Litchfield enquirer., 1857-05-07
Loss of the Ship Cathedral.

AVS6 VI IUS Oulp CdkA0l dA'
The following interesting account of the loss
OF the American ship Cathedral, belonging to
Messrs. Enoch Train & Co., off Cape Horn, on
her way from the United States to San Francisco,
has heen kindly furnished to us for pub icaton
by Mr.. A. r. Clarke aie chief officer of the i'll
fated vessel who, together with the second third,
and fourth officers and cook. at present in this
city, from whence they will be passed home by
the United States Consul at the expense of the
Government: n. Y. Tribune
Messrs. ENocH TRAIN & Co.-Gentlemen: /,
is with sincere and heartfelt sorrow that write to
announce to you the total loss of your noble ship
Cathedral and her gallant and Inflated commander,
William IL. Howard. which took place off Cape
Horn, on the afternoon of Wednesday, February
Is, 1857, while i'll latitude 50 degrees, IA minutes
s.. and long ,ude SO degrees. SO minutes W. The
full particulars of This melancholy disaster shall
new proceed to detail.
At about $40 p. M. while lying to under close
reeted topsails. fore storm staysail and spencer.
the ship heading to the scu,hward and westward,
wind shout N. N. W., tremendous sea struck
the ship. and heavy sqnall passing at the same
moment. she fell immediately over on her beam
ends. The Captain being una BILE to leave his
berth On account of Illness, Che having been very
unwel for week previous, SO much so shat at
one time gave INN up for dying MANI, | pro-
ceeded At once to inform him of the situation of
the ship, and to request his orders. He directed
'ne to use every means In my power 10 right the
vessel, and not to cut away the masts except as a
last resource. l found, however, that no other
means would avail. and accordingly gave the Or
der to cut away the mizzen mast, which was
done, without any good Effect The manmast
was next cut away, and, as it went over the side,
il carried away with it the gallows, upon which
We're dashed Two life boats, the captains gig and
whale boat. AS then perceived that the ship
did not pay off, hu. lay dead in the trough of The
sea, settling very FAST and as the carpenter re-
ported that water was rushing into the tween
decks through the forward scultle, | directed the
second officer to go forward and clear away the
long-boat, which was dashed on the weather side
of the forward house, while Wen, below and in
formed the Captain of what | had done. l told
him that in my opinion the vessel would 60 down
in very short time, and requested: him to allow
me to have him carried out and placed on board
the boat. This, however, lie refused, declaring
that he would never leave tho ship, and that the
boat could not live five minutes in such sea
then went again on deck. when the third officer
informed Inc that the topsides were open, the coal
falling out and the water rushing in. l again
went below to the captain, TO inform him that the
ship was rapidly settling. and to beg him to 90
" it'll me, but he refused, and as l endeavor.
ing TO prevail upon him, the ship fell over full
upon her side, aud the water Immediately half
filled the cabin. The captain then cried out to
me, " For Gods Sake, save YOURSELF" and as
perceived that the vessel must go down in a very
few minutes, aud that time was to be lost, |
broke the window out the weather side of the
cabin, and irst pushing the Doctor, (~ho had re-
manned by the Captain till ,hrn) through the win
dow, followed him myself, and ran along on the
biige Of the vessel, outside her channels, and
Ieaped down upon the side Of the forward house.
breaking it through, and falling in up to my shoul-
ders. Immediately got out, and Ieaping into
the water was picked up and placed in the boat.
which, had been foaed off the house by the sea,
so far had the vessel gone down in the water.
Having picked up all those whom we could, al
though, owing TO our having no oars, we were
Obliged to leave the Doctor and the
wreck, as they would not jump overheard and we
could not get near them, showed off, and had
hardly 60, fifteen yards from the vessel when a
tremendous struck her, lifted up, swept us
round her stern and covered her at once from our
sight. We saw nothing of her af,erward, except
a few pieces of hoard and one spare spar.
1t was just 40 minutes from tho time the ship
was thrown upon her beam-ends until she disap-
peared forever from our ight
When the mainmast carried the four after-boats
over the side, all the oars which on deck
being dashed inside them, Of course went also,
and the spare oars were below and Of course mac.
cessible to us.
We therefore found ourselves, 3G in NUMBER on
hoard an open boat with neither oars nor sails.
Onc-half our number-the watch which was be-
low at tie time Of the accldeEt--belng in the
clothes they left their bt rths in, aud with nothing
but three four pieces Of baIten. a piece Of the
loom of an oar and small bit of board which we
broke from the bottom ceiling of the boat TO keep
her head 10 wind.
During the whole time of the disaster, bark
and ship in sight of US TO Reward, the bark,
at the time the ship went down, being di,,an,
about three miles. bearing about S. Il. Toward
her all our hopes were directed, bot we soon found
that she drf;eJ to leeward faster than did, and
that only chance would be to put the boat be-
fore the wind, and run down to her. This after
much 'ronbIe, we succeeded in doing by making
some Of the men stand up in the bows Of the boat
and spread out their oil jackets, and after several
hours of hard labor, in baing and keeping the
boat before the wind, we rounded to under the
stern OF the bark Ann Pitcairn Sharp, OF Mary
port. England. Capt. Robert Glaster Sharp, TO
whom, under Providence. is due our lives. He
had hove to seeing our disaster, determined To
wait till daylight and then run the spot and
see if any one could be picked up, neither he
nor his officers expected for moment that any
boat could live in such sea, and owing to the |
squalls which were constantly passing. it was
impossible for him TO see us so far 10 wlndward,
though he had lookout at the main top asst
head.
This, gentlemen. is the full and circumstantial
account OF The most IImentable and unforeseen
catastrophe which it has ever been my misfortune
TO be concerned in-lamentable on account Of the
loss of life which has occurred especially that Of
the Captain, and unforeseen, as no one could have
foreseen or fanced an action of this description
happe ming to vessel strongly built and so
we'll buIkheaded as The Cathedral.
With the very highest respect,
Your very obedient servant,
ANDREW RICHARD CLARK,
Late Chief Officer of the Ship Cathedral
S-We left at about $3.50 p. M. and arrived
on board the bark at 1875 p. m.