Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-01-27

I hou', 'he stoIm all tHe Wnlie increasing
About | O'Clock the foremast cam
down almost over my head. crushing il
the hurricane deck. | almost fearet
now that the deck would be swept clear
OF everything, and determined to seel
refuge below. went first in to tht
steerage, but as the, commenced battpn
ing down the hatch, with perhaps two
hundred soldiers in it, left, and wen,
to the second cabin, occupied by The
noncommlssioned officers aud their fam
lies, | was wet 10 the skin and chilled
through After waiting here two hours
WITH 10 aba. niant in the fury OF the
gale, crept into one Of the soldiers
ber,hs, pulled blanket over me. and
after while fell asleep The rst raw
OF dawn awoke me. Iarose, and ,hrough b
the store-room and pantry, succeeded in
gaining the main saloon. Saturday
morning the Gath. had at last dawned
upon US, and this awful night had an
end.
While passing between the second
and after cabin | felt tremendous sea
strike the ship, but had no idea Of the
awful consequences. Itwas the denoue
ment-the finale of the wful tragedy
which had been going on during the
night. An overwhelming sea had struck
the ship on her starboard quarter. car
rylng away the arboard paddle box both
| smoke stacks, the whole promenade
deck abaft the paddle boxes, two rows
OF state rooms, of twelve each, on the
main deck. and stove in the main deck
hatch. This was the smallest part OF
the havoc. At one fell swoop nearly
one hundred and fifty human beings
were swept into eternity. The majority
were private soldiers Of the different
companies OF the Sd Artillery. One
company lost all but ten o is memb bers
Four officers were with them Colonel
Washington, distinguished at Baena
Vista and other hand fought fields Mai.
Taylor and wife Capt. Field and Lieut..
Smith. The Sea was covered with
drowning men. The roar cf the tempest
smo'hered the "bubbling cry of strong
swimmers in their agony" In few
moments they sunk to rise no more till
the sea gives up its dead. Two Of all
the crowd succeeded in regsning the
ship-Mr. Rankin, an army suttler, and
MIR. ---, merchant. Of Rio Jaueiro.
liz this state with her upper decks all
goRe, including the hurricane deck, the
ship lay for several days in the trough
of The sen, completely at the mercy OF
the wind and waves which blew ana
swelled INCREASINGLY; tossing the ship
on the water like waif Her engines
were unmanageahe, and hope Of rescue
had almost fed, when on. the 25th a
sail or two were seen in the distance
but did not approach. 1t was gloomy
Christmas day for The deserted passen
gers. Ali day long. with the tempest
and storm threatening TO enguls them,
the work of bailins and pumping had to
be carried on to keep the ship from sink
ing, and during the succeeding night
there was no rest lro.h these labors, and
less hope that their existence would see
another dawn. But fortunately it was
not to be so.
On Monday, the 26lh, the gale contn-
ued without aba a;ement, bu.a sail hove in
sight and bore down for the devoted
steamer. She was spoken but was in
disabled condition herself aud could
therefore give no assistance. On the
contrary she helped herself to some pro-
visions which were thrown overheard
from the San francisco.
On Sunday. the 9Th, nine day. afte
the disaster, the barque kilby hove in
sight aud approached the wreck. CO..
Gates chartered her TO take the peope
on board off, but the tempest was so
violent md The sea so rough that the
e m barkation did no, commence ill Wed
resday; on that day about 100 persons,
including the principal army oaicers and
their families, were sent on board the /
kilby. At night the gale became so
violent the Kilby parted company from
the deserted vessel and was seen no
more by those left on board. Than came |
the sickness os the heart from hope de-
erredand blighled.
To add greater horrors to The scene a
disease Of the cholera type broke OUT on
Thursday, and the army surgeons having
left on the kilby, the sick were lett in I
want Of the usual necessa-
ries, and death ensued upon almost ev-
cry attack of the disease Cold, hun
ger, exposure, labor, anxiety aud seve-
rsl days and nights passed without
sleep. pre- pared many to yield up their
life at the slightest attack of The disease,
On Saturday morning aEolher ship was
seen close by. Sae hove TO, was spo-
ken. and agreed TO give all the assist.
aace in the power of her officers and
crew, but owing 10 the roughness OF The
sea, she had TO lay by till Monday before
a single soul cosld be taken on board,
and even then she had but one boat
which could be made serviceabls. The
relieving ship was the Three Bells, Capt.
Creighton, an English vessel The Cap
tain did all he could 10 take off The peo>
pie from the steamer. and while engaged
in the good work. another ship, The
Antarctic, bound for Liverpool, ap-
preached and rendered her services.
Every heart was now gladdened with
The prospect of being saved from so
many impending dangers, and the two
ships succeeding in realizing the hopes
OF all that were left alive. 1t is thought |