Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-25
Frightfui Catastrophe.

The melancholy intelligence of the loss of The
Inflated Central America, which clothed the
nation In mourning has scarcely gone the round.
Of the Press, when We are called upon 10 record
the destruction, close to our own coast (says the
N. o. Delta, Nov. 49, of the New Orleans and
Galveston steamer Opeiousas, of the Vanderbilt
line, and the loss of ghteen Of her passengers
by coming into collision with the steamer Gal
weston, OF the Southern Steamship liae near
Menteau Point, about midnight on the night Of
the 18th instant. Among the lost We observe the
name OF General Hamilton, of South Carolina.
Narrative OF SURVIVOR
was passenger on the Opelousas, Captain
Ellis, bound from Berwicks Bay to Galveston
On the night Of the 18th, about a quarter past ~
O'Clock, | was awakened in my berth 10y shock,
az II the vessel was struck by lightning I
rushed on deck and found Il crowded with pas
sengers, all in the widest state Of excitement
the ladies' screaming aud the gentlemen running
TO and FRO The first consciousness had Of dan,
ger was hearing the mate and steward calling on
the passengers to save themselves, as there We're
two lite-preservers in each stateroom. hastily
made Tor the cabin to get life-preserver, but on
reaching IL found the water in il ankle deep. |
hastily retraced my steps, and on reaching the
deck again found the steamer sunk to her gun
wales The passengers then ran to the hurricane
deck, but in about three minutes she had sunk
to that deck. The scene Of wild confusion and
dismay which. then presented itself beggars all
description The hfe-boat was cut away and
some fifteen or twenty jumped into her, and
others jumped into one of the quarter boats when
both boats started for the Galveston then some
distance from the wreck. (At this time did
not see the Galveston. and was totally upcon-
scious Of the cause OF the disaster)
The lifeboat before reaching Galveston was
capsized aud several Of the passengers sunk TO
rise no more. l held to the stern of tn. One
lousas, and while In that position was Joined by
the second eng ineer. THIS officer had secured a
plank, which enabled him TO shove of from the
wreck I did not do so, believing the Opelousas
was aground. in few moments however the
Opelousas, from the weig hit suppose Of her ma
chine!y, broke in two and turned bottom upward
Seeing the Galveston in the distance struck ont
for her, and after swimming, / think, about
quarter of a mile, was picked an by one of the
Gafveston's boats. Captain Ellis, who was cling
Ing TO d pirogue bottom, was also picked un ,
the same time. The first engineer, his wife !
man whose name | do not recollect two neg, .
boys and some others, | believe, clung 20 /,
portion OF the wreck after she turned bott ON
upward until daylight, when they were pic red
up. A Mexican, name not known, who had res
cued little boy, was also found next NOR zine
holding on to log, and himself and the DO are
among the saved
The mate of the steamer Jasper, McFa rI,ne
running TO Sabine Pass, was one of the % as.en.
gers OF the Opelousas, and was rescued. He az
forwards left the Galveston to endeayor TO save
some OF the other passengers, and perishe in the
attempt. - -
From all the information | could obtai n. I'm tho
confused state Of affairs, after 1 saw ed n an
pears that both boats being under full beadwar
the galveston struck the OpelouSas OF the star
board side, little forward Of the W heel ou,s.
cattinS her nearly in two and smashing her ma
chineTy so that the steam from her ,oilers soon
filed the cabin rendering It imposs ible TO dis
tnguish objects distinctly.
The Galveston stayed by the wrec durino the
night, and her officers and men use, every exer
ton to save those floating in the wa ter