Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-09-26
Details ofsae less eftle Central smqrica,

! Roads Nth 50 passengers Of tie i1.fated
steamer Central America, including 26 fe-
males
! Al lie Steers including Cart EGerndon
were lost. except Frazier.
We left Havana Sept. 9Th, having had
delightful weatber and calm sea from the
time of leaving Aspinwall In tie after
ternoon of the day Of sailing from Havana,
a fresh breeze sprung Up, and On " ednes-
dag morning, the 9th, it commenced blow
ing very strong The gale continued all
day, and at night it was still increasing and
raining in torrents.
On Thursday the wind blew a complete
hurricane and She sea ran very high 4hro'
Friday the storm ragged With unahating fl-
ry, and at il o'clock, A. Nj il was first
known to the passengers thas the steamer
had sprung aleak aud Eas making water
fast. A line was formed and all the men
went 70 work bai!ing from her engine room
the fires having been already extinguished
by the water.
After some hard work re gained on the
water 50 much as to be able to get Up steam
again. but held it SO but Tor few minutes,
whcn the water again rose on us and the en-
gines stopped forever Bailing Was still
continued in all parts Of the ship and kept
up anti she went down.
Dnring Friday night tie water gained
gradually, but all being still in good spirits
we 'se..&s9 70 the best Of err abifisT. feeling
that when morning came &c might possibly
speak some vessel aud thus be saved.
TIE fatal Saturday came at list, but bro t
nothing but iacreaead FRY Still vt work.
ed on. About 2 o'clock, p. M. the storm
luiled little and the eieads broke away,
when hope was renewed, and all again work
Cd ike giants. At 4 o'clock, P. III. We
spied sail and fred our guns, orr fae be-
ing placed at half mast! 10 ctr ~ ve
were seen, and seen the brig Marine Of Bos-
ton, hove down upon us. q e then coHsia-
cred our safety certain. She came near and
we soon spoke her and told her our condi-
ton She laid By about mile distant, aud
we, with lie aid o. only three hoats--;sil
! that had beer saved from the fury Of the
storm-placsd all tie women and chilcirou
in safety on board the brig.
As evening was fast approaching, re dis
covered another sail, which responded 10 or
signals and came near Us. Capt. BeGa4on
toll them CIR condition and aske3 That they
would lay By and send boat az we had
none left. lie promised u Do 50. but it WIS
the last lie saw Of tier except at distance.
which grew greater aud greater every mo-
mont.
Ii o'rlack We saw 10 probability o.
keeping afeat nr5eil longer, although -
felt that If We could DO 50 uatil morning I'll
would lie saved LII short time heqgy
sea for the first tiue broke over her upper
deck, ard I'll hcpe Gadcj as last away from
responding hearts
l.ife-presergers were supplied TO all, ami
as We sent UP two rockets to attract the at
tention Of any sail that might still be near
US tremendous sea swept over US, and IN
moment more the steamer GeM ctoW8i
think some 400 or 450 souls were al
that moment launched upoe the ocean at tue
mercy Of the waves The storm by This tyne
entirely subsiied, and we all kept near to-
cether and went as the waves took u.s.
There was nothing or very little said except
that each one cheered hs teliow-comrade on,
and courage was thus kept up 'fpr two or
three hours, and thihk for that space Of
time none had drowned. hut those who could
not swim, became exhausted, and one By
one gradually passed into eternity
The hope that boats would be sent to rs
irom the two vessels we had spoken sa9n
fed US, and our &rest was alone in Prori-
denee, and what better trust could yon or |
ask fer? saw my poor corral IS fast sink
ing around me, and at clock that night
[ was nearly alone npon the ocean, some
two hundred miles from land.
however still heard shouts from all that
could do so that were not far from ne, hui
j | cenli not see them.
Within an hour from Ills time ssw a
vessel / judged about o.a mile from Nle.-
Taking fresh courage | struck out for tie
vessel and reached /. whee neaIy exhausted,
but was drawn Oh board By ropes a. soon
as perceived
The vessel proved 10 be . Norwegian barl;
from, balize Honduras bound for Falmouth,
England. | found on board Of her some
two or three Of my comrades, an3 at % o.
clock next morning We had 10 nQhle fellows
on board, and these are all know Of hav.
ing been saved We stnyed about Ii,
j place until We thought that all alive hal
] been rescued, and then set sail.
We found the bark short Of provisions
and the crew living Oh Cruel. We had som,
tea and celee to refresh ourselves with ant
AZ noon on Sunday spoke the american bari
Saxony, bound for Savannah, who supple,
US with provisions and took FIVE Of US OIL
board
Our names are B. II. Ridley, of Maine
,Jabez Howes, Of aan Francisco; Samue
". feek, e Maine; Adolph Erederi0ks, 6
I San Francisco, md Henry IL Cbilds, {
New York.
There is lad saved, some seven year
Of age, whose mother was with the othe
ladies placed on board fae hY}g.
Z. S.--Thefe were three passengers tina
cot Toto tie boats that saved the women am
children which were known to me Thei
names are Mr. Priest Of Long Island
Thos. Payne Sanford, Of Connecticut an
- Jones.
THE COMMANDER OF Tus FrssTr
Lieut.. Hernlon, the commander Of tn
|, Central American leaves wife and laugh
ter, now in New York. The deceased wa
a native of Virginia. He was inder Com
modore Perry in the Moxiean var, and wa
engaged on behalf of the government, i
The exploration of the Amazon some tim
ago, for which Congress voted him hand