves to the main rigging for
safety. The captain had his wife lashed TO The
rigging with himself Towards afternoon she be
gan 10 complain of being cold and The captain
stripped off his jacket and comforter and put them
around her. At four o'clock that afternoon she
died in her husbands arms and her body was com
mted to the deep. They were married in Octo
Der last. Mrs. Rodbird belonged 10 Bath Maine
and was thirty-hree years age. Her name pre-
vious 10 marrying Captain Rodbird was Mrs. Han.
nah Johnson.
On Tuesday night, the second mate, a Scotch
man, who shipped at Norfolk, but whose name
neither the captain nor mate recollect, released
himself from the rigging, and against the advice
of his superior officers. went in search of some
water. The last that was seen of him he was stand
ing in the scultle, and il is supposed that he was
washed overheard. At daylight on Tuesday they
be trying TO get 10 them, but the wind bafled, and
at noon they more of her. They were then
drifting to the eastward.
Wednesday morning, the sea still making
breach over her, colored seaman named Doug
lass died in the rigging The next morning the
mate eat piece oW Of has body and tasted Of IT,
At this time the rest of the crew refused 10 par
take of il, although they had been from Monday
night without particle of food. They then tied
string TO the piece of flesh and lei it soak on deck
until Saturday when they all ate of il; when that
gone they sustained themselves by eating
pieces Of the green hide tller ropes cut very fine.
They were subsisting on this when they were
taken off.
From the time Of the disaster until Wednesday,
the first of March, when they were taken off, they
TO quench their thirst by wetling pieces Of can
vas with salt water, and laying them upon their
parched lips. The mate refused to partake as
freely Of salt water the rest, and for three days
anenched his thirst acith urine. While they We're
in the rigging, they tried 10 shelter themselves
from the sea and weather, by wrapping pieces of
the sails around them. They saw barrels of -four
and Of rice washing out Of the hold and floating
of before their eyes, and yet they were unable 10
secure any of them.
n. L. H., -
Hutchings of the Saxonville, being in about lati-
tude CSC 30f, longitude 37o 30,, saw what appeared
to him TO be a light boat adrft. He could see no
man on board of her, but still, with heart worthy
Of an American sea captain, he believed il TO be
his duty TO go and ascertain the facts He was
about six miles 10 the wndward Of her, and beat
up TO her, and as the reward of his noble con
duct, he had the satisfaction of saving the lives of
five of his fellow seamen. The rescued captain
and mate both state their belief that not one Of
them would have survived through the night of
the day on which they We're taken of. On being
unashed from the rigging TO which they had been
fastened for nine days, they We're not able TO
stand, and had TO be lifted on board the Saxon
vile. Every possible attention and kindness was
bestowed upon them by Captain Hutchings, and
they are now comfortable could be expected
The names Of the survivors are us follows: Will
liam Rodbird Of Bath, Maine, captain; Josiah
Townsend, OF New Jersey mate; Caesar Connor,
(colored,) cook, Philadelphia; Thomas Grant,
(colored1 seaman, Baltimore; Peter Johnson, sea-
man, Norwegian.
The survivors saved nothing but what they had
on al the time Of the disaster, and are in very
destitute condition. Doubtless some measure will
be at once taken to relieve their necessities.
, The survivors We're removed from the Saxon
vile last evening. The captain and Thomas
Grant were taken 10 the Massachusetts general
hospital. Grants legs will both have TO be ampu-
tated.
Mr. Townsend, the mate, and Connor and
Johnson, were taken TO the Marine Hospital al
Chelsea.
Merchants Exchange Reading Room, and his as
sistants, for their promptness in administering
lief 10 the survivors. The Orline ST. John was a
good vessel Of 236 tons, built in 1S4S, and was
owned by William Bradstreet, Of Gardiner, Maine.
The captain does not know whether she was in.
sured or not. The cargo was shipped on English
account and was probably insured.
Boston Journal