The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-09-29
DISASTERS AT SEA!
Thrilling Scenes.

We announced last week the destruction
of the steamer Central America in the gale
of the 10Th inst, and the loss of 500 or 600
passengers. The following are the particu-
lars of the sad calamity:
Statement Of Theodore PAINE, Esq. Of San
| Francisco, a Rescued Passenger.
No more melancholy duty could have
been imposed upon me than to witness the
loss of the magnificent STEAMER Central
| America, which 1 did on the evening of
Saturday, September 12. saa .-
We left Aspinwal on the afternoon of
Thursday, September Sd, at o clock. We
had On board the California mails to August
90, specie amounting to $1,272,000, and
about five hundred passengers. all of which
were brought to Panama by the Pacific
Mail Company's steamer sonora" with an
additional amount of about 100000 for
the English steamer.
We reached Havana on Monday, Septem-
Der 9TH, about o'clock p. NJ. and COM
menced taking in coal that evening. work
ing all night and finishing next morning.
! At half past nine O'Clock on the morning
of Tuesday, the 6th, we got under way
The steamer Empire City followed at 10
o'clock, and we kept in sight of each other
until sundown, after which no more was
seen of the Empire City.
On the evening of Tuesday, the wind
blew very fresh and the sea became rough,
both increasing until near the morning of
Wednesday, when it blew u perfect gale.
Throughout Wednesday, the 9th, and the
next day Thursday, the ship behaved SO
well that the passengers made it subject
would ride out of the gale with perfect
safety, but during Thursday night she
| labored very much, and as the morning of
Friday approached, the storm became alb
solutely terrific.
The storm was so violent, that the engines
stopped ON the morning of Friday, upon
which, the Chief Engineer, Mr.. Ashby,
and Capt. Herndon, both rushed from their
own to the engine room, to ascertain the
cause. A few moments sufficed to get her
elapsed before the engines again stopped.
They were again put in motion, and after
working few minutes stopped for the third
time. Extraordinary efforts were now
made to get up steam, by using the doors,
ISLANDERS, berths, ETC., but the engines made
only few revolutions, then stopped for
ever.
Serious fears were now entertained for
the safety of the ship. The wafer in the
lower hold was rapidly increasing, and no
aid was to be expected from the pumps
Buckets, tubs, pork barrels and every thing
else that would hold water, was brought
into requisition means were taken to close
her port holes; an examination was made
for the leaks; Whips for raising water were
placed at the different hatches; and every
possible means resorted to for her relief, but
all were unavailing. The water gained on
US, and continued to do so until Saturday
evening, about 9 O'Clock. when she went
down. carrying with her about 400 passen-
gers, the crew, the mails and all the specie
amounting. as have before stated TO ST.
$4,000. The passengers worked inces-
sanity day and night never thinking ofrest
and with will that deserved better fate.
About IL O'Clock in the forenoon of Sat-
urday, we discovered sail on our port
quarter. She had seen our signals of dis
tress, and was making for US. She reached
us at half past one P. NJ. and proved to be
,fO
tain Hiram Burt, loaded with molasses, from
Cardenas, and bound for New York. She
was also in distress, having lost her main
yard, main topsail, .jib boom: and her jibs
badly DANA ged. She passed under our
stern. and her condition considered, laid as
close to us as possible. To add to our dis
tress, the waves were rolling some thirty
feet or more in height, and driving US furth-
er and further apart every moment.
Three of the steamers life boats were got
in readiness as soon as practicable, and all
the female passengers and children put
safely on board by five O'clock =. NJ.
The ship was now nearly full of water,
the life boats would not hold half of them.
Consequently on the return of two of the
boats, several of the fremen and steerage
passengers, rushed to the sides of the steam
or and jumped in. Seeing that they would
inevitably be swamped, the oarsman pushed
off. We had but six boa 5, and two or three
of these were seriously damaged in launch
ing. was in the last boat that left the
ship for the brig Marine, which brought
any of the passengers. There were two
others containing firemen.
We had just exactly one hundred persons
on board the Marine, saved from the wreck,
including the children. We are underlast
ing obligations toCapt Burt and his officers
as we'll as his crew, for the kind attention
paid us while on the Marine. Their efforts
in our behalf were unceasing.
AS was about leaving the ship, Capt.
ITaru.7Op banded mo his watch with n ra