The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-23

LETTER FROM oArrAIs 0gAy TO MR y. 0. aoBEara.
NA~Au, N. r, Dee. III, 1859
N. o. Romrrs, Esq President U. 4. n. st@smshp CcB~
pany, New York.
l'.r sa-I, !. my painful duty to report to you tss
the 7ih inst NJ, by hsr STRIKING the Western
point OF Maninniila reef.
Al In latitude "a degrees. 90 minutes, ~
second. North longitude - degrees inmates, rs -
conds West witch position obsned BY two good set~
o' sshts taken at A. NJ, by two chrosons'crs, asa
good meridian altitude A then shAp ped ~
strike souhdipgs on the north wca point Of Mantsnils
banh and strict orders given To M ocr Of the dock u
ss near the bank took cast Of ,s lead but wiiho1.
getting soanding~. At 6ss aud again cast the iesd
but with the resuh At sis ~toppsi ths engine.
and whs In shs act OF rounding tbs ship struck IN shse
iathoms water. Standing on tho wheel house y, tAs
oSs a .se "ns ~"SSs "a o.
ut the time blowing from the northssst forstopAsa
ana oresAi being ,e, we're immediately taken IN bat shs
snip fennined MSt ana unable to start her back.
The after hatehes tskrn oa and 7 comnenced
throwing cargo overheard. Tho shAp struck asoat
three times, and knocked very heavily, when
water began 10 run into her. This worthington pump
was started deck pumps and ssiiin9 wAss. out
than hour the fires In theS port Dollars pu, oat
those in tins ntarboard in two hours from the uns u
anchor 70 keep her from forging intS
deep water and steps Immediately taken " the lives
for % ." water ia .ss srsc% ses -
topmast ysrds and Vns s-nt down and rsn construct
ed, which finished and launched by O'Clock The
gun fired every fifteen minutes, aud blna Light and
rocket burnt alternately, through the night In hop~~ 6
attracting III" attention OF those pa~sins A. dayiieht
nothing In sight and the ship broken mLishps, an0
water over aide Of lower cabin. tariy In tho
forenoon dssps,ched Captain Hob~oot (a pss4en9e)
with i've men In one Of tho quarter boats 10 pull Ia the
south for assistance.
IN the afternoon 80 tho north standing 80 the
west fired eleven guns. but she did not notice them.
The day employed In adding % tho raft, and NJ two
O'Clock cut the smoke stack To relieve ths ship
The second night comparatively smooth bat ou the
morning Of the OH the wind hauling 20 III. south ana
tearing II would go round 10 The north cut away the
main and nirzcn mssa 20 build second raft, but at
AZ three they anchored close 10 us and proved 70 be
wrecLng .choonsr aud -loop brought Tn a.sssnos
on nssTS o ,h men a S
her od with them and much of their baggage abe
could cay The mex, morning loaded N, sloop vtss
the remainder OF the baggage and started her al
O'Clock then nothing In aghi.
In ,bc latter part Of the afternoon the ~recks. began
20 collect around and te'cre dark there
teen st work, saving much oi tne could ~
got at ~ well ~ the furniture and httiDs Of ths sp
which ~in BE- cent hero quick they bonded Al
sF. lett with twenty nne the crew fhaving son,
on portion 81 hsm In each Of this other vess~s) for
hi. place ior he putPo,s Of forwarding tho pAeagsss
officer chiei engineer snd eleven othcrhe Two ws Ia
,e. that everythns WAS properly taken care Of sns ds
At time In each vessel "a protect the property.
arrived here iatc last night. and am happy to sAv
that all that et the wreck before have reached hs
port Ia safety. Not ,ou has been lost psrson hart
Ia any way and all Of the passengers baggage has bcsa
saved.
fb. weather cantiuue- ansa gres, a.ai win bs v.a
but should set In To blow hard from the n,rh abs vl
bresE
wah rsgntd 10 she cause ~ the accident : can only
-sy that caused by either current % the com
p.sses being out of the way. I eonGdsni that my
Iosi'on NJ within mile Of b~ing oofr~ot ana
that The correct given 10 strike the banL IL
the proper psre: ihst wss approaching csutoasty;
that the Lead had not been bsgisc,.i that
the lookout had b-.n kept, the FIRST onicer hal
a isw moment. before bavng come eowa from the
|. ioysnil yard and tina, ] the vs1h my.
seif. With regard 10 the comSas4e.. mus, ssv
thst afer psssipx bsrprg~t light siispei . courrs
10 msbv Hstterss light ana the v,fning o uss sth
sta NJ vac rafd for The pmpn~~ u tossSax cut fss
III. light but when obsined The position ~ the ship
niles outside 81 the range ~ the light A. th~ at
tibutsd ~ 20 the stream but the sbip sssn falling "
IA. east the night o the Tth and g~ttn4 tbs pes.
,sDg~f baggage artt sixe Ion VI sis~i toola
taken out of one ~ the s'Arroos the after hstsh
clo.. 10 the compsss y which had be~n In the habit
of shspipg ths cour.~ which tvo Ies b.
oye 'bst The accident caused by In thu
compass.
have chartered brig, and shsli despatch the psss~s
for HavaDs the ofbi,g Of the lSth ~ tbs
paIser aud sasseea With them, and ihs sssssS sDA
portion of his men 'o wait On them.
am gra'bei Ia BE- sblr to say that every oGieeg man
and boy under my nd t-hsy~i In every Wy n
my satsfsIon and 10 not believe thu, thrs~ il 49,
- tbsGs that would havs gotten iato . bost ~ -
tie fs!ts without oders rom until evsiy passagw
vss ssfe.
To cepssn Hoghsook and Csp,aia James, tvo 81 tbs
rsgssngtrs, am Indebted for much assistance Thsy
kindly oe 81 their services he sip srurt,
and worked fn The last 10 assist In -hsever - ~
donA.
have tsen particular in giving you fa account eT
The accident Ahs asdfss you by every sppsrtanisy,
and o. soon settle tho business leave the Arss
eons.sanee Tor The United States with respect, yoss
obeiient servant AiINKD q. GRAY.