Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-09
From the New York Commercial.
Collision at Sea and Loss Of Life.

| The ships Olympus and Trade Wind came into
collision on the Goth of June, and both sunk. The
| Olympus, Captain Wallace, sailed from Liverpool
on the 24th of May for Boston, having forty pas.
sengers and crew numbering thirteen. She was
| freighted with nine hundred tons Of iron, and
/ general hardware.
The ship Trade Wind, Captain Smith, from Mo.
bile, for Liverpool, sailed on the -, with seven
teen passengers and crew of thirty-four. On
| the day above mentioned, June &c, in latitude
also, and longitude $3.50, at about II O'Clock at
night, il being very dark, the weather thick, and
| the wind blowing fresh, she came into collision
| with the Olympus. The bows Of the Trade Wind
were stove and she filed within an hour. The
Olympus went down within half an hour after
the collision.
Ten of the crew of the Olympus, the captain
and 81 Of her passengers were saved and the
captain of the Trade Wind, sixteen Of her crew
and all her passengers. This shows the loss Of
| the Olympus to be three Of the passengers and
three OF the crew. Eighteen ofthe Trade Winds
crew persisted.
The saved from each ship were taken off by
the Belgian barque Slradt Antwerpian, which ar
rived off Block Island Yesterday morning Capts
Wallace and Smith hired fishing smack, and
getting on board the steamer Bay State, arrived
in this city last evening.
The Trade Wind was one of the finest clippers
built in this city. She was 20lS tons BURDEN
about three years old, valued at 500, 000 and is
largely insured in Wall street. Her freight is
valued at $4,000, and the cargo at about s25O000
the latter being insured principally in England The
Trade Wind was owned by w. Platt &c Son, Of
Philadelphia, and Booth Edgar, and others Of
New York
The Olympus was built in Kennebunk. in 1850
and was 744 tons register; was worth about
S30000 tie cargo 100000, and the freight
$4,000. The Olympus was insured at the east
ward, where il is presumed the cargo or portion
Of IL is also insured
Since the above was in type we have been
obgingly favored by Messrs. Booth &c Edgar Of
this city, the agents. with the following
The following is the narrative Of the captain Of
the Trade Wind:
When the collision occurred the wind wa 8 blow
ing fresh from southwest by south, with squaly
weather Night cloudy and excessively dark
The Trade Wind under easy sail, steering
east by south. We had a pure bowsprit light
burning, and were keeping good-out fore and
ait.
A few minutes before striking we saw the oym.
pus' light, one point on the weather bow, OF s. $.
E. from us, having the wind three points abalt the
beam, with yards squared and spanker furled !;
mizen topsa on the cap. We put the helm up,
aud swung the ship oil 10 L. ". E., bringing the
Olympus light broad off on the weather bow, but
before we could discover whether the ships were
approaching each other, the Olympus light dis
appeared.
Yet, in the darkness, we thought we could make
out the sail, passing along 10 windward of us,
standing 10 westward After an interval of five
minutes, her light again suddenly appeared, close
10 us on our weather bow, and almost al the same
instant we could make the ship out with her head
to northward, standing square across our course.
Our helm was put hard up promptly, but we
could not get our long ship of fast enough both
ships being too far OF TO deaden way by bracing
yards. Our halyards and sheets, &c, were len 90
as soon as possible but in vain. The Trade Wind
going at an immense speed, and the Olympus
was under press of canvass, forging ahead
directly across our bow. She struck between
her main and foremast, with an effect that can
only be conceived.
Our starbosrd bow was stove in, the cutwater
and stern were crushed, bowsprit and foremost
were broken, and the ship was wrecked from stem