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

the accident, the weather had been
quite foggy, and | was somewhat as
tonishcd and alarmed several times
when OH deck, seeing the weather SO
thick, that tancied not more than
three or four Of the ships lengths
ahead could be seen, and she going
on at full speed, without any alarm
bell, steam whistle or other signal be.
ing sounded ut intervals, in some such
manner as had been accustomed to
in q tng on other vessels, At about
IS minutes after the meridian, eight
bells had been struck, and while sitting
IN my state room in the forward cabin,
the earnest cry Of q voice on deck,
(who ! ut the moment took to tic the
man on tho Look out, to '.Stop her."
stop herr" "a steamer ahead" was
heard with alarm by myself and all
others in tho cabin; at tho same time
the man giving the alarm gould be
heard running off towards The engine
room. stepped out Of my state.
room, and while cndenvorills with
MIR. Cook, my room mate, to calm the
excitement among the ladies in tho
cabin, and before tho man giving the
alarm on deck had reached the cnuine
room, wc were made awarc of the
concuss,ol by somewhat slight jyr
10 our ship, accompanied by crashing
noise against the starboar.i bow. i
wis n moment of awe and SUSPENSE
butl think we all seemed To satisfy
ourselves that the shock was sIipht
and that rs VIC were ON SO. large and
strong vessel, aud no serious dam
aSe had happened, or could well hap.
pen to such - ship, in al occurrence of
such nature.
WIN such Il reliance on, my own
mind, at amy rate, wis very quickly
on deck, and in detached, accounts
from other passengers, ichrlcds that
II screw steamer, with ali sail scR, lad
struck US on tho slarboarll bow, and
ylancIng ait our starhnar,, wheel aud
whpel. house, struck her again, aud she
passed nIl astern OF us ont Of sirhL,
Immediately, in thick fog. saw
on the ilrst gIancc at our bulwarks
that all WAS right with as, but instant
y began to s4t alnrrGed from our
carecninS over OH the side VIC had
been struck, as well as from tho call
tor the passengers to keep OH 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 siN Of the men, to rcndcr as
s'stnnce to tie nther vessel, ar! that
our ship was making round in search
OF her al $50. ! saw Captain Luce on
the paddlcboN, giving orders in one
way and another, and most of The OF.
tlccrs and mcm running here and there
on deck, getting into all evident state
ol alarm, without scc.niny to know
what WAS to Le done, or applying
their energies TO any one thing in par,
tlcular, except ia getting the anchors
and other heavy articles over 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 fourteen
feet abatt the cut-walcr, and was
convinced that in the ten or tiftccu
minutes time our wheels were further
submerged In the water than usual
Our ship seemed to right herself
somewhat after getting the deck wciulL
upon tho Iarboarl, but it Was l,p
evident lllat Capt, Luce himself, as
we'll rs all hands, were bccon.inn
aware OF our danger, and from the
tremendous volume Of water brj,n
thrown out from our steam Duu,ps I
Was couSuccd We were making water
at 4 tsas'ial rate. Then came in full
view before us the other vessel. prc.
scnting most hcartrcnding spectacle:
the whole of her bow. for at least
10 feet abatt her cqtwatcr, was liter
ally crushed away, leaving to all APP
poar1EtI III open entrance for The
sea; and how she had remained above
water for 50 many minutes seemed n
mystery. Her decks were covered
with people, and all her sails On all
three of her masts were set. We
merely passed her 4sqip, and she WAS
i'll less than . minute hid in the fog,
but scarcely out Of sight, when We
heard IL rise from her deck IL loud and
general wall Of moaning and Iamcn-
tation that told us Of their burial en-
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 siJht
of and passed her thar our wheels went
over two Or three separate individuals
in the water, us well rs IL boat and
crew who had evidently left The other
ship for safety on oIrs.-Qnc man
only we picked up, an old weather
bcaton Frenp!' fishernan, who, having
leaPed from tho small boat before she