Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-01-21

Several NJ the officer OF the Artillery
displayed great courage and energy in
their efforts to have the steamer pump.
cd. or those ! feel myself in duty
hound To sllnde particularly. They
were Lieut.. Charles s. Winder, Lieut..
James Van Voast, aud Lieut.. Chand.
Ter.
Too much praise canno, he awarded to
these young officers, who worked night
and day 10 preserve tho lives of those
on board. Tho greatest confusion pre-.
vailed in every department, of the yes.
sci.
On Wednesday morning the ss,h Of De.
cember, the bark Kilby, Of Boston,
came III sigh, and the Commodore sue.
ceeacd in boarding her, and eeecting a
charter in behalf Of the government to
take of as many Of the souls on board
the steamer as possible.
Towards evening the sea became qui.
ct. and the Discrimination commenced.
Two boats were kept going back and
forth from the steamer to the bark until
dark, and then discontinued TO await
the morning, in consequence of the hea-
W sea which was running, before they
should continue.
After the boats had been hauled in
on that morning, violent gale from the
northwest sprung up and lasted during
the night, So that when daylight came
we had lost sight of the steamer; and,
although we crnized around two days
in search, we could see nothing Of her.
The Kilby, on which | also embar-
ked, was short ofprovision, and we were
obliged to break into her cargo, and get
AT some corn, which was all we had 10
keep us alive for two weeks. Oursup.
ply Of water was also very small and
had it not been for constant rain we
mus, have died of thirst. One hund.
red bales of cotton were broken out of
her hold TO make room for US to sleep
in, and there We passed two Of the Ion.
gest weeks of our lives. The captain OF
the Kilby, Mr.. Low, is entitled to much
credit for the manner in which he man.
aged his vessel, and the attention he
paid 10 the passengers. He had, how
ever, many Obstacles to contend against
His sails were all old and incomplete,
and he was crippled in every way, SO
that many of US had given up oil hope
Of ever reaching the shore, when, on
Friday morning, Jan. 10, we fell in with
tho packet ship Lucy Thompson, c. 8.
Pendle,on master, from Liverpool,
which took US all on board with the ex-
ception of about ten soldiers, who vol
unteered to stay by the captain of the
Kilby, and four passengers. On the
same afternoon that We changed ships
we procured pilot, and anchored in.
side Of the Light Ship. Thus ends the
suffierings of over one hundred of those
who sailed in the San Francisco. God
preserve the rest.
Statement Of Frederick H. S0ath~0rth'
Frederick H. Southworth, one of the
passengers on board of the San Fran.
cisco, who was washed overheard aud
again washed back on the deck Of the
steamer, thus describe his trip on the
waves and return to tho vessel, with O.
Their interesting details:-
A. about s o'clock mighty swell
such as can. only be formed BY old o.
cean when lashed by such a tempest,
struck our vessel amidships, completely
submerging the warehouses and wash
ing them, with all their inmates with.
in an Instant, ut least half a mile dis.
,ant, into the foaming sea. Myself and
Mr.. Rankin were among the number
who were washed away, aud the only
two Of this entire company who were
successful in ragaining the ship. All
the rest sunk into the jaws of death
and we're rocked into an eternal sleep
by the roaring swelling soa' AS | ca"
only describe tho awlulsiiue'icn ofthcse
moitals by my own experience hope |
will be excused for abiding 10 myself.
we'll remember was lying in my
s,steroon on the after deck, with a ira
Yelling companion, Mr.. James Stock.
we'll, when there came shock and a
sudden crash OF breaking timber. and
fel, myself rolling like top in the wa
ter, with salt brine rushing into my
mouth and almos. binding me. WheO
! | arose to the surface of the ocean ahar.
rowing sight was before me, | was a
half mile from the steamer. and around
! mo was abou, an acre of floating tim
Der. Immediately by my side came
I'D from the deep Mr.. Slockwell. who
! caught hold oftbs same stick oftimber
10 Which had chung for safety. The
stick began to sink and l seized hold of
another piece, and made the best Of my
way to the wrecked steamer
Two or three huge swells soon tossed
me near the ship. and grasped a rope
forward Of the wheelhouse. to which !
chung for refuge. raising and falling with
the pitching vessel. While in this stu
.ion | sswa man standing on the paddle