The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-09-26

tlemen. Two other boats came along4i /. az
forwards, when there was 4 rush tn itmp in
them by the mad passengers, involving great
danger. BY tlHt time the brig hal dtf,ed a
long way to lecward winch made the trips
of the boats long, AMI by this time it was
dark. so that the boats did nr4 return.
| About dark. vessel believed to be the
schooner Sovereign of New Y ,r. ran down
under OFF Ice. We hailed and told him We
/ were in a sinking condition, asking him to
! lay by us all night. which he promised to do.
The haiing in the meantime continued to
| progress but the water had BY this time raised
| hall way up the lower cuhn, AMI was rapid.
| y gaining on MS There was, however. 10
cessation of the bailng until one hour before
The ship sank. when all the hope of keeping
her ailoat until daylight was rclinqushed.
This was about seven O'Clock on Saturday
evening.
| | should however, mention thnt two hours
| previous had conversation with Captain
llerntlon, who after consultation agreed with
me that the ship must 30 down, but it was
still advisable to keep it mp as long as rnssi
bic. and we did not make known the, result
| of our conversation. but urged all hands to
| renewed effort. Captain lIcrndon requested
that the second officer. Mr. Frazier, and
'Nii W itil 'iNt IN iTFSS-
| cd his determination not to leave the ship
while there was soa ON board. hut would
remain until she sunk from under him. lis
only regret was;hs family and he died like
n brave man
At % clock on Saturday night the water
was up to the flooI of the dining saloon. and
all thea went to work cnmly to devise means
| each Coz their own safety. a half hour pre-.
vlotH to the ship sinking there were two
lights seen some distance to the lccward, sun
posed to be the brig Marine AMI the schoon-
er that spoke to us an hour or two previous,
but having fresh breeze and high sea they
were unable to work up to the windward.
a quarter OF an hour hc.ora IN. steamer SINK
one OF our boats hailed us. and voice cried
that his orat was stove and he could not take
any one on board. This boat was cndcayor-
Ing to return from the Marine, but was disa-
hl,d. 1t Fas doubtless the impression OF
board both the brig and the schooner that the
steamer would be able to keep up until ..orr:
Ing, hence she probably did not keep as near
us during the night as they might have done.
Indeed 1t was the opinion Of many on board
that we would hold up all night, and did
not think that she would 60 down before
midnight.
At 10 minutes Of o'clock' Captain Hcr
don took position on the wheel-houSeS with
his second officer and fired rocket sdolrnrard.
the usual signal, to the brig and schoon,r that
we were sinking rapidly. This was fearful
moment. and must have been also to the la
dies on board the Marine, who understood
the signal all Of whom had husbands OF friends
on board.
now procured board six feet long and
six inches wide, tearing it off the front of u
berth, and took my position on the talt'rail
and held on theaftcr awning staunchcon. At
that time there was two or three hundred on
the quarter deck, brcahlcsSly waiting the
final sinking. There was two seas swept over
the deck about this time, the last one sweep
ing nearly all the passengers on the main deck
into the sea. The ship immediately after. At
3 o'clock on Saturday evening, sank, going
Town at an angle As degrees, stern foremost.
The suction Of the ship drew the paSscgers
under water for some distance, and threw
them in mass together. When they reached
The surface the struggle for life was intense,
with cries and shlicks for help. especially
| from those unable tc swim. Many unable to
| swim chung to those who could, or laid hold
| of the larger pieces of the wreck, which We're
soon swanpcl. In ten minutes not less pro
badly than three hundred had sunk to rise no
more whilst myself and othcls who had sue
cecdyd in holding on to s"mc means of sup.
port were scattered over the dark and dscary
ocean, floating off with the tide. There was
large number Of the passengers had bags of
gold dust and some doubtless pclished in
their Efforts to savelt. may also here add
that from fifty to sixty o. the passengers shut
themselves up in their state rooms i'll despair,
and sank with the ship.
Those who had succeeded in keeping them
selves atioat. socn scattered over the su face
Of the ocean for distance Of about a mile. -
One hour after the ship sank saw light at
| he ccward, which was seen by most tf those
rescued supposed to be that of the Seh' o"cr
Sovereign. butt soon disappeared. Wckuow
that the ships to l,cward could mt reach us
and turn"d our gaze in the opposite direction.
| At O'Clock on Sunday morning we saw
approaching us under full sail. with a strong
breeze, the Norwegian bark Ellen ran into
our midst. and those on watch were aSound
ell with the cry of human beings. Captain
| johnson, the commander, immediately hove
| his vessel to, undr short sail, and commen-
| crd to rescue rs. The steamer ut this time
| had been down over five hours. lie launched
| his boat, and threw out ropes and bnoyS. and
done everything that good seamanshp and
| humane heart could dictate to save as many
| as possible. I was the urth one reScGcl, and
witnessed the noble cXcrions of himself and
crew throu yhout the night. He continued his
search among the drift wood, lacking back
ward and forward, up to IL O'Clock on Sun
day but did not find any one after o'c'ock
in the morning, and consequently rein4uishcd
the search at noon.