The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-28
THE WASHINGTON UNION.

NAVY DEPARTMENT.

lowing letter from Lieut. Maury to the Secretary of the
Navy will be read with the deepest interest
OBSERVATORY, Washington, Oct 10, 1857.
SIR On the 18th day of September last, at sea- the
United States mail steamship Central America, with
the California mails most of the passengers and crew and
large amount Of treasure board foundered in gale
of wind
The law requires the vessels of this line to be
manded by officers Of the navy and Commander William
Lewis Herndon had this He went down with his
ship, leaving glowing example of devotion TO duty,
Christian conduct, and true herosIn.
All hopes of his having been picked up by pass
ing vessel have vanished The survivors OF the wreck
have made their statements of the gale the sinking of
the ship, and their These have gone the rounds
of the newspaper press and probably possessed Of
all the particulars concerning that awful catastrophe that
the public will ever know. s
The department has already been officially informed of
this wreck and disaster and of how noby Hendon stood
to his post and gloriously persisted how the women and
children were all saved, and how he did all that man
could do officer should to his ship and also
But the particulars have been given to the department
only in the perishable form OF newspaper records.
AS a tribute to his memory material for history
heirloom of the navy, and legacy to his country
desire place record in the department this simple
writing in memorial of him.
We were intimates i have known him from boyhoodi
he my kinsmsn The ties of consanguinty as well
professional ayocations brought frequently and
much together were close friends.
Under these circumstances ask your leave to file
port of that gale and his loss aim TO imbody in 1t
simple narrative Of incidents derived from statements
which the survivors from the wreck have made either pub
cls through the prints of the day. privately to his
family and friends These incidents, in the silent intu
of the lessons they teach, constitute an inheritance
of value to his countrymen they the heirloom
of which spoke, and will, persuaded be productive
of much good to the service.
The Central America" at the time of her loss was
bound from Aspinwall via Havana to New York. She
had board nearly has been ascertained about
two millions in gold and Ala passengers besides crew,
all told of lOl souls; total, 575. ... g.
She touched at Havana the It'll Of Septembe last and
put again at o'clock the morning of the Sth.
The ship apparently in good ORDER the time seemed
propous and all hands in fine health and spirits,
the prospects of safe and speedy passage home
very cheering The breeze from the trade-wind
quarter at N e. but at midnight of the 9th it freshened
gale which continued to increase till the forenoon
Of Friday September when blew with great violence
from N. N f. '.
Up to this time the ship behaved admirably; nothing
had occurred worthy Of note any calculated to
excite suspicious of her prowess until the forenoon of
that day. when it discovered that she had sprung
leak. ... .... W.. .g ..
The sea was running high the ship very much
keeled the staboard side, and aborng heavily
the leak large that by l. p M, the water had
risen high enough to extnguish the fires on one side and
stop the engine. ... +. .....H q. ...
Bailing gangs were set to workthe passengers cheer
fully assisting oil hands were sent over on the
windward side to trim ship. Being relieved in measure,
she rghted and the fires reighted but there was
very heavy on, and in spite of pumps and bailing
gangs with their buckets, whs and barrels the water
gained upon them until it reached the furnaces and ex
tingushed the fires again. to be rekinded This
Friday. s,. #..a -M
The ship was now at the mercy of the waves and
wallowing in the trough of the like log. She was
side wheel steamer, with not little top hamper and
therefore ugly thing to manage in such situation
The storm spencer had been blown away and the fore
yard sent down during the night. Attempts were
made get the ship before the wind but no canvas was
stout enough to Withstand the raging of the storm After
the head sails had been blown away the captain ordered
the cews of the foresa be dashed down to the deck
thinking to hoist the yard up only little way show can
vas and get her off but by the time the yard was well
clear of buwarks the sail taken out of the bolt
ropes great the force OF the wind and such the
fury of the gale ~ lg
The foremost was then cut away the foreyard was
converted into drag and got overheard bits of canvas
also spread in the rigging aft hoping by these
pedens last resort to bring the ship head to wind
but all to no purpose she refused to come
Crew and passengers worked manfuly, pumping and
bailng all Friday afternoon and night; and when day
dawned upon Them the violence of the storm still
increasing.
All that energy professional skill, and seamanship
could do to weather the storm and the ship had been
done. The tempest still raging,
hausted the working parties tagged out and the
captain foresaw that his ship must go down. r.
STILL there chance for hope; he might save
life if he lost ship, mails, and treasure He was in
equened part Of the ocean, and passing vessel might
come to the rescue of and passengers If they could
but manage to keep the ship aoa till the gale abaed
He encouraged them with this hope, and asked for
rally. They responded with cheers. The lady passen-
gers also offered to help and the went to work with
will whipping up water by the barrel full to the steady
measure of the sailors working song .
The flag hoisted ''union down. that every vessel
as she hove in sight might know they in distress
and wanted help.
Under this rally Of crew and passengers, they gained
on the water for little while, but they out
with the toll of the last night and day they had not the
strength to keep it under @a..s. VI. #-.a#
Finally about of Saturday, the 18th, the gale
began to abae and the sky to brighten vessel hove in
sight the signal of distress down to the steam
en- hailed answered, and was asked for help. She
could give none, and kept on her course.
At about 2, p m, the brig Marine, Captain Burt
of Boston, bound from the West Indies to New York.
heard minuteguns and the steamers signals of dis
tress She ran down to the sinking ship, and, though
very much crippled herself by the gale promised to lay
by She passed under the steamers stern spoke round
ed to, and kept her word
The steamer boats ordered to be lowered the
MARINE had none that could live in such seq.
Now came another trying time The boat scenes of
the steamer .ArctC had made deep impression upon
Herndons mind they crowded into remembrance
Who of this should be selected to man his boats
Would they desert him when they got off from the ship
There some who he knew would not,
1t not occasion when the word might be passed
for volunteers for II the post Of safety not of
danger but nevertheless Of great trust that to be
filed The captain wanted trusty men that he knew
well from long association and the of such vessels il
not permanent to its personnel therefore he felt
at loss for there still wanting for Black, the
boatswan's boat A sailor, perceivng the captain d
lemma, stepped up and modestly offered to go.
He had not it may be supposed been long in the ship
for Herndon evidently did not know him well, and re-