Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-09-26
Loss of the Ship Monchester.

The American ship Manchester, Of
Nantucket. left New York for Valparaiso.
on the 9TH Of April, 1854, the complies
ment of hands on board being seventeen
and the captains wife. One man died
at sea before she arrived at MonteYideo,
which port she put into on the gath of
July, 1854, and again left on the 28th
for Valparaiso, after having shipped four
extra hands at Montevideo. A letter
from one of her crew says:
On 28th of August, after passing Cape
Horn, ship struck on a sunken rock in
about SIS lat. S., and to the southwark Of
the Cape, land distant 80 miles, Not be-
ing able to keep her free with pumps, got
the boats out, which were shortly after
wards stove had afterwards the main
mast cut away. AT l2 same night she
was full Of water, but continued to drift
until 5 a. m. of 99th, when after passing
small island, she grounded, and in go
minutes opened in Two parts and all on
board were immersed in the water. The
captain and his wife clung together, but
by some chance got separated, and the
captain alone rose to the surface ho i'm
mediately seized upon plank, and sue.
ceeded in rescuing his son, on which
plank they drifted to the stern part Of
the vessel, where they remained until
sunset, having concluded they were the
only survivors Of the ill-fated ship. They
then managed to get ashore to the island,
where they found one barrel Of bread and
another Of hour.
-Four days after the second mate and
one seaman arrived at the Island on a
raft they constructed on another Island
on which they were cast, distant 81 niles
Here we remained whilst the captain was
building boat. Having all crossed on
the raft to the island, on which the second
mate first landed, where was much Of the
wreck of the ship and cargo and provi-
sions. On the 3rd of November the Sec
ond mate died, being completely exhaust
ed. His name was David Rees Evans, a
native Of South Wales.
18th Of November we first saw any Of
the natives, some men and women, lav-
ing landed from canoe. We had Just
finished our boat and were ready for start
ing. The Indians having at first received
what could be spared to them of our
clothes, etc., retired and afterwards res
turned with bludgeons and insisted upon
stripping us. Three attacked the captain
and three the seamen, who having dis
abled two of them fed to the boat in
which the boy already was. Unfortu>
nately the captain received blow which
must have instantly killed him. The boy
received two arrows in his jacket, but es.
capped unhurt. We landed on the island
! hnP ~ FFf boS l.
returned in the evening and found the
captains body laying naked on the rock:
and quite dead. Not daring to remain
we took two barrels of bread and return.
ed TO the wreck.
After remaining several days, we ven.
tured along the coast in our boat. Al
the end of about six weeks, we found the
provisions all expended and subsisted on
such she'll fish as we could gather amongst
the rocks. After subsisting for some
time in this way, native canoe hove il
sight; being destitute Of substance fol
a month at least, except the raw shell fish
we gave ourselves up to the Indians and
having nothing TO excite their cupidity
they behaved very kindly to us, and will
them we remained up TO this present time
having never once seen vessel, until
steamer passed few days since, bat haC
no communication with her.
The letter is from the captains son
who with one of the crew, was finally
rescued by the Meteroro, ChilIian man
of-war. Eighteen Of the crew are said t
have previously perished.
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