New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-20
MARINE AFFAIRS.
DIgASTERs AT KEY WEST.

The disasters at Key West during the year 1856 num-
Der seventy.two in all OF these vessels nine were to-
tally lost with all their cargoes Seven arrived leaky,
and were condemned and the remainder received as
sstance from wreck ers and paid salvage. The total
value Of the property was si,5f 900, the expenses
s248 49, aud the salvage paid $l6l ,9l7. The value
of those vessels which paid salvage with their cargoes
was 600 The loss TO under writer's i5 estimated
at 5000 600. The sales at auction amounted to
$4,000.
LOSS or THE BRIG FAwN-sUFFERINGs OF NEW
YORKER AND HIS Wye.
Some interesting particulars Of the wreck OF the
brig Fawn. on her way from San Francisco TO New
York, the loss Of which, with the mate and three
seamen was reported by the last arrival from Cator-
MA Is contained in the following extract from letter
written by Dr. T.. p. Volllm, of the United States
Amy to his father-ia-lsw in this city:
"During the voyage We encountered adverse Winds,
and gales OF extraordinary violence for this oas which
increased in force till Dist November, when We were
riding hurricane, expecting monetary destruction.
About a. N. the vessel was struck by sei OF great
magnitude ard capsized, and was inverted Tor some
seconds during which time were all uLder water
and nearly drowned; some were injured by tue fAung
and rolling Of furniture in the cabin. When the vtsaei
righted both masts and bowsprt were torn out ana
hanging by the rigging the bull and every object IN
deck including galley and mems DunKs, WAS "aSueo
awsy together with three men. Inc mass am rig
giDg soon cut 're ard we were eft 70 Tue mercy
of the waves with rothng but The hull. Nl,h dayl2ht
came the sight Of bold rocks and cliffs about five miles
distant on our lee toward which we were drifting be
fore strong wind and upon which we momentarlly
expected TO be dashed 10 pieces when we fortunately
discovered that by eating loose the chains and snos
that hanging over the bows, we couo diVet our
course south OF the cns This soon effected with
assw, and We veerod III and headed as we expected
ard commenced entering tbs breakers that were run-
ming mountans high on beach shore.
For the first few seconds after we had entered the
breakers was not conscious OF wdat position We had
been in or what had taken place so violent was the
motion nd tremendous the roar and rush OF waters.
We came out Of the first in the same position had
fixed myself prep aratory to the dive we had TO make,
with Amelia by my side, sitting on trunk which Wa
braoed between firm table and the berths we soon
recovered from the dsshDg and drowning and pre-
pared foi the second breaker aud 50 on until we mai
advanced far enough toward the beach TO ee the Ves-
sci on tie giound when the breakers were much ICES
forcible and dang erous. We were 10 an unusuauy
strong vesse or should have to pieces as so1u
as we entered the breakers. We renamed IN the
breakers two days and night without food or water,
excepting about twenty pounds OF hard bread ana some
vine which was kept almost exclusively Tor Amelia
As coon as IT, tide fell on the second day We Oegau "
look for come chance OF getting ashore we Io3nu
that We were half mile from the shore, on shoa a.
the mouth of a river with deep channel runnlng
toward us and dividing in two thus completely cutuS
us OF from lard. Our boats had been wasiei over
board and only means of crossing theee chsnnels
was TO make raft which we set about lng a. soon
as the tide went down low enough 10 enable Us t0 90
on deck without danger OF being washed overheard by
the breakers The bulwarks being the only part that
was convertible into raft with The tNols we hsd one
saw and one batchet) they we're soon alongside "heh
10 our surprise found they would not n'a' TWO per
sons. - ..
In this dilemma we conceived the idea of passing
line er one of the channels and sending ovsr one Or
Two at a time TO the man land. After CONSUMING we
concluded that we could not live on the WRECK an"Ihef
night and that must cross the channel or oe iOs
80 we all got Ch on the shoal, and Sadei 10 'he eusc
- Nv MA inns haPNrQg
bare. Each one took blanket or coat, AUD AAeha
was placed on the strongest sar, and after chang ng
10 another-the frst giving out-she was safely de-
posted on the shoa dressed IN pea jacket and paata
looms, my boots snd Msry's hood with red blanket
on top OF all None OF us had on clothes thai belonged
10 us EyeD thng was wet, and the hist come -, or
which leas, wet, was put n-henee Amehfs attlre
When we arrived at the edge OF the channel sc had ~
.ross we found that il with violent current, was
very deep and could not be crossed our raft, as We
had hopeS in order to attach the line. We gave up
the rain, and seized upon tue only, hope 1T 1T
few logs that were wa'er-soaSed and lying
upon the tloal. At low tide We commenced nAkluS a
ran of them. At this time the tidecommenced ranniag
n and soon threatened to cover the shoa "e we're ca
with deep water, thus cutting us of trom the vessel
which had determined could not sustain US another
ght, While he deep ChSnuc separated Us from lanu
We had almost given upin despair, two niea had glyen
out from exhaustion, aud desth seemed uudvudaole
md Imminent, when, 20 delight and SURPRISE an
]ndan in canoe mace his appearspCe shout mile OF
up the cbannd pulling toward US We inmedla'ey
dropped our fruitlees work and rsn toSard him. Ia
short time We were all Landed safely on tue maiu
band, where we we're received by the Indian
family Who had prepared fire for Us. The Indians
were particularly struck by Ameias Appearance, aud
seemed greatly moved by syupathy tJr her. rhey
took of their blankets and placed them on her. ami
warmed her by breathing ON her hands beck aud face
They soCn had shelter Of blaokots and mating pat
up for US. ard plenty Of smoked salnoo aud 70 ts'e
POTATOES snd fresh water. The went back to tbs
srSok end got sail, with which We made good tent,