The true Democrat., 1854-12-06
Total Loss of the Yankee Blade.

ing additional particulars of the disaster. The ship struck about o'clock in the afternoon of the lst ult., (Sunday,) in the midst of a dense fog, the land being distant about three- tourths of d mile. The sea between the ship and the shore was very rough, breaking heavi- y Ill many places over the reef. As soon as she struck the engines were reversed, and eve- ry effort made to back her off; but so strongly had she become fixed upon the rocks, that she would not budge
 It then became necessary that she must be wrecked, and the only salvation of those on board depended on their getting ashore The boats were immediately lowered and were in an instant crowded Three of them started from one side of the vessel; the fourth under the command of Capt. Randall, from the other side. ih these boats were large number of women and children. One of our informants, Mr. J. Moore with his young son Adolphus, bound Tor Hancock county, Illinois, got into one of these boats, under the command of the first mate. She was swamped in the surf and out of the twenty persons in her, but five escaped. Ot the fifteen lost, four were ladies and seven children. The violence of the breakers hurled thelr boat end over end, but as it was life boat, It would not sink and few of the drown Ing wretches managed to cling to 1t. It was turned over again and again, but by dint of de- ssperate struggles, propellng themselves by their hands only, they contrived to hold on until they were washed ashore. Mr. Moore lost his young son, and was himself cast insensible up- on the beach. He was picked up by woman on the shore, carried up the bluff, and by her untiring exertions restored to consciousness. One lady in the boat had on two life preservers, nrpVpOtn6 iplyi Sba knocked about by the waves, however, until she became insensible, in which condition she was washed ashore and left for dead She re- mained all night upon the beach, and next morning gave signs of life, and was finally re- stored. Before the boat was swamped, the 1st mate expressed his determination to go back after he had landed to save more of the pas sengers. He was himself so badly crippled that he could not afterward move. One of the other boats that started at first was also swamp ed, and some of those on board perished.- Only two boats were now left to rescue nearly eight hundred and fifty souls, and night fast closing and the wind rising These two boats however, returned to the wreck, and took off as many more passengers as possible. By this time the fog had set m more denselv than ever and the gloom of night began to overspread the scene.
 When it became known that the boats were on the eve of leaving the ship for the last time that night, many of the passengers became frantic, and in their eagerness to get on board the boats, long after they were full, jumped from the deck into the sea, struggled to get hold of the gunwale, gurgled and went down. It is supposed that large number of unfortunates lost their lives in this way. Some in despera- ton, jumped overheard and tried to swim ashore, but duck could not live in such sea, and they soon sunk to rise no more Our inform ants estimate the number of lives lost as at least one hundred and fifty, some say two hundred- far more than reported by the purser
 After the boats had stopped running, and night with all its horrors had set in, the scene upon the wreck was horrible beyond expres- sion. All the after part of the ship and the lower steerage were under water. Upon the forward deck and in the upper steerage, were crowded nearly eight hundred souls, wet by the surf that broke over them and chilled to the marrow by the cold. All that dismal night they huddled together, expecting eveIy moment that the hulk, which was quivering and creak- ing at every dash of the waves, would go to pieces and launch them into eternity.
 No sooner had the boat struck than a large band of men armed to the teeth, consisting of notorious shoulder-strlkers and ruffians from thls city, and portion of the tiremen crew of the ship, rushed below and commenced plilag- ing the baggage They burst into the state rooms, ripped open carpet-bags and trunks, plundered them of all the money and valua- bles they found, and cast the rest aside or over- board. They displayed knives and revolvers, and threatened the life of all who attempted to interfere with them, or even who made ef- fort to get at ther own baggage. After the rise ot the water drove them out of the cabin, they betook themselves to the upper steerage, of which they took complete possession, and con- menced course of wild riot. They got hold of the llquors-many of them drank them selves turously drunk-ransacked all the lug gage-Obtalned a large amount of gold-at- tackled, beat, cut and shot all who got in their way, and became indeed a band of infuriated iends. They stationed guard at the gang way to prevent the better portion of the pas sengerS from coming down. Some of the pas 6engers attempted to force their way in, when they were dreadfully cut with knives and bot ties, and even their persons robbed ol their watches and valuables.
 Our informant saw one man stayger out with his head dreadiully cut and streaming with blood He saw the ruffians throw cloth over the head of another who appeared badly wound- ed, and force him into dark recess of the steerage. He does not doubt but that they dis patched him. They seized another, robbed and wounded him, and placed him under a guard of half-a-dozen drunken savages. They ex- pressed their determination to kill him, but, be- coming too drunk to guard him. he managed to make his escape on deck. This scene con- tinued nearly all night. Toward midnight three shots were fired, the lights were instantly ex- tinguished, cries of "murder!" were heard, and shortly after at least thirty more shots were fired. There is every reason to believe that several of the passengers were thus murdered.
 Some intelligent passengers freely express the belief that the loss of this noble ship was contrived in San Francisco by the "shoulder- strikers, some of whom shipped as hands, and many of whom went as passengers. Among them were Jim Turner and the crowd of his associates, of whom the citizens were rejoicing they had gotten rid. The cruelties committed by the seamen, at such a time, almost exceed belief
 A number of the most respectable passen- gers, on their way back on the Gohah, drew up, just before reaching Santa Barbara, petition to I1