Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-10-15
THE CENTRAL AMERICA CALAMITY.

NuTTuttpe " oWVetHS ht Seus
We published yesterday accounts Of the res
cue of John Tice, Alexander Grant, and G.
W. Dawson, who were picked up at sea by the
brig Mary, then transferred to the barque Bre-
men, which brought them into New York.
We subjoin from the New York papers some
thrilling particulars
Messrs. Tice, Dawson and Grant, says the
Herald, are in sad condition, having been
badly bruised, and are covered with boils, hav-
ing been constantly in the water.
The rescued men state that there were origi-
nally twelve persons who took refnge ON the
hurricane deck, but one by one, sad to relate,
they died from hunger and exhaustion, except
the two men Grant and Dawson, who were Ia
ken into the loat picked up by Mr.. Tice, on
the fifth day after the steamer, sunk. They also
state that on Monday, the 14th of september,
two days after the steamer went down they
saw a number Of the passengers clinging to
pieces Of the wreck and though it may seem
somewhat strange that the Boston steamer III
Dorado, which reports having remained in the
vicinity till after daylight the morning follow
ing the disaster, should not have been able to
observe any of the sufferers, that may be ac-
counted for by the taet--and it is an extra
ordinary one-that the men picked up by the
brig Mary had dritted nearly six hundred miles
from the scene Of the wreck before they were
rescued. Capt. Burt, of the Marine, gives the
at 81 40, longitude 75 SO; and Captain Shear
er, Of the Mary, states that he picked up Tice
Dawson and Grant in latitude 36 40, Longitude
II. They were drifting il the Gun Streain
which there run at the rate of three miles al
hour, so that in eight days they could hay'
foated, with the aid OF the stream alone, 1y'
hundred ahd seyenty-six miles.
(FrOm The NetU York Iimes)
GEORGE TIoE, SECOND ENGINEER OF THI
CENTRAL AMERICA. Mr.. Tice, the Second En-
gineer of the Central America, suffered more
physically, than the two rescued with him
from the privation of food, exposure ana SUI
fering, endured previous to being picked up by
the brig Mary. Immediately upon the arrival o.
the barque Laura at Castle Garden he was con
yeyed to q carriage by Mr.. Ashby, Chief En-.
gineer of the Central America, and MIR. Holl-
lister, of the Battery Hotel, who had gone to
meet him. The meeting between AshBy and
Tiee was quite affecting, and so ovefpowered
Tice that he had to be helped to the carriage
His first inquiry was sc How many of the crew
and passengers of the steamer have been saw
ed ?'' &c Captain Herndon," said he, " the
noble and gallant Commander OF the steamer
fear, we never shall see again, and Van Ken
salcar too, the great officer, one of the bravest
and most generous fellows that ever lived,
fear, has gone down with the Captain" These
were the first words uttered by Mr.. Tice, and
il was several minutes before he said anything
further. During the ride to Avenue d, where
Mr.. Tice's friends reside, he stated in genera
terms the particulars OF his rescue. A shori
time before the steamer sunk he new she coulo
stay above water but little longer. He goti
good sized plank with which to support hin
self in the water in the expected emergency
Some time before the steamer went down th'
passengers and crew generally girded them
| selves with life-preservers, and whatever the.
could lay their hands on, awaiting the momen
when the steamer should sink. AS he saw tn
steamer on the moment OF going down, h
made plunge with his plank as far as he coul
from the steamer, to avoid being drawn unde
with her. His jumping done but little good
for the suction OF the vessel carried him
| good distance under water, a distance whic
| seemed to him unfathomable, with such tire
mendous and irresistible force was he draw
underneath. He came up safe with his plan
in his possession. He clung to it for thre
days alone. At the end of this time he sa
one of tho life-boats belonging to tho steamc
when, leaving his plank he swan for the bof
and reached it. He found it badly stove an
nearly full of water. He managed TO plug u
| the lonlrs and bail 10 out mith MS hands- Nv
days afterwards he fell in with Grant on th
hurricane deck and took him into his boat wit
him. A day or two afterwards he picked u
Dawson. On the ninth day after the steam'
went down, they were seen by the brig Mar.
| ana taken on DOhFus lulS Mbs tho hist Sait
saw. Subsequently they were transferred
the Laura and brought to New Xerk. Mr.. Tit
had been four years engineer on the Georg
Law, alias Central America. When he WI
taken to his home in this city, he tainted wi
complete exhaustion. To insist on any mo
statements from him for thepresent, won
be positive cruelty. ts
GEO. W DAwsoN--AIs CONDITION AND sTArEMEN
MIR. Dawson, upon landing at Castle Gardc
/ | lad 10 ha hnttqp nf n frian
Mr.. Henry Sampson, at No. l2 Leonard sire
where he was hospitality received, and his il
mediate wants attended to. Mr.. Dawson il
nulatto man about 80, tall, and stout bni
I though now very much wasted in flesh he i
u native OF Rochester, and has followed the 8
since he was boy. He has been employ
ON the Crescent City, and was on that steam
with his friend Sampson when she was wrec
ed on the Manailla Reef. He is at present II
d able TO converse more than moment at
= = time, and by the advice Of his physician
J. talks but little OH the subject of the wreck
q He appears, il possible, to have suffered mt
! than the other two; upon his face are large ST
= hollis, and the same kind OF eruptions COY
otherportions of his body. He was unable
e swim, and chung all the more strongly to I
blank which he found within his reach when
in steamer sank. He continued on this pla
= for two days, when he driitcd near the hun
u cane deck, ON which there were twelve otl
s. persons. Their weight kept il sunk nea
two feet under water, and it was not until al
portion OF those had died and dropped
that he yentured on lit, During this int
val he supported himself by holding on to
" edge of the raft, as it was evident that
IL could not place his whole weight upon 1t wi
n. out endangering the others. One by o
n, m however, they became exhausted and di
when their bodies were either washed of
= thrown over by the survivors this so far lie
m' ened the deck that he climbed upon it v