New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-19
INTERESTING NEWS FROM KLNNEYS
EXPEDITION.
Correspondence Of The Evening Post.

Correspondence Of The Evening Post
GRAND TURK, Turks Islands, W. l., June 81.
Twas three weeks ago yesterday evening when Col.
Kinney with eighteen other passengers set sail in the
Emma fast-saing schooner of about 100 tuns under
command of Captain ID. L. Norris from New-York for
Kingston, Jamaica, and for San Juan de Nicaragua.
Finding that the prosecutions to which he had been
subjected at the hands of interested parties would only
cease with the breaking up of his projected expedition
TO Nicaragua, be determined TO orego bis desire for
fair trial in the United States Courts, and accordingly
chartered and provision ed the Emma in the expects
ton of reaching San Juan before the end of June.
You will by the date Of my letter that in this hope
have been disappointed and Your readers will pos
sibly be interested 10 know the reason.
Our companions on the voyage were mostly young,
unmarried men, mechanics and merchants, with a
sprinkDg of Western frontiersmen, who had been
more Injured than the rest TO the hardshps of outof
door life. Altogether they very fair collection
of emgrants, and not at all likely TO bring dscredit
upon the Colonels enterprise. l presume, however,
that YOU will be anxious to know the events of
our voyage and the of being brought the
harbor of Grand Turk than to have description of
our passengers, and therefore postpone it to another
time
We left New-York with southwest wind, which
continued, with rather rough weather, till the 14th
inst when we off Bermuda The wind then
hauled to +. S. f., being the trade winds of the
"HoRe Lattudes," (so called from the necessity to
which sailors Of the islands hereabout are frequently
blowing in that direction till the 10th, when at o'clock
L. NJ. we land ahead bearing southwesterly,
which proved TO be the north part of the Caycos
Islands, group OF three forming the east side of
Turks Island Passage.
Through this passage, which is considered by navi-
gators a very safe one the captain should have run
his vessel; but in consequence of losing his reckoning
he took another direction steering westerly before
The wind down the island toward the CaycOs Passage
which is lined for forty or fifty miles with dangerou
reefs extending long distance from shore. At
N 4 II. 4oRlk 81
"ers ahead" and sure enough, on looking over the
bows we found ourselves within half cables length
OF the breakers of ST Philips Reef, and sailing at the
rate of Fix knots an hour directly upon it. The cap
tain was in the cabin writing down the observations
which the mate was taking with his quadrant, and
there we WERE with the green shallow waters revealing
the coral rocks beneath, and the breakers whitening
and roaring almost under our bows But short dis
lance ahead lay anchor probably left by some
wrecked vessel protruding from the foaming waves on
the reef. Fortunately, however, by the exertions
of the passengers, under command of Captain Swift,
we were saved from running aground, but the vessel
made most narrow escape.
Heartily thankful for the rescue we once more
sieered off down the coast, the sky being clear the
weather fne and the blue hills Of the Caycos in full
sight. There was nevertheless general feeling of un
easiDess among tie passengers until about quarter
before IL o'clock, when we were reused from
berihs by tremendous jolting and crunching against
the keel that told the whole story. 1t was moment
of intense excitement
We had struck the same reel on which the vessel
had run in the afternoon, 40 miles to the west
ward and with calls all spread going right ahead
the crest of the reefs. In vain the captain shouted
Hard mp the wheel, and gave orders to haul in the
mainfack. II was too late. The crew and passen.
gers tueged and pushed at the main boom with the
ergy Of desperation, but the schooner still went on
jumping and humping the hard reef in manner
that left other resource than 10 haul down the
sails, which was done almost instantly.
Amid all the Colonel preserved his selfcomposure;
and proceeded at once to secure supply of provisions
for the boat. Some came to him with proposals TO
sail in the boat in search Of land and to return with
report Of their success. "No,' said the Colonel
"1here is not the least danger of the ships going TO
pieces before morning. the tide is ebbing and the land
is not far off, The FIRST man who attempts to escape by
the boat shall be shot, This explicit declaration put
stop to any further agitation Of the project, though
there were quite humber who still thought that their
time for this world was up. In truth there seemed
some reason for fear as every lurch OF the vessel
grated along Der keel, and shook her tmbers from
stem to stern. The hold also began to bilge and as
the schooner careened her mainmas strained if it
would go
At last it determined to drop anchor astern,
thereby lessetng the shock which the schooner re-
ceved from rocking on the reef which il came
very near staving in her huh. This occupied some
thing two hours the key Of the anchor being GU,
of order and chain having been provided attach
il 10 the boat, so that we compelled TO fasen il
by 81 inch rope, which in of any unusual strain
would have snapped like so much Irvine. After this
done nothing remained but 10 wait in quiet till
morning, and most of us lay down on deck either
sleeping or counting the hours they slowly passed.
The moon had now gone down, but the captain de-
cl0red that be still discerned land lying some three
miles of-or at least what looked very much like it
be, ond the reef.
During the wrecking il was rather singular to OBJ
serve the differen, ways in which the men behaved
themselves. Some Invested themselves Of their costs
and boots some filled their pockets with sea-biscu
and had bottles of fresh water concealed under their
coats In the absence of any serious apprehen-
sions my principal concern was to collect my books
which were lying around loose that they might not
get drenching in the seawater which occasionally
swashed over the deck.
The only one who seemed 70 have no care at all on
bis mind was little Daniel Webster, who whisted AID
sang ss If he was his element to the great horror Of
one of the more sober minded, who recommended him
sonfne himself saying his prayers and other
cises appropriate to so solemn an occasion TINS con-
duct, however, entirely consistent with his be-
havior throughout the voysge for Dan had acquired
from bis boaing excursions in Marsheld harbor the
expertuess and freedom from fear OF an old salt Even
in tie afternoon previous, we were running direct
upon ST. Philips Keys, he was sitting high mp on the
cossiees, eoely surveying the danger, when, had We