Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-11-24
'ilSCEi.LAN
Wreck of the Yankee Blade.

Inc following description OF thc utlocttIes
committed on board the wrecked steamship
Yankee Blade, derived from the accounts of
passengers, is given in Il San Francisco paper:
When it became known that tie boats
were on the eve of leaving the ship for the
last time that night many of the passengers
became frantic, and in.their eagerness to get
on board the boats, long after they were full,
jumped from the deck into the sea, struggled
to get hold Of the gunwHle-gurge and went
down. 1t is supposed that large number Of
unfurtunates lost their lives in that way
Some. in desperation, jumped overheard and
tried to swim ashore but duck could not live
in such Il sea, and they soon sank to rise no
more. Our informants estimate the n imber
q! lives lost as at least one hundred an | fifty,
some say two hundrcd-iur more than report
ed by the purscr
Aiter boats had stopped running, and night
with all its horrors had set in, tie scene upon
the wreck was horrible beyond expression
All the after part of the ship and the lower
steeagc were under water. Upon the for
ward deck, and in the upper steeraSe, were
crow led nearly 800 souls, wet by the surf
that broke over them and chilled to the mar
row by the cold. All that dismal night they
huddlcd together, expecting every moment
that the hulk, which was quivering and creak-
Lh n no IN
pieces and launch them into eternity,
No sooner had the boat struck than n
laroe band of men. armed In the teeth con
sistinr of notorious shoulder.strikersa and ruE
/ fans from this CITY. and n nort;on Of the 6r,
men crew If thc slim. rushed below and cn,n
menccl pillaring the b,ounUn. They hurst
INTO the state rooms, ripped open carpet ags
{ and trunks, plundercd them Of all the money
and Naluables they found, and cast the rest
aside or overheard They displayed kniyes
and rcvolyers. and threatened the lives of all
rAn attrmptcd to interfere with them.
After tho ri., of tho water drove them ont
Of the cabin. they bctook themselves to the
upper stccracc. Of which thcy took complot,
possession. and commenced Il course of wild
riot. They got hold Of the iauors-many OF
them drunk Themselves luriouslv drunk
ruusacGol all the elugcagc-obtaincd a large
a,nount of f,,old-attlCkcd. beat. cut and shO,
all who got in thnirvnv, and became. indeed
il band Of incarna,c iicnds. They stationed n
,lard at the ran.,,yay. To prevent thc bettel
portion OF th. passengers from coming down
>Imc of tn, passenger. attempted to fore,
thcir,.y. when they were ,leadtully cu
With lui,,s and bottles. and even their rer
sou, r,t,rd of watches AMI vllunLl.s
Gar Informant saw one man staggrr On
v,lh MS head draldfullv .rt and stream
ing with hood. lle saw tie rufaus throw
a cloth over tho head Of another. who appear
eI hldlv wounded. and force him intc IA darI
r.ecs, 1f the ,tcoraar. lie docs not douh
l .lAt thcy dc,natcbed him Tho, s.il,j an
other. robbed and wnnud.l him and rlace,
u,idcra guard Of half Il dozen drunken saya
g. They expressed their determination l.
IN him, but iecon,in.. too aruiiL 10 guer,
him h, managed to make hi, escape Jr del.
mi. ..eu. r,ntinuel paarl, all ilelt. To
wards n.i,uirt three shot, were fred. tn
ngits were, instantly cxt,naui.hed, cries ,
D.. Mnri.r," were heard. and shortly after a
least thirty more shots were fired. There
n.rry reason 10 believe. that several of IN