Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-21

come obsucted Fifty soldiers detailed to COM
mence bahng, All day and all night tN- -'rk went on
without ntermssion Still with every roll the ship took
in large quantities of water and We gained little upon
the leak Sunday morning, the 25th, - Of the
tivy Of blessed Saviour, ut last dawned upon
The sky lighted upa little there short gleam Of
sunshine, and the calmed little. sail or two was
seen in the distance, but approached US.
It was gloomy Christmas to us The Tx Of bailing
and pumping went on, and had gained on the leak.
Monday, the 26th the gale continued with little abate
ment All night Sunday the tempest reared round our
devoted ship. We discovered sail not far OFT On ap-
preaching she proved to be brig we spoke her She
reported herself short of provisions and after supplying
herself with barrels of beef and pork we had thrown
board she went her way. On Sunday, re 9th, dis
covered another sail bearing down upon She proved
be the barque Kby Of and for Boston, from New Or
leans loaded with cotton thiry-fye days out By au
thorty OF Colonel Gates, commanding the detachment
she chartered for Government to convey the
TO the nearest accessible post Tuesday too rough
TO disembark any part Of the command but on Wednes
day, the 18th, Colonel Gates and family Major Merchant
and family Colonel Burke Captains Fremont and Judd
with their families, Doctors Satterlee and Wirts with
others whose not recoected safely
embarked on board the Kilby Some forty fifty SOL
ders and some soldiers wives also embarked; in all
nearly one hundred persons. Night came and put
stop to any further operations In the morning she had
disappeared, and we saw her no more.
Once more we were alone on the boundess expanse of
waters. Our ship lay as helpless as log upon the
waves. She was completely crippled. Her engine, as
should have been mentioned broke down the first night
of the storm it of afterwards, except to
work the pumps. With infinite exertion small sail
rugged to the mizenmast which assisted little in stea-
dying her but she rolled and umbled about fearful
rate We had succeeded in stopping of the leaks
and in Tightening the vessel to considerable extent by
throwing over provisions and coal The ship was also
very much relieved by cutting of the timber Of her
guards, upon which the broke heavily, lifting her
decks every time it broke.
We had now Thursday the 29th) reached the sixth
day since the storm commenced We were about to en-
counter death in form. 1t had been expected we
should be in fine weather. and that they could seeI
comfortably in sandee berths deck When the storm
came that impossible, and they were consequently
driven below Crowded in narrow quarters exposed to
cold and wet obliged to be fed insufficient diet in
consequence Of the loss of the galeys and the impossible
ty Of cooking for such number it no matter OF sur
prise that disease made its appearance The dis
ease nearly than any thing assumed the form OF
Asiatic cholera-commencn with diarrhea and termi
mating in 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 the medicine in
ship had been either washed overheard destroyed
The mortality necessarily great For several days
averaged ten deaths day. Men, women and children
fell indscrminately before it, and whole families pershed
| in twenty hours
During Thursday and Friday our eyes were not glad
dened by single sail
During the night of Friday or the morning of Satur
day. the 31s the cheering sound rang through the
that ship at hand. light discovered on the
They answered by blue lights from the strange
sell When the morning dawnedwe discovered vessel witt
English coors She came near enought speak u.s. but h
wind was heavy render it quite impossible to b
heard We resorted to kind Of teegraphic communca
tion by writing boards in chalk with large letters
We succeeded in making her understand our situation
which, indeed sufficiently obvious. She promised t.
lay by US. This intelligence cheered every heart Tht
weather during Saturday and Sunday too rough Il
attempt to lower boat There was too, another dilem
ma. The English ship had but one reliable boat-th'
long boat. We had at ALL Of the nine splendit
boats with which we left New York not one remained
Captain Watkins, not to be overcome by any difficulty
commenced the construction Of RATS They seemed bu
q fra dependence, and provdentially they were no
needed. Other means of relief were at hand On Mon
day, the ID of January, the Gained much tina
towards evening the English ship lowered her yawl boat
and second mate Mr. Grattan, went board of her
On Tuesday, the Sd Of January our hearts were glad
dened by another sail under American colors She came
enough to speak her, and learned that she wa
the Antarctic three days out from New York. bound fo
Liverpool. She had five good boats And after endur
ing the agony of suspense for many days it seemed
that the hour Of deverance had at last arrived Will
the aid Of the Antarctcs boats could all be
on board the English ship, ascertaned to be tn
Three Bells Capt Creighton, Of Glasgow, bound for Ne,
York The Bells had experienced much rough weathe
putting sergeant and file of soldiers board to
the pumps: On "wednesday morning. the 4th January
the work of disembarking commenced in earnest Th
sick, of whom there was large number and some in
deck and lowered carefully into the boats Casks
water were lowered down and towed on board the Bells
Bread and bacon and other provisions sent of.
evening much of the work had been accomplished 1t
found necessary however, in consequence of the short
Of provision board the Bells to divide
bers between the two ships Lieuts Winder and Chand
ler with about 40 soldiers embarked the Antarctic c
Liverpool. Capt Watkins also determined to accompan
that portion of our number. .
! Thursday morning, the 5th rose upon bright an
beautiful. The sea was calm, the wind gentle. 1t is
day which will ever live in my memory. BY noon tn
work Of disembarking and re-embarking complete
Every man. woman, and child had left the ship. Gu
captain was the last on board. He saw every officer
every sailor, every fireman. and every negro waiter,
whom there forty fifty safely in the boats the
lowered himself down, and the boat pulled away. II
rowed alongside the Three Bells where he gree
ed with nine hearty cheers and then pulled away for til
Antarctic. The San Francisco had by his orders. bee
scuttled, and could see her settling gradually deepe
into the water.
When the Three Bells left the wreck she was in Int
tude 80 and longitude so co. about six hundred mile
from New York. We encountered great deaf of north
eastery wind, and our progress slow until Wednss
day, the 1lth of January, when favored with
stiff breeze from the southeast which drove rapid
on and on Thursday afternoon we were on sounding:
Towards evening it grew thick and the captain, fear
to venture too far in, stood off and on till morning.
Friday dawned bright and fair. We signalled for
pilot and then steamtug, and at o'clock we were
anchor off the Battery
cannot close communication already too long with
out two three remarks. And, in the first place,
Capt Robert Creighton, of the good ship Three Bells
feel that every Of US who rescued by his nsru
mentality debt Of gratitude which can be r.
paid. For my part, shall ever love and honor him
noble specimen Of generous and true hearted Brits
sailor He merits, and trust he will receive rich
ward. .@>
In the next place. Major Wyse and his junior officers