New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-24
MARINE AFFAIRS.
WRECK OF THE CRESCENT CITY.
A Private Later eoDm1n icstsA fST the Tribune
IsrIrp OF NEw.pRoYIpEscE, NASSAU,

DEAR suppose hat ere this reaches you you
VII have heard OF he loss Of the steamer Crescent
City on HstiniIa Reef q. the west end Of the gres.
Bahama Banks.
We had fine westher and fair wad from the time we
kft New York. and were indu'gng 10 pleasing antci-
patops of SEEING Havana on Sunday; but Just at
dark on Friday evening the engine was s'oppcd, and
in less than quarter Of minute gratiog noise on
the bottom was hesrd, soon followed by heavy
hump. Another and another succeeded and the
vessel stepped. The sails were taken in, and the
engine backed bu. she remained immovable They
then commenced throwing the ffeight overheard to
tighten her; the pumps we're manned aud rugged, b."
rsre fund to be rholy out Of order. The pss.eDges
were then called on TO assist 10 bailDg her Buckles
we're rugged and worked, but oil 10 vain. In few
hours it became certain that che had bged, aud WIS
hire fact on the bot om and s further efforts to get
her eff were abandoned as useless.
Signal gus were feed, but qfier trO or three d''-
charges the popd,r belonging 10 the ressd ras er'
kousted A few rockets were thrown up, and some
blue light. burned in the bcpe Of procuring assistance,
but mole came. The wind was blowing strong
breeze. and the breakers were rollog at short dis.
lance on each side Of Us but the vessel was seated
20 firmly that there aid no. a2pear to be any nmeii-
ate danger, and nearly all on board calmly. though
sn1iously, awaited the morDiog, in hopes OF seeing
,ome vessel near. A few pounds of powder were pro-
cured from passenger and gun was fred st inter
walls curing the night Rockets we're also thrown up,
ard blue lights buried several times. Morning at
Ter 9Th came but ne ther vessel land was in .ght.
Arour the vessel the rocks seen at few feet
be oy the surface while - the north for mile a,d
! IN the east nth and west far as the eye could
reach the light bue color Of the water showed the ex-
tert e the reef on which We had We Wore % or
30 mi es from the ordinary track of vessels between
Nev.York and Havana and in an unfrequented part
! of the ocean. We weye forty two miles from the
nearest sar d-bar and more than two hundred miles
from the nearest port We had 100 persons on board
and b four boas sufficient to caIry ia all not more
than forty persons in safety.
! About a. M a small boat Was launched, msnned
with two oarsmen, and put in charge of apassengef.
Five some and four children assisted 10 get into
the boat al il started of ogard the south. rhe
next boat was stove in lsun ching, and before was
repaired The first boa. retune5 after an absence Of
about two hours, having found it impossible to pro-
ceed. The women and children were pu, back on the
steamer three sesmen added to the crew Of the
boat and she started in south westerly direction in
quest of aid All hands on the ste amer then CON-
need building raft.
About p. m. vessel supposed to be an English
steam bound for Havana, passed about IL miles to
the northwest ofus. Every naming ounce ofpowder
that could be procured from the passengers was fred
but though the wind blew directly from Us to her, she
passed on without nsticing us, and resigned our
selves to pass another night on the wreck. Sunday
morning came. TIE three remaining boats were
launched and second raft Was coumsnced Soon
another boat was stove, though not destroyed
About p. m. a email schoocer hove 10 sight, and
soon after a small sOop was SEEM They rapidly ap.
preached u.s. and proved to be wIeckers that the boat
had fallen in with about a. m, after having no we'd
hard for 20 hours.
BY dark, all he passengers, 81 in number, were Oh
board the schooner, accompanied by the purser and
sureeon OF the We arrived here the nearest
port Tuesday at a. M, happy TO set foot once
more on land.
pas. ing the wreckers' station at sud Key forty
two miles from the wreck, notice was givea Of the
wreck Of sea ner and fee: Of vessels started for
the reef, one of which brought the captain and the
greater part of the crew to this place, arriving last
eveDiBg. We were kindly received here. The big
Alma was to sail Oh Saturday for ii ,vsns wi b the
passengers and msils
The above is plain detsil Of the incidents of our
! trip so fer without note or comment leave every
! ore to draw his own differences.
! The inhabitants here sre kind; they number about
7OOo about niue enths of them are negroes. Wreck.
ing is the principal Business carried on here. Tais
island simply coral reef ra.ed above the surface
ofthe water. Breadfra pIaotains, bananas oranges,
LEMONS, water melons, and the like, plenty ia the
market.
LETTER FROM CAPT. GRAY TO Mr. NJ. ROBERTS.
NASSAU, ~ p, I urday, Dee. 10, 1855.
NJ. o ROBERTS. ESQ.,, Prssi'ent United STATES Mail
Steamship Company New York.
DEAR SIR: Ii Is NY painful ducy to report 20 you
the less of tie steamship Gre cent City, which
cured on the 10 inst a. p M by her striking on
the western point of Man ,aL liza RaeI.
At noon vas in LATITUDE 30 So 10" north opgi-
tude 49, g Is" west, which position obtaiGed by
two GOOD Gets OF sights taken at :. M by two chro
noneters and gooc merijiln altitude. A couris
then shaped to take souudngs on the north YES.
point OF MaDtaDils Bank, and strict orders given TO
the officer Of the deck to see that she properly
seerec. At $3.50 Judging myself near the bsnk,
took cast Of the lead, bur wit ont g5tiog sOuUdnys
At 545 ard again cast the lead, 1t with the same
result Al CHS | stopped the engiae and while In tle
act of sounding the ship struck 10 three fat1on wafer
Standing on the wheel house at the tine the engineer
standing alongside Of me, l gave the order to bacz
which was Immediately doue. The wiud at the ii ne
was blowing from The north east Foret0pssi and
ioressl being Set, wepe i'm ne lately axen 10; bat
the chip remained fast and unable TO star. her
back. The Of er matches taken off. and COM
menced throwing cargo overheard. The ship struck
about three tines, and knocked very heavily, when
water began to rua into her. The WOrthngtOu pump
was started, deck-pumps, and 6sing wafer out Of the
engine room in the ash buckets; but in less than
hour the fires in the port boilers put outthOss
in the rbosrd in two hours from the time of striking
Seeing it then impossible 10 save the ship an an
Choir wss let 60 to keep her frsm forging over into
ceep water, and steps Immediately taken 70 save the
lives OF the passengers. TIE boats were previous
got ready for lowering and water in them.
ordered the topmast, yards and gafs sent do IN,
and raft constructed, which was finished AMI
launched by O'Clock. Tie gun was fired every if-
teen minutes and blue-ight and rocket burnt alter
nately through the mig bt in hopes Of attracting the
attention OF those passing. At dsys n. nothing was