The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-11-01

0otliSiicu anu alarmed several times
when on deck, seeing the weather SO
thick, that | tancied not more than
three or four Of the ships lengths
ahead gould be seen, and she uoinr
on at full speed, without any alarm
bell, steam whistle or other signal be-
ing sounded at intervals. in some such
manner rs had been accustomed TO
in q fug pn other vessels At about
10 minutes after the meridian, ciobt
bells had been struck, and while sitting
in my state room in the forward cubin,
the earnest cry OF voice on deck.
(who ! Mt the moment took to bc the
man OH tho louk out, to '.Stop her"
stop her." "a steamer ahead" was
heard with alarm by myself and all
others in tho cabin; at tho samc time
the man giving the alarm gould be
heard running off towards The cnninc
room. stepped out Of nv state.
room, and while cndcnyorimg with
Nlr. Cook, my ruom mate, to calm the
excitement among the ladies in the
cabin, and before the man giving the
alarm Oh deck had reached the cnuine
room, wc were made aware of the
conclusion by II somewhat slight Jar
TO our ship, accompanied by q crashinr
noise against the starboari bow. It
WAS a moment Of awe and suspense
but think we all seemed to satisfy
ourselves that the shock WAS slipht
and that rs VIC were on SO large and
strong vessel, and no serious dam
aSc had happened, or could well hap.
lcn to such u ship, in an occurrence of
such Il nature.
WIN such Il reliance on, my own
mind, ut amy rate, WAS very uiiickl,
Oh deck, and in detached, accounts
from other passengers, lcarucda that
II screw steamer, with all sail scR bad
struck Us on the siarboard boy, aud
glanc'ng aft our slarbolr,, wheel and
el.h'nlsc, struck her again, aud she
passed uIl' astcrn of MS ont Of siohi
Immediately, in thick fog. Saw
on the iirst glance ut our buwanks
that ii! MAS right with as, but instant
y began TO get alarlEod from our
carcchinS over on the sirle We had
been struck, rs well rs from the call
tor the passengers to keep on the port
side. Understood, also, ut this time.
that one OF our boats had been cleared
away and lowered with our first of.
llccr aud six OF the men, to render as.
sistancc to the other vessel, and that
our ship was making round in search
OF her also. SAN Captain Luce on
tho ddlcboN, giving orders in one
way aud another, and most Of the of:
TIGERS and mcM running here and lIicr.
Oh deck, getting into All evident state
ol alarm, without seeming to know
what Was To be done, or applying
their energies TO any one thin. in par.
tlcular, except ia getting the anchors
and other heavy articles ovur on TO
the port side OF the ship. ! looked
over the starboard bow and saw sew.
cral large breaks in the side of our
ship from eight to twelve or fnurtec,
feet abatt the cut.watcr, and WAS
convinced that in thc ten or ittccn
minutes time our wheels were lirthrr
submerged IN the water than usual
Our ship seemed to right herself
somewhat after rsctlihg the deck wciu!,L
upon the larb"arl, but it WAS l,p
evident tllat Capt. Luce himself as
well rs all bands, were becoming
aware cd our danger, and from the
tremendous volume of water l.i,,n
thrown ont from our steam pumps, I
Was conSillcod We werc making water
at y Isas'is4l rate. Then came in full
view before us the other vessel, prc.
scntInS Il most hcartrcndiug spectacle:
the whole of her bow. for at least
10 feet abatt her cutwatcr, was liter
ally crushed away, leaving to all ap.
pDaraEtn III open cntIancc for The
sea; and how she had remained above
water for 50 many minutes seemed u
Her decks were covered
with people, and all her sails On all
three OF her masts were set. We
merely passed her again, and she was
III less than . minute hid in the Eog,
but sc'srsoIy out Of sight, when VIZ
heard II rise from her deck u loud and
general vail Of moaning and lamcn-
tation that told us Of their burial ru
mossc. | should think there were at
least 200 souls on the deck of that
ship. 1t WAS just previous to, or ~
de same, that we thus came in siuht
OF and passed her thai our wheels went
over two or three separate individuals
in tho water, rs well as Il boat and
crew who had evidently left the other
ship for safety on ours.-Qnc man
only we picked up, an old weather
bcaten FRENCH fisherman, who, having
leaPed from tho small boat before she
went under our wheel, caught rope
hanging from our ship, and was finally
pulled on board Of us. and from whom
we learned sometime of the ,th