New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-05
Packetship Yorkshire and Bark Gem Ashore
sCHOONERs CUT THROUGH AND ADRIFT.
Loss Of Brig W. Il. Stafford and Eight Lives

The late ice drift in the East River has been pro-
ductive Of much damage to shpping-strppng vessels
Of their copper parting their cables, and driving
them ashore, and in cutting them through
ard causing them to sink. But the most serious dis
aster which has yet come to our knowledge is the
cutting through and sinking of the brig w. II. Stafford
in Wallabout Bay, and the loss OF her captain with
hi. wife and two children, the mate two seamen and
the cook. We have gathered the subjoned account
of thi, calamity from the two survivors Of the wreck
the officers of the North Carolina and from other
reliable The brig arrived Sunday evening,
after thirteen-days passage from AttakOpas, La,
with sugar and molasses to C. p. Leverck, and came
to anchor in the East River between Fulton
Ferry and Peek Slip The survivors state that the cap
tain Of seGmug tried to induce Capt. Smith to 90 into
dock, and warned him of the danger of lying out in
the stream, when it so full of ice. Capt. Smith
did lot take the advice The brig laid at anchor
without mishap, until o'clock Monday morning
when the food tide brought up large quantities of drift
ice which cut her cable and she drifted up with the
tide nearly abreast Of the Navy Yard. Capt. Smith
was On deck when the cable parted, an promptly
ordered the mate 20 heaye over the port anchor The
crew could not get the anchor over before She had
drfled nearly to the Wallabout. She brought up
here and nothing further occurred until about or
o'clock in the morning, when suddenly the men in the
forecaste were alarmed by the rush of water in
through the bows and making their way deck
they found that she rapidly sinking by the head.
The Captain who had remained on deck through the
night cheored on his to clear the stern boat,
which was hanging by the dayits. One of the crew
seized an AK and the other took his knife, and en-
deavorcd to sever the tacklings. Meanwhile Captain
Smith ran into the cabin and aroused his wife and
children, who were asleep in their berths, and bidding
her follow him with the little girl he caught up his
son and ran TO the stern boat She followed immcdi-
atey ard he put her and the children into the boat,
and then got in himself, with the mate cook and two
seamen. The tackle by which the boat hung was
frozen fast and all of their efforts to cut her loose
avaled nothing. She went down head fore
most, within ten minutes of the time she was cut
through carrying down the boat and all its inmates
with it, The two survivors state that on finding their
efforts to clear the boat hopeless they made for the
main rigging and reached il just a. the water rose to
their chirs. Taking refuge in the crosstrees they saw
the brig sink a moment after head foremost, and tue
boat with it, OF those who in the boat, two or
three rose to the surface but rapidly swept out
OF sight by the tide, which was very swift at that
point The Others were moi seen again. The sinking
condition of the brig and the cries Of the people on
hoard attracted attention on the United States receY
ing shin North Carolina and the gunner Mr. Ballard
with a boats crew cut clear life-bOat which
was living frozen I'D in the ice alongside and dragging
it over the ice to the open water, put off to Their as
sstancc but long before they could reach her she had
gone down. The surviving sailors were taken out of the
crosstress in very benumbed state and conveyed on
board the North Carolina, where every assistance was
rendered them, and the crew of that vessel made up
- Ia
the sinking of the brig man was seen on a cake of ice
off the Ferry Slip foot of South Seventh street, VIII
liamsburgh, and preparations made to rescue
him, but before aid could reach him he seemed to
have been frozen powerles for he fell into the water
aud sunk Eight persons lost their lives
by this disaster We append their names 80 far as
they could be ascertaned:
Capt CHRISTOPHER SMITH, Mrs. SMITH, his wife,
little boy Of four years and girl eleven years old,
their children.
DAVID 4. J.. DARRAGH, mate.
ALExANDER BRINsER, seaman.
HENRY WILLIAMS, seaman.
The Cook, (colored) name unknown. He was
shipped in Demarara, whence the brig sailed to Alta
kapas. The saved are
Thomas RYDER seaman, OF Boston.
WILLIAM Brown, seaman, of Boston.
DANIEL DARRAGH. Mate. His trunk, as also the
log book of the vessel picked up yesterday alter
1con.
Capt Smith and family belong to Frankfort Me-
The vessel sailed from Bangor, Me-, Is owned by Mr.
David Pearce of Orington, Me-, and was consigned
70 r. D. Buck No % South street. She SIX years
old and worth 80 900; insured in Bangor for $4,000
The cargo Is insured here The only property saved
from her was the mates trunk containing the log
book &c which hoated ashore. The underwriters
have taken steps to raise the vessel but at present
she il at the bottom Of the East River
The vessel sunk in about five minutes after 1t was
discovered that che had filed She had two boats,
but both were ashed so firmly that they could not be
cleared in tine to use them The loDgboat was on
deck, and the yaw over the stern. All except the
Captain wife were seen to come up to the surface
after the vessel went down.
The SHIP YORKSHIRE AsHORE.-lhe pacAe'shP
Yorkshire Capt Marshall from Liverpool was towed
mn of Jersey CITY on Sunday morning, and anchored
there. During the night large fields OF ice came
down. and the Yorkshire dragged her anchors This
morning she lies on the rocks near Fort Columbus
aground smidships and her stern Lifted four feet The
ship was anchored in the North River, IN cOmpAance
with the laws Of the State passed for the protection
e1nirants preparatory TO landing her passengers d.
/ Castle Garden. The steamtug LeYIa'hah mas SIr.'
! landed them. The ship went ashore at o'clock THIS
morning having both anchors down 81 tne 'iuie' enc
perfectly tight, and has not received any damage
Most Of the Passengers are in very destitute coh
ton having barely sufficient clothing 10 cover thein'
The packet-sbip Yorkshire, from Liverpool, that
went ashore OF Governor Island, was got on th.s
Afternoon ithJ by steamtug Leyiathan, CaP' ha@a'u'
and towed to jersey City.
cf no Wy