New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-19
STATEMENT OF II. II. CHILDS.

AUGUSTA, Friday, Sept. Is, 1857.
The following is the statement of Henry II. Chlds:
al left Havana in the steamship Central America
70, ew.York on Sept. 8. The weather was delight
full and che sea calm on the passage from Aspiaws.
On the afternoon of the day Of sailing from Havans
fresh westerly breezes aprupg up On the following
morning the wind blew very strong, the gale
continuing to increase in violence as the day
advanced. At night there was no abAeasds
in the fury of the gale, and it comussssd
raining torrents On Thursday it blew hurricane,
the sea running very high. On Friday, the storm
ragged fearfuly At IL o'clock in the morning Of this
dsy, it was first known among the passengers
Ii at the steamer bad sprung leak, and making
water fast A line of men was immediately formed,
nd they went to work baiDg out the water from tho
pgne rooms, the fires having already beso extin.
uithed. We gained on the water so much that we
were able to get up steam again; but held it but
few minutes, and then she stopped forever. BaiLng,
continued, however, and kept up in all parts Of
The ship until che finally went down. During Friday
ight the water gained gradually, but all board
being in pretty good spirits, they worked
to the best of their ability feeling that
when the morning came they possibly might speak
some vessel and thus be saved. The fatal Sat-
urday at last but brought nothing but increased
fury in the gale. Still we worked on and at about
o'clock in the Afternoon the storm lulled little and
the clouds broke away. Hope was renewed, and all
now worked like giants. At p. m. we erpied sail,
and fred guns and placed our flag Of hafmast IL
was seen and the brig Marine Of Boston bore down
upon We then considered safety certain. She came
u.s. and spoke to her and told condition. She
laid by about . mile distant, and we, in the only
three bosts saved, pacedal the women and
children, and they safely put on board the brig
As evening was fast approaching we discovered
another ssi, which responded to our call aad came
near us. Capt. Herndon told them our condition, and
asked them 10 lay by and send boat, as we had mono
le She promised to do 30, but that wac the last We
Of her except at distance which grew greater and
greater every moment. At z o'clock we saw pos
sibily of keeping afost much longer although We 81
felt that if we could do until morning, all would
be saved. In short time heavy for the first
time broke over the upper deck of the vessel and
then all hope faded away. Lfe-preserven were
were DOW supplied TO ALL and We sent up two rockets,
when tremendous swept over us and the steamer
in a moment went down. I think some 400 or some
$50 souls launched upon the ocean at the mercy
Of the The storm at this moment had entirely
took US. There nothing or very little sad'
except that each one cheesed his fellow comrads on.
Courage was thus kept up for two or three hours,
and | think for that space OF Tune no one mao
drowned; but three who could not swim became
exhausted. After this, gradually one By one passed
AWAY TO eternity. The hope that boats would be senb
TO us from the two vessels we had spoken, soon fled
f,ou us and our trust alone in Provdence-''and
what better trust could you or ! AK for" saw my
comrades snk fast end at o'clock that night twas
nearly alone upon the ocean, some two hundred miles
from land. l heard, however, shoats from oil that
could do so, that not fr from NO. but could not
zee than. Within al hoar from this nne saw
vessel, which judged to he about one mile from me.
Takjxg fresh courage struck out for the vessel sna
reached when nearly exh sustsd, and they drew meca
DO AID Of it by ropes. It proved TO be NorwegisA
bt TX from Belize Honduras, bound for Falmouth,
Fhgland. found on board Of her some three Of my
comrades, and at 81 o'clock the next morning We
had forty.pine noble fellows on board, aoo
these are all know of having pee,
saved. We stayed about the place UNI.
We though that all alive bad been rescued ~"
then set sal. We found the bark shor. Of pro.'''oA
ard the crew living on cruel. We bad So,'o -" aN
coffee to refresh ourselves, and at noon on ou"u'!
spoke this American bark the Saxon!' oou"" ''
Savannah. which supplied with pro''''0oA ''U
toCk FIVE Of US on board Our names BTU
B. ii. RIDLEY OF Maine.
JABEz HowEs Of San Francisco'
SAMUEL w LOOK OF Name. vo;.o.
ADoLPH FREDERICK OF oon
HEsRY ii. CHrLDs Of New'ioA.
TIE Norwegian bark set sai for ChsrsstSs With w