Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-11-22
rRIeHTFuL DISASTER AT SEA.
Loss OF THE FRENCH STEAMER
~ LIE LYONAIS..
(rrom the New York Herald, Of Nov. rs
over one Hsndred Livts Lost,


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(rrom the New York Herald, Of Nov. isl
1t is our painful duty to recod this morning
mother terrible calamity at sea. The cnse
in hand is not unlike that Of the ill-fated Arc
tic. The iron screw steamship lie Lyonnais,
Captain De Vain. sailed from this port, on
Saturday, Nov. /, for Havre.
Thirty.uine cabin passengers-and there
were on board, including officers, crew. eng-
neers, 6remen and s;eerage passengers, near
one hundred and 6ftp souls. She also had
over twenty thousand dollars in specie on
freight. = -,arb...s,. .-s t...7 fl15I
On the night Of Sunday, the I'd inst, while
in dense fog, Nantucket light.ship bearing
n. n. w, aud distant 60 miles. the ship was
run into by an unknown vessel and her stern
cut of. Nothing more was seen OF the nm
known vessel, and it is probable that she
went down Immediately.
Not SO with lie Lyounias, she remained
with her niter part fall Of water aud the bow
high out of the wafer. All hands staid by
the wreck until the next day, when it was
abandoned. The ship was provided with six
boats, only one Of which was lie Dcal'--
That boat only has been heard from. ..r
On the morning Of NJ onday. after it was re-.
solved to abandon the wreck, u raft was con-
structed, and about forty persons, including
passengers, (probably the steerage passen-
gers) took refuge upon it. 1t is the opinion
Of the second officer that this raft could not
have lived through the rough weather that
succeeded this day--that it must have been
broken TO pieces, and that all the persons on
board were lost: There is room for hope
that some friendly sail might have rescued
them.
In another boat was the commander with
some of the passengers This boat was well
provided with provisions, compasses, &c. 1t
was the intention Of the captain TO pull tor
Montauk Point. This boat has not been
heard from. go.
Another boat contained the ,secoud mate,
Laynire, the second engineer, Deatour, sever
al of the crew aud passengers. This is the
only boat heard from so far.
| The list, then, is, saved sixteen; mis- sing
and probably lost, l30.
| We have no accounts OF the other five
boats, and the raft, save that which is given
above.
The following details in relation to the sa.
we'd are gathered from the second mate.
The boat left the ship on the morning o.
Monday, the second. There was heavy
gale blowing. and the Captain resolved te
abandon the ship. She was then, und wher
sunk below the waters eGge, and her how
high out uf water. On Tuesday he los
sight of the other boats. The second mates
boat contained eighteen persons. The
weather was very rough, aud the haples
voyagers suffered terribly. They encountered
several severe snow storms and were shor
Of water
They had claret wine. bread and preserved
meats. They were beaten about six days
until the afternoon Of the 9th (Sunday,) an'
two Of their number (passengers) died durlni
this terrible interval. On Sunday their eye
were gladdened by the sight of o friendl
sail, which proved TO be the Bremen bari
Elise, Captain Nordenbolott, on board G
which vessel they were Immediately take
and made us comfortable as possible. Thei
limbs were frozen, and altogether they wer
in a terrible condition. .. o.. --...-
o",ho i,eAt d~., in l~titude 40 deg. D
min. N, longitude 65 deg, 40 min, til
Captain Nelson, bound ior New York. Tn
Bremen barque was short Of water, an
Captain Nelson Immediately consented I
give those saved from the boat passage I
New York. They all availed themselve
of this offer except two Of the passengers
Mr.. Sbaler and wife. who remained on boar
the Bremen barque, intending TO go L
Bremen. The Hamburg barque arrive
below last evening, having on board fourtee
Of the ships company Of the Lyonnais.
Two Of this boats crew died in the boat
which reduced their number TO sixteen, all O
whom are thus accounted for. The suffering
of these unfortunates may be imagined. A
present they are likely to recover, but thei
limbo are frozen and swollen. The ladie
suffered terribly, but bore up with tb
fortitude for which the sex is so emnentl
distinguished in the presence Of real danger
The fate OF both the vessels is at presen
uncertain, and the course Of the captain O
the LIE Lyonnais seems to have been iniudi
cious.-- lier position, when abandoned, wUul,
seem to Indicate that she was tight forward
and under such circumstances was safer thai
bad boats in heavy sea.
The Lyonnais was built at Southampton
England, and intended for the South Aheri
can trade. She was temporarily placed OF
The new French line from this port TO Havre
of which Edward and Edmund Poirrler ar,
the agents. .. .t....
We have thus stated the simple facts O
this terrible calamity. AS the record stands
the narrative is heart-rending. We hav,
hopes however, that as tine boats were di
rectly in the track of hundreds of vessels
inward and outward bound, more of tn,
passengers mny have been rescued. w,
have no heart for further comment this
morning.
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