Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-03-26
LATEST NEWS
APPALLING CATASTROPHE AT SEA.

The Ship John Ratledge Sunk by Raining ineo
an Iceberg-One Person Rescued Probable
Loss Of the Remainder cfthe Ships Compa
ny.
Captain Wood. of the packet ship Germania.
arrived at this port yesterday from Havre has
furnished us with the following account of his
voyage together with some brief particulars of
the sinking ofihe ship John Rutledge by run
nlnS into an iceberg and the rescue Of one only
of the ships company -
The Germania sailed from llayre on the Goth
of January,and experienced very severe wes,er.
ly gales the entire passage. On the 9TH ult. she
encountered terrific hurricane from the south
which continued for twelve hours. Such was the
violence of the tempest, that the sails. though
closely furled. were blown entirely from the gus
kets. The barometer marked 81 80.
On the Goth ult., in latitude As 03 N, lonCi-
tude as 40 w., fell in with icebergs on the same
night was surrounded by field ice Immediately
wore ship. and after standing three hours to the
southeast succeeded in getting clear of it. The
field ice extended to the northwest as far as
could be seen, and cebergs were observed as
far south as latitude AZ 43 N.longitude 50 % w.
On the 2oth ult observed "a ships boat ahead;
hove to and despatched boat in quest of it. On
approaching the strange boat it was found to con
tain, alive, Thomas w. Nye of New Bedford. the
| only survivor OF thirteen persons. the remainder
having persisted of starvation and cold. They
had been in the boat nine days. Nyes hands and
feet were very much frozen. The boat also con.
tanned the bodies of Mrs. Atkinson and others,
names unknown. all belonging to the ship John
Ru,ledge Captain Kelly of New York
The John Rutl-dge left Liverpool for this port
on the 10th Of January; fell in with ice on the
18th of February in latitude 45 "a N. longitude
40 SO W.; got into field ice next day. but succeo
dedn working clear of it. She subsequently,
however. ran into an iceberg, stove a hole in her
bow, and was abandoned at six o clock the same
evening.
Five boats, filled with the passengers and crew
left the ship. 1t was the intention of Mr.. At
kinson, the mate, to have lief, the vessel in the
boat which was picked up, but she broke adrift,
and he and several others went down with the
wreck.
1t is coniectured that the other boats. which
were well manned and furnished with compasses,
would pull for the Gulf Stream, the weather
was severely cold. They may, therefore, be
picked up by passing vessels, The compass of
the rescued boat was accidentally broken; and
it being cloudy, her crew could not shape their
course.
After picking up the boat the Germana stood
to the northwest until dark, and then lay to du-
ring the night in hopes of discovering some of
the missing boats; but nothing could be seen
of them, she bore away to the southwest, keep
ing strict lookout all the time. During the
forenoon very thick snow storm prevailed, but
the weather cleared towards noon A bark
came out of the ice at the same time the Ger
mania. She stood to the westward. and perhaps
fell in with the boats of the John Rutedge.
The John Rutedge belonged to Messrs. How
land & Ridgway, of this city.
On the Ilth inst, the Germania experienced
another hurrcunce from w, n. W., which lasted
three days, driving the ship back one hundred and
fifty miles into the Gulf. She has been twenty
fiva 5ay, tn we.twar1 nf thn Ranks