Demoine courier., 1854-11-23
LOSS OF THE
YANKEE BLADE.

The Independent steamship Yankee
Blade, Henry Randall. Esq, command
err. sailed from San Francisco, Sept. 80,
at 4 o'clock, P. NJ, with 500 passengers,
and was wrecked on the lst of October,
off Point Areuello, about two days sail
from San Francisco, a, half past three
o'clock in The afternoon. Among The
passengers were A. J. DAVIS. of Iowa.
"Ille, ani FREpERICK iiAwLEY, Of OF
tumwa, both of whom were saved, but
we presume, from the description given
below, thai they were robbed Of wha,ev-
er means they had in their possession,
and were taken back 10 San Diego PENN.
less:
The ship struck about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon of The lst inst, (Sunday,) in
the midst of a dense fog, the land being
distant about three fourlhs Of n mile
The sea between The ship and the shore
was very rough. breaking heavily in pa.
Us i've NDI bCSls "a Sohi do sic SUZUKI
The engines were reversed and every eG
fort made TO back her off, bu, so strongly
had she become fixed upon The rock that,
she would not bulge. IL then became
apparent thai she must be wrecked, and
the only salvation of those on board de.
pended upon their getting ashore. The
boats were immediately lowered, and in
an Instant crowded. Three Of them
started frUm ore side OF The vessel, the
fourth. under tie command Of Captain
Randall, from the other side. In these
boats were a large number of women
and children. One Of oar intormanls,
Mr. J. Moore, with his young son Adol-
plus, bound for Hancock county, H.,
got inlo one Of these GOATS, under the
command OF the frs, mate. She was
swan ped in the surf. and cut Of the 20
persons in her but five escaped.
OF the Is los! 4 were ladies and 7
children. The violence Of The breakers
hurled their boat end over end; bu; as ii
was a life boat ii would not sink, and a
few Of the drowning wretches managed
TO cling on 10 il. |, was turned over again
ami again, bu, by dint Of desperate ,.rug,
giles propelling themselves by their hands
only. they contrivod to hold on until they
were washed ashore. Mr.. Moore LOST
his young sob, and was himself cast in
sensible upon the beach. He was pick
ed up by q woman on shore, carried up
the bluff, and hy her u~nIiring eXerlions
! hrp,,h, kaaH IN nn,sninncnnaS (lna Ia
dy in the boat had on two life present.
ere, which prevented her from sinking.
She was knocked about by the waves,
however, until she became insensible. in
which condition she was washed ashore
and ler, for dead. She remained ell
night upon The beach, and next morning
gave signs of life and was finally res
tored. Before the boat was swamped
the first mate expressed his determine.
tiUn TO go back alter he had landed and
save more OF the passengers. lie was
himself SO badly crippled that lie could
not afterwards move. One Of The other
boats that started al first was also
ed, and some of ,huse on board persisted.
Only two boats were now lel. TO rescue
nearly $50 souls, and night fast closing
and the wind raising! These two boats,
however, returned 10 the wreck and took
off as many more passengers Us possible.
BY This time the fog had set in more
densely than ever, and The gloom of night
began 10 overspread The scene.
When il became known lha, the boats
were on he eve OF leaving the ship for
the las, time that night, many of the pas.
sengers became frantic, and in their ca
gerness to get on board The boats, long
after they were full. jumped from the
deck into the sea, struggled to Get hold OF
the gun wale-gurgled and went down.
Ii is supposed that a large numo.r of un.
for.unates lost their lives in this way
Some. in desperation. jumped overheard
and tried 10 swim ashore, but q duck
could not live in such a sea, and they
soon sunk to rise no more. Our inform.
ants estimate the number of lives lost as
a! leas. $50, some say 200 lar more
than reported by the Purser.
After the boats had stopped running,
and night, with all It's horrors had sci in,
the scene upon the wreck was horrible
beyond description. All the after part
Of the ship and the lower sleerage were
under wafer. Upon the forward deck.
and in the upper steerage. were crowded
nearly 500 souls, we. by the surf that
broke over them, and chilled TO the mar
row by The cold. AL! that dismal night
they huddled together, expecting every
moment that the hulk, which was quiy.
ering and queaking a, every dash of the
waves, would 60 10 pieces and launch
them into eternity.