The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-22
THE STORM AND WRECKS.
Further Particulars Respecting the Loss OF
ehc POwhntan.


Further Particulars Respecting the Loss OF
she Powhntan
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
MAsSAnAwKIY, OCEAN COUNTY, NIL
Friday, April, 81, 1854
Never has such an awful shipwreck-one attended
with great loss of life melancholy in all its
aspects-taken place this coast before The loss of
the Robert Mnturn and the Auburn thought to be
fearful but the shpwreck of the Powhatan will be re-
membered when the former heard Of more. It is
the first time believe, that any ship has been cast
away this shore, where some one was not saved to
relate the dreadful tale 1t is not be wondered how
ever, at the great loss when all the circumstances at
tending the unfortunate disaster are taken into con-
sideyation. In the first place the storm, which was
attended with sleet and snow the fercest north
easter that has visited the coast for many years. and
vessel without twere made Of iron, could Withstand the
violence of the breakers for, several occasions
assured the surf to the height Of hundred and
fifty feet and could be washing over the masts OF
the vessel from Barnegat village distance Of ten miles
from the wreck In the second place the weather very
c''d, and was the means Of freezing in my opinion,
great number Of the unfortunate passengers washed
orboard, and had the weather been warm, in all pro-
blty Of them would have been enabled to reach
lc shore in safety The useful art Of swimming was
therefore, of little use 10 the board as not on,
OF them were even making any attempts at landing
on the beach. In the third place, the usual wrecking
apparatus-such as the life car mortar, ropes and
other materals-was deposited in the station house
about six miles from the spot where the Powhatan came
ashore and the severity of the storm preventing the
conveyance Of these necessary life preservers aid at
all could be rendered to those board These Difficult
cutes, together with the fact of the ship going to
pieces in the night time, are sufficient reasons why
the catastrophe attended with such fatal conse.
quences.
The people of this thriving little village are worthy of
great praise for the facilities offered by them TO convey
the dead from the beach to the main land Their boats
continually engaged and their houses open for
the entertainment of the friends Of the deceased The
melancholy task of burying the dead devoved upon the
and the still solemn duty of making shrouds
and washing the bodies allotted to the women, who
nobly performed the unpleasant task.
The spot where the Powhatan came ashore is about
midway Long Beach, between Barnegat Inlet and that
Of Egg Harbor. Between the shore this beach ia
capacous bay not Deep except in the channel and
is the resort in summer time of number of anglers
Long Beach about twenty miles long, varies from one
huAdred to five hundred yards in width It is from ten
to twenty-five feet above the level of the can be
seen long distance from the shore The ground devoid
Of all vegetation and being nothing less than an
immense sand heap, gstening in the sun, it has
habitants except two three stationed there by
the to render all the assistance in their power
to shpwrecked Mariners thrown by the force of wind
and tide upon its inhospitable shores 1t is to be re-
greted however that the stations along this coast SO
dreaded by seamen in a northeast gale are not more
numerous and better manned than they are. If there
had been lfcboat mortar to fasten line to the
Powbatan when she first discovered humping on
the bar by Capt jennings have earthly doubt bnt
that almost every individual board--men women and
chidren-would have been saved from untimely and
horrible grave for full twenty.four hours elapsed
from the time she went ashore up to the period when the
angry bows-tired Of being bafled longdashed the
ill-fated bark into thousand pieces.
Twenty eight bodies, you aware, have been
covered at this place. and have had decent burial in
the old Baptist churchyard side by side with many
others who had met the fate "A previous
sion have referred TO the wreck of the ship AUBURN
lost here many by whick some thirty or forty
people drowned. All who recovered
buried in this ground but the remains OF many Of them
afterwards removed by their friends to
suitable cemetery It is rather curious fact that out
Of the twenty eight persons who ashore only three
men, and have good reason to suppose there
men on board the vessel than women. The wreck
ers here accounted for it, my telling them how
strange it was by saying that women in all where
party of both have been drowned, always came
ashore first This fact they stated not from theory
but from their experience seafarng and wreckers
along The coast
The inhabitants of this village all fishermen and
seamen. The fishing commencing next week, no
doubt many OF those who washed by the breakers
Long Beach into the bay will be picked up by the
boetmen and several more will be added to the number
ying in the sleep of death in the Od Baptist buryng
ground 1t is generally believed here that those bodies
washed ashore at Absecom bay from the Pow
batan, their dress and features bcspeak them to
IS or undprt
running south and 1t nothing more than probable
that all the bodies found at Absecom have been carried
ththcr by this current Reports from that place state
that the number brought ashore has reached hun
drcd and thirty. But not yet informed whether
the body Of Captain Meyers those Of the officers Of the
vessel have been discovered.
The Wreck Master Capt Jennings, Is stationed the
beach, and, with party of men, is making digent
search for the remainder of the bodies. The baggage
and other effects Of the passengers that aoatcd the
beach have been collected together in heap, and will be
moved either TO New York by the consgnee of the
vessel TO the village, under the directions of the
Sheriff OF ,he county, where they will be sold towards
defaying the expenses incurred by the burial of these
unfortunate emigrunts, who 'far from their home and
in n foreign land, were, without any warming except
the foamng of the white crested waves and the howl
ing of the tempest in few minutes hurried into eter
nifty.
The weather here now Is mild and beautiful and the
sea, which Monday lashed into fury by the
winds to-day is placid and not ripple is to be
the surface of the Atlantic and well may it repose for
time, since three hundred souls we're in fatal
ment launched by its irresistible and devastating powe
into the presence Of their Maker j. McC., Jr.
The Packet Ship Underwater.
This vessel has not yet been got aoat squan Beach
She remains in about the position described yes
terday Her cargo is being discharged, schooner
load having arrived up yesterday morning, and 1t is
thought she will very be got Of the weather for
tunatey continues fine.
The following is the report OF the ship -
TIM Had