New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-22
THE GREAT WRECK.
ARRIVAL OF ENGINEER ASHeY
HIS STATEMENT.
CORRECTED LIST OF SAVED.

Beyond the arrival OF Mr.. Ashby, the Ch,ef Ecgl
peer nothing Of importance transpired in this city yes
erdsy in regard to the wreck Of the Central America.
M Roberts assured our reporter yesterday that the
company intended to thoroughly investigate the
of the late calamity. The company regarded Mr..
Ashby's conduct rs ineIcusable, and had dismissed
him from their service until he eIculpstes himself
from the misconduct charged AGAR st bin Mr. Ashby
says that he quite confident of his ability to do that
to the satisfaction Of the public. Yesterday afternoon
he was engaged in preparing official report OF his
conduct to the company. He will no doub. soon be
examined, together with the other surviving officers,
by The Board of Underwriters. Mr.. Ashby was like
vie to be examined by committee of competent
gineers as to his alleged neglect Of du;y.
Among the passengers, officers and crew rescued
by the brig Marine the chief engineer, who
rived yesterday morning by the nigh train from Bali
more. He expresses the utmost confidence that with
those who know him such imputstions have been
made against him, as he concludes, by persons who
knew nothing Of the facts in the case will have no
weight whatever. He has been six years chief en-
gneer Of the ship ard this the fortyfh trip he
had made in her and has yet TO hear the first word OF
complaint from her owner or respective commanders
for any omission or negligence of duty. He is fine,
stalwar man of about thirty, with frank seaman
ike face and bearing, and certainly with nothing
about him from which to surmse the graceess defect
of character alleged against him. His statement OF
the progress of affairs daring the loss of the ship, as
from the principal officer in charge under the COM
mander, we give as follows:
STATEMENT OF GEORGE f. ASHBY, CHIEF
ENGINEER OF THE CENTRAL AMERICA.
We left Havana on the 9Th Of September at 81
a. m. The engines and boilers OF the ship were in
perfect ORDER and worked well up to Friday the 18th,
carrying an average of - pounds of steam. Our max
imum working power was 90 pounds to the inch, but
we seldom as high as that, even under the most
favorable circumstances
FRIDAY Sept. 1.-THE day commenced with the
wind blowing perfect hurricane from the N. N. e.,
with some rain. At a. m. / discovered that the
ship was making considerable water, more than ordi.
rariy results from the drppipgs of different parts Of
the machinery reported this fact to Capt Herndon
at once and then started all hands at passing Goa
into the fre-room in buckets and baskets. Capt.
Herndop at my request, sent down nearly all the
waters to assist in passing coal. The ship vas 30
listed over to the starboard that our coal barrows
were u,eless for passing coal. We then started the
starboard WorthiDgOn pump and Bulge injection,
taking steam from the large boilers This was about
10 O'Clock. The water in the ship was then quite hot
from being in contact with the boilers, suppose, and,
in consequence of her list was all in the starboard
bilge. The pump took water and worked FREQ
"; still the wster gained us. then inspected
all the pipes and their connections, and found them
tight. l also inspected the dead lights, and found
them tight. AT about IL o'clock the water overlooked
the coa-bunker floors, both forward and aft, making
it impossible for the to work the steam from the
water putting out nearly all our lamps. reported to
sta Of afTa in tba eDyino
al at once directed the assistant engineer to get up
steam in the donkey boiler, which was done Ell once.
At the came time gang of baiers, consisting of
passengers was gained by Captain Herndon, aud
another gang were at work breaking up Storage
berths for fuel At o'clock the fires in the starboard
boilers were extnguished by water Another gang of
bailers were then get at work in the after-cabin
matches, and still another in the lower steersge-en-
gineers men ard passengers, all working with a will
The engineers continued working up to clock p. m
when they stopped for a few minutes for want of
steam. They soon started again with 20 pounds OF
seam but having only the port res to depend on, the
steam coon used up.
We then commenced firing up with wood, and con.
tnued to do 20 till the water so high as to put out
all the fires when the engines stopped This was be-
tween and p. IN. The WOrthipgton pumps. which
had been previously worked by steam from the main
boilers, were then worked by the donkey bciler and
continued to work till about O'Clock, with several
stoppsges Of a few minutes each, which were made
necessary TO free the eedpipe of the boiler from OBJ
s,Iuctons. When the donkey bsiler finally stopped
the feed pipe had become so choked up that it was
necessary to cut and repair it.
During the night all hands at work bsing.
The rolling Of the ship caused q small leak around
the starboard shaft which was stopped with blankets
and sail wrapped around the shaft, outside in the
| wheel.
SATURDAY, l2th-Bsrrels were rugged with whip
and worked in the engine-room and the patches in
other parts of the ship, at hosting water. Mr.
Keefcr, the SECOND assistant engineer, also cut Oh
the escape pipes and rugged them as pumps in the
Storage, one of which worked well. Early in the
morning steam again got on the donkey boiler
and the pumps worked till the rapidly gaining
water submerged them entirely. This WAS about
O'Clock q. H., and there was then between nine
and ten feet of water in the engine-room. We were
ably assisted all the time by Mr.. Charlie, Mccarthy,
chief engineer Of the steamer Golden Gate, who
a passenger with us. The machinery being now en-
tIely useless the fact at once reported to Capt.
Herndon, and whole attent en- was given to bail
irg water. had several consultations with Captain
Herndon and Mr. Van Rensselaer,, the fret officer,
with regard to the condition of the ship, and every
thipg that was possible was done to relieve her. AL
the engineers men, with the crew and passengers,
worked constantly and bravey to free the ship from
water, but without avail
About . o'clock p. n. as near as / can recolect,
brig bore down upon us, having signal Of distress
flying. She proved TO be the brig Marine of Boston,
Capt. Burt, bound from Cardenas TO NewYork. Capt.
Herrdon hailed him and requested him to lay by the
steamer and take off the passengers which he promised