The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-14
Washington in order report the loss Of the military 10
the War Department.
STATEMENT BY ONE OF THE CREW.

Va left New York with prospects Of delightful and
pleasant yoysge For two days nature seemed to favor
"a and there was siga In sky by which We
could guess the fearful and dismal fate which awaited
MS All on board knew the san Francisco 10 be q
s'aunch ard l.built vessel and . security against
wind wave was felt BY every one of the voyAas The
,h throDged with United States soldiers and passeu
gers, and large company with their many jokes and
wittiosms made the ns fly quickly by in keeping with
the rolling sea, over which We gded
"Lks thing o, life"
On the evening OF the second day. december ~ ths
mist breath OF the coming gals was felt At about
O'Clock the wind out very suddsI from the north
west, and TIE surface Of the ocein began to grow
white with foam. Various sails were blown TO
atoms; the snip beat heavily, and the report
circulated that foms of her pAnking had been
csrried away There was yet no evidences
Of fear board the ship firmly did each rely upon
her strength little after midnight the ve,sel became
uDmansgeabe ard lay in the trough OF the sea- each
sweeping her ami carrying away plAnks bar
relf boxes &o The passengers deemed their stu
alton rerous, and confusion reigred among them.
The wcrd given to tighten ship, and eli passengers
ane ergsged with win in clearing deck and wsrk-
ing the pumps, for tho report also made that
the ship leaking badly Tae sol Tiers organised
into bsipg gangs and avery stretched to keep
tho hull free from water In this way the ses ner lay
midnight the oath till O'Clock next morniog snd
row every yswniug threatened all with . wstsry
sraye At rhis hour the foremost fell with temsn
dous crash and n about two hours afterwards heavy
swept tie desks carrying away mere than one hun
dred tous. Staterooms were arranged arouni the
quarter deck, the main deck, which were occupied
by the ofcers and solders Some Of these occupants
in their s.segoens, and others deck when
this taken anadshls and al carried over
board nuding Col sshin ston sslsep In his staeroom
Major Taylor and wife, Capt Field Lieut. smith, and the
others The that ensued is alno, beyond the
power Of description. The sky black with clouds;
tho rain poured in torrents; and in AL directions the
vision limited by roaring pillows, white With froth
sn6 foam The wind blew perfect hurricane, and each
sea swept the vessel fore and aft The engine WAS broken
the fcremAss was gone, panks torn from the hull
water making in the hold and from all sides came
tie piercing cries of the drowning roldie The state
rooms swept away Immediately dashed in pieces,
and their inmates tbr upon the pillows. No attempt
made to any for all efortSto this end
useless Some Of the dlo xnir gapped ut spntss
and boards for Assistance; others until ,mothsrsd
tired out and many without effort, sunk beneath
the In that moment, those still on board them.
selves suffered all the horrors o. death Some had rea
tiyes and AL lad friends aud scquaintances struggling
in the Each trisd to shut his eyes, heart and
ears to everything around him. momsntary expecting
TO join the drowning sol isrs During the afternoon Of
this horrible day. eTary minute OF which appeared like
hours, SSH hove In sight AID though great sxpanss
81 res ing water rolled between almost defying union
OF the two, yet every alire with hops
and the prospect OF deliverarcs. This hops, how
ever, was short lives, this vessel WAS the
Napoleon, which rGs lost sight Of next morn
ing CHE 25tb) All the horrors o, death again
gathered around in the dakenng heavens the pslting
rain, the raging sea ana the sinking vessel In the
midi ofhs dependency, however, tusrs who,
even in this hour Of ps felt not s terrOrs The Off
cerr of the ship went from to man, inspiring eli
with hope and cheering them wi the promise OF safety
Some OF the officers Of tine troops showed them
selves IS daring Ia this trying hour, amid oreakiny
cordige and falling spsrs, as they could have been
amid clsshng ssbres srd cleaning arms. Major r. 0.
Wyss, Lieut. w, A. WIndsr. Lieut.. C. g. Winder.
Lieut. Van yosst, Lieut. Chandler, and Sergeant
Srovn o. Cox psny G. among those most copspicu
"a their efforts 70 revive the dropping spirits OF the
passengers We the Maria the night OF the 25 IN
but lost her the 2Ith. We lived mainly self beef
ard bscnis and very many kept thr spirits mp BY par
taking freely OF brandy AID water, of which there
much on board. Sc their lives to the moderate
ule Of a dent spirits This situation rolling ard
pitching at FIRST, until the .9!h when the BARK Kilby
Iook ca portion of the company On the 3lst spoke
the British ship Three Bells, GAsgo w. Capt Creighton
We Icy With her for three days, before being able to
board her, and tire Eght o; JAnuafy 4, We hailed
the Antarctic, who in connection With the Three Bells
prem SD Us dellveIsIce. On the morning OF January
4, we commenced emearking passengers. part
culiIs given in the HKkAID eliewhere The following
the officers OF tie San Francisco who returned 10
New York in the Three BELLE
Z. Nsllus, frat officer
George Gretton, second officer.
W. P Buel, N D surgeon.
W'lllm Wickhsm, storekeepr
John Marshall, chief er ginser
Hessr Auchinleck and Durham, arst assistant do.
Messrs Farrell and Crosby, second do.
Messrs. Donaghan and Hoffman, third do, and An the
crew.
In concluding this staten 3nt, lour informant say,
too much praise cannot be awarded to Captain
Creighton, OF the English ship Three Bells for his
truly gallant and heroic conduct in rescuing the pasen
gers OF the issbd steamer He lay with the San Fran
cisco at the peril OF his life and vessel The weather
has been described The Three Bells was herself
leaking making the pumps Necessary She was short Of
provisions and WATER Ia almost disabled stAts yet not
whstsndng AL this the gallant Creighton resolved to
bis brother wayarers In distress perish with
them. Such conduct this needs comment. Most, II
not all Of II who have arrived in the city have lost
all they had with them the i'll fAted steamer saving
nothing hut what they had their backs. disaster like
this OF life peril suffering is seldom recorded
in the history Of the ocean.
NAMES OF THOSE LOST, AS FARAS KNOWN.
Col j ~ Washing ton.
Maj. George Taylor.
Mrs. Tsylsr.
Capt. II. u Field.
iisat X Smith.
TO ladies' names unknown.
- Brooks waiter
- packett, brother - carpenter.
The barber and about hundred and tfty OF the o.
: soldiers.
DIED.
NC. gs-Jol pson, waiter
~ 2o-louis restAior.
3l-wm WILSON.
jan S s-M,iSI s.sly Eos'aesr corp,
Levi Heath, stseraye 81 sard
waiter Heath ssiter