Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-01-20


she had disappeared, and we saw her no
more. Thus all the hopes Of escape We
based upon the Kilby were doomed to dis
appointment; and when, in the n,oraing
5 We could trace no vestige Of her on the re-
motest verge Of the horizon, we experience
: the sickness of hope deferred,
Our ship lay as helpless as log upon
the waves. She was completely crippled
Her engines as should have been mentioned,
r broke down TIE frst night of the storm j,
: was never Of use afterwards, except to work
/ the pumps. With infinite exertion, a small
, sail was rigged to the mizcumast, which
assisted little III steaiying her; but size
rolled and tumblcd about at a fearful rate.
} We had succeeded in stopping some Of the
leaks, and in tightening the vessel to a
considerable extent, by throwing over pro-
visions aud coal The ship was also very
much relieved by cutting off the timber of
her guards, upon which the sea broke
heavily, lifting her decks every time it
broke.
4 We bad now Thursday, the 29th.)
reached the sixth day since the storm com-
menced. We We're about to encounter
death 10 new form. y very large pcr-
ton of the ships s,eerage had been filled
with cargo, provisions. military stores, &c
The consequence was that the portion lef,
for the soldiers was much crowded Ii had
been expected We should soon be in fine
weather, and that they could sleep comfort
ably in standee berths on deck. When
the storm came that was impossible, and
they were consequently driven below
Crowded in narrow quarters, exposed 10
cold and wet, Obliged to be fed on an in
sufficient diet, in consequence Of the loss
Of the galleys and the inpossibiliiy of cook
ing for s.ch numbers, it is no matter OF
surprise that disease soon made its appear
ance. Add to this the influence Of anxiety
Of mind, fright, and despondency, and it
is DO wonder that they sickened and die1
The disease more nearly than anything
assumed the form Of Asatic cholera, COM
meneing with diarrhea aud terminating in
a few hours. Both the army surgeons
having left, the charge of the sick fell upon
the surgeon Of the ship. To add to our
distress, nearly all tine medicine in the
ship had been either WARNED overheard or
destroyed, The mortality was necessarily
great. For several days it averaged ten
deaths day. Men, women and children
fell indisoriminately before Il, and whole
families perished in twenty -four hours. 1t
WAS a scene of awful suffering.
During Thursday and Friday our ewes
were not gladdened BY a single sail. Tie
hours dragged on most heavily. We bad
abundance of provisions on board but it
was almost impossible to get them cooked.
The roll Of the ship was so heavy tha. the
provisions were thrown from the galley.
When We could get cup of hot tea with
our hard biscui: it was a treat; and when
a roasted potato and piece of fried pork
was added to our bill Of fare, it became a
sumptuous ,epas'. We attempted to issue
rations to the soldiers once a day, bu.
sufficient quantity Of hot water could no.
be procured, and We were compelled to
abanion it.
During the night Of Friday Or the morn
ing of Saturday the 3lst, the eheerin.
sound rang through the vessel that a ship
was at hand We immediately commenced
firing signal guns. They were answered
by blue lights from the strange vessel with
English cOlo.s She came near enough e.
speak US, but the wind WAS so high as To
render it quite impossible. We resorted
to a kind of telegraphic communication,
by writing on boards in chalk with large
letters. We succeeded in making he-
understand our situation, which, indeed,
was sufficiently obvious. She promised to
lie BY U.S. This intelligence cheerrd every
heart.
The weather durius Saturday AMI Sun
day was too rough to attempt to lower
boat. There was, too, another dilewma.
The English ship had but one reliable boat,
the longboat, We had noae at ali. Of
the nine splendid boats with which We left
New York, not one remained. Captain
Watkins, not to be overcome by any d;Gi-
Guilty, commenced the construction Of rai:s.
They seemed but frail dePeudauee, and
providcntially they were not needed
Other means of relief were at hand. On
Monday, the % Of January, our hearts
reioieed, the sea calmed 50 much that to
wards evening the English ship lowered
her yawl boat, ard our second mate, Mr..
Grattan, went on board of her.
On Tuesday, the Sd of January we were
gladdened by another sail, under American
,olors. She came near enough to speak
her, and We learned that she was the Ant
,rctic, three days out from New York,
bonnd for Liverpool. She had FIVE good
boats. After enduring the agony Of sus-
- e -, ,,,,o, I,rs /. snpmc1 that the