The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-14

the dead mans side in doing Mr.. Mitchell, who was
q large fat man, WAS seated the step with me-
and did not die for an hour and half after the boat
left. During all this time scarcely any of spoks in
deed were numbed with cold that lost al
sbility and hardly cared what happened They ali died
easily, first falling into quiet sleep before expiring.
had three flannel shirts and an oilskin overcoat
which kept me dry and toeraby warm. About eleven
o'clock the tide had fallen, that the cabin at
enter. crswled in and found my way to the bed upo
which lay down. It wet and ustsd with ice
and the floor covered with frozen water in which
were swimming the seats and cabin utensils. The mex
tide in the afternoon foated the bed, and durin
the whole Of Thurscay night and Friday
morning. remained In the cabin up to my armpits In
the freezing water did not suffer a great DEAL con-
siderng, yet it seems TO like fearful dream.
wished for the morning to break and the night seemed a.
though it would never end But with the morning my
position became much dangerous. The tide rose 80
high in the cabin that there not left enough
for me to breathe in, and came suffocatng-to
prevent which broke the window of the stateroom to
get fresh air. remained in this way until the tide
down, and about IL O'Clock forced my way deck
through the statero0m, the cabin door
blocked up by tnbers and floating wood as
to prevent its opening was much exhausted
reaching the open air and the cold wind had the ef
feet of increasing my sensbility looked anxiousy
the land and toward the sea- but could nothing stir
ring AT length, towards two O'clock schooner,
due east bearing down towards me- and eager attract
attention, climbed up the gaf to make signals and in
doing burst my fingers which frost bitten open.
On reaching the ga waved my hat, but needed
it deck then took my coat and shook it violently;
but the schooner kept on her way, and not soul
board knew of my condition. returned to the
deck terrified at the prospect before me- al night
approaching and could not have survived the horrors
cf another night like the last got loose tlmbes,
with the intention of making raft which the returning
tide would sweep In towards shore and got out on the
saDd to construct it. By this time the people shore
saw me on the wreck, and they launched the life boat
and took off, after having been board for thirty
two hours taken to the light house and satur-
day night came up to the city in the steamtug Tiger.
There is lesson to be learned by this painfa affair
and that h the necessity Of inducing government to
have a sufficient force of employed at the light
houses to rescue the passengers who may be
cast away Had there been proper force the island
At the time, not life need have been lost. The follow
ing will be found interesting:-
STATEMENT OF MR.. JAMES r. MURPHY.
About O'Clock the morning of the 10th instant
was blowing fresh from the W.NW and we were head
ing N.N.W. Owing to the severity Of the cold q
plete haze covered the water such an
to render unable to discern object at ships
length. We made light lee bow. Supposing II
TO be vessels light we put our helm up and before
before the wind the boat upon the outer bar
Fire Island which about thirty s1 miles from the Hook
When she struck of at out posi-
on, and that the light from the lighthouse Fire
Island; bu. the light did net revo,ve hence were
deceived fauda tn wha-a
Knowing that if we remained upon the outer
bar we must all perish, took to beat her
all the rest Of the bars four FIVE in
Der, and finally she bged on the inner bar, in the
mouth Of the inlet She then fast filed with
water. As soon tho daylight broke, we set the
ensign union down. OF course, when she
filed all hands were Of necessity driven deck
pectipg every moment to get assistance from Shore
from which were about mile distant and some two
miles from the lighthouse As had but one boat
board that would foat-our other boat having been
stove In when we struckwe cut loose the disabled ya
in order to let other boat float of the deck Roach
Sullivan Ewood and myself got into that boat-the
others remained board-our object being to make the
shore for the purpose of obtaining The boat
filed twice in going ashore before we even reached
surf When struck the surf the boat capsized and
Elwood got entangled somehow underneath the boat;
and owing to feeble state we could not render him
any material assistance to extricate nim and the
quence that he crowned. When reached the
shore we had mile TO walk before got to the light
house. and only for the kind attention that shown
by the keeper of the lighthouse-Mr. Smith and his
wen getting us dry clothing and restoratives for
frozen limbs would have all perished. We applied Of
at the lighthouse to have life boat to the
of comrades the E. X. Collins Our request
complied with, but unfortunately when the life boat
was brought to the beach there men TO 1t
our frozen condition rendering assistance from for hat
purpose impossible The next day tbs 11th instan, ia
the morning the sea at high tide making breach
over her fore and main gaf When rst her that
morning we supposed that there could not be living
board the Collins great had been the intensity
the cold of the previous day and night We concluded
however, that the life boat the beach would
make endeavor to get the bodies out at low
citizens Of having heard Of disaster
knoly consening to assist in the effort We observed
from the beach one person the pilot boats deck, and
at first supposed it must be who had boarded
her that morning not thinking that any of comrades
could have survived the night We signals to him,
which he answered, determined at launch
the life boat going in the GOAT, but they would
not permit me, on account of the weak
dtion ! was in. They made the pilo. boat VITA
much difficulty In consequence of the amount
Of drift ice out of the inlet. This
the pilot boat proved to be James Rush. one Of ha
hands employed on beard. he is in the City Hos.
pal The people in the life beat took of Rush, together
with the bodies of r. 8. Mitchell and the cabin boy VIM
Williams. The body of the cook-whose name not
acquainted with-stil remains board the pilot boat
be q colored Those have named were all
f Oxen to death Ellwood's body had recovered the
previous day, about hour after got shore The
three bodies were up to the time left Fire Island in
the boat house the shore, having in
attendance to hold inquest Had such fnnctionary
made his appearance in discharge Of his duty would
have been enabled to have brought the bodies up to the
city the Titan Saturday evening. The pilot boat
at the time left her, headed northwes-that is, at
O'Clock yesterday Saturday. afternoon with but slight
probability Of getting her Of in consequence of her be