Mountain Democrat., 1857-11-14

Letter from Rescued Passenger.

The following letter. says the Sacra-
mcntO tniOn, from Docto" o. Harvey, Of
Placcrvic, one Of the rescued passengers,
Of the CtniJwi 1mcrieU, will be read with
interest, is il contains incidents eofi4ee-
ted with the laundering of the ship not
before published. With those who know
him hi, sta!cSmcnt will require no en-
dorSemcnt. They are entitled to the lul.
lest credit:
NGw YoHK Cry, oct. !, 1851.
EnIroHS or SACRAMENTO UNIoN: rrovi-
drntially hcin" one Of the survivors Of the
ill-htcd steamer Central America, hast.
Ell to give you a fcw incidents connected
with the same. The main facts of the
disaster doubtless having reached YOU
through other sources.
During one Of those terrible cquinoctial
storms off Cape lDatcras, on the eastern
edge OF the Gulf Stream. lat. 81 81, long.
GG IL, at eight =. NJ, on the 18th OF Sep
tcmbcr, the steamer sank with some five
hundred human souls on board The
night was dismal, aud the waves rolling
mountain high. When she sank | was
standing on the hurricane deck and was
drawn down some distance under water
but soon came up and found myself, with
hundreds Of others Of my fellow beings,
out at sea ut the mercy of the waves
had tin life prcScrvcr on, but not vcr-
ry Scryicablc one. Saw Captain IIcrndon
first and second mate, and Mr.. EastOn
standing near the wheel house when she
went down. captain and lirst mate
were lost. The second mate and Mr..
EaStOn were rescued with myself 4 few
moments before she sank, the captain
told ne that hc had strong hopes that
the ship would survive till day light, when
VIC would all be rescued by those vessels
brig Marine and schooncr-which came
to our relief before dark-Said "thcy will
stay by ua-tIlcy promised me they
WOull;' said ''lc cared not for his own
life if he could save the lives Of these pas
ScngcrS." These words seemed to give
renewed hopes 10 many, and Passengers
continued 10 bail water till the very last
She sank sooner than was generally eX-
peCcd.
Quite large number had li(c-prcscrv-
rs OH, and ready to meet their fate
Some f>w gave up in utter despair some
time before sinking. The dangerous, he
role and almost suIperhuHan effort in
transferring the women and children in
safety to the brig Marine, can scarcely
have parallel. Through some strange
and ystciiouS influence there were sever
al young and unmarried men taken in the
liicb0ats to the brig, leaving behind those
men who had wives and children, to per.
iSh. One circumstance cannot but men
ton. \ Doctor Ellis, who had a Sicklv
wife and four small children, two ofwhon
were sick,J made application to 90 in one
ul the ilic boats, but was pcrcnptolily re-
iuscd-not, however, by the captain. Her
husband was lost. The husbands Of only
three OF t!.c women were Savcd-Nr.
Iaaton and Capt. Badger, of san Francis
rO, and Birch, Of the California MinstrlS.
DR.. Tcnri,on, the ships physician, was
taken sick the next day rltcr leaving la
vana, and it became my duty to render
medical aid to the sick On board. re-
collect Of prescribing for the Doctor on the
10th, and saw him no more till just be-
fore the steamer went down, when he
came to me, much pro>tratcd, with llfc-
preScrvcr ON. said to him that he must
go in one Of the lilc-hoats the next trip,
and that | would speak to the captain
about it. He said: No-that it was
cowarlIy for any one of the ships men to
leave, under any circumstances. lie has
left an aged mother i'll this city to mourn
his loss.
The day bcfprc the steamer sunk the
first steward was taken with excessive
| l,n ,1, e I :.
such medical attention as was in nv pow
ur. We had him taken on deck, with
some hopes Gf getting him transferred in
one Of the lic-boats to the brig. made
application to the captain lie said {:
No-my men must not leave the ship"
lie said tie same 10 the Purscr, who was
lnl'ipnng hiln. lVr an opportunity to go.
y young man byNetIc name of Austin, on
his way To Georgia, in the excitement
jumpcl into one Of the lilc-boats and dis
located his shoulder, fractured lis ann,
and badly injured his clcstand face. lie
was hauled on board and taken into the
captains Office, where, by the assistance
Of MIR. Van Hagen and DR.. Gibbs, re-
duccd the disl0cati0n, set the fracture and
dressed lis wounds. just at This time
the ship appeared to be sinking fast, and
we just had time to get upon the hurri-
cane deck with this unfortunate man,
when she sank, and VIC were all completely
submerged and separated, and the three
pcrishrd.
When the ship went down, hundreds
of human souls were thrown together in
every possible condition. have no words
to describe the melancholy scene. Soon
after | had got to sea, secured small
door, composed mostly Of lattice work, or
which appeared to me much like COM
mon window blind. This was Of great
service to me. The floating men were
frequently thrown together in large num-
bcrs, from the action Of the waves, and,
at times completely submerged. MANY
persisted -hy-bcing d aged down by
drowning men who could not swim, and
had not presence of mind 10 act for them
selves. When left the ship, or rather
when the Ship left Inc, had stripped nv
sell Of everything but Il pair Of pants and
shirt, and although much disabled from IA
wound received on ship board. firmly
made up my mind that could and would
maintain myself above water till daylight.
| saw and convcrscd with several of my
acIuaintanccs while in tho water. saw
many perish, and was frequently drawn
under the water by drowning men. The
waves ran high, and frequently dashed
over us.
Having been in the water some five
hours and being entirely alone Il man