The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-09-29
THH LATE sHIPwRECx
strange Schooner that -.
seen-statement OF Her Captss-

TEE LATE sHIPwRECx.
The strange Schooner th.t -.
"snt OF Her Captain.
We have already published the tact ,h.. n.
schooner III Dorado, which passed u.as, a.. -
OF the steamer Central America. pr.v.au, =, -.
sinking, had arrived at Boston. There 4. . -,
deal Of feeling In that city in regard to the cour..
pursued by the captain Of the schooner II Doru.,,
Many anxious thoughts turned towards that
vessel in the hope that she might have been q,
fortunate rs to pick mp some Of the paassengsrs Of
the steamer, but she did not. The captains sx-
planstion Of his will be read with interest.
We therefore append it:
CAPT. sroSs's STATEMENT.
The schooner Ell Dorado, Of which I am COM
nIander, is vessel OF two hundred and twelve
tons, belonging in New York. Al 4 O'Clock p
VI, on the 18th inst, blowing heavily. with high
sea, falntly described with nv giass n vessel
out could not, at the time, make out her charac-
ter; she was on my weather bow As | kept on
In abont hall an bour saw that she was q steam
CT, with all her colors set signals of distress
As soon as saw this, / hauled NV wind ana
shaped my course for the distressed vsssel ro,,id
see that she was disabled and was deem II, tha 80
ter. Judged what he might want, and gave or
iers to stand BY the main sheet, to heaye enr xss-
sel to; the man at the wheel steered within sfsx
feet of the steamer, and at $50 p. ~ 1 hailed bsr
in tire following language: "Can render von .nv
aSslstancet The reply was-'Iay by me until
morhtng, for am la IA sinking condition.
Immediately gave The order to put the vhssl
hard down aud haul aft the main sheet and hove
10, directly under his lee. say about gupshot ds
tanE warned him to commence at once putting
his passe ngers on board. supposiug that he had
good boats, while had but enc, small Jolly boat
which would not live in the high sea then runpIns
for moment. lie again said--"Iay by me until
morning" ] supposed his reason 10 he far ,h,.
npbf Axs.u L.
daylight. as he might. in making tho attempt To
Transport them in the night, (it being then near
dark lose more than he could save, while, by
awaiting daylight, perhaps ALI might be saved +
then said ''set your lights" BY that time had
,lrfted out Of hailng distance. and | ordered nv
lights set Immediately.
During the time that was talking with the
captain, could hear the passengers CRYING and
hallooing, sounding like one simultaneous buTst of
shouting, one voice that | heard above the rest
cried send us your boat" but as have before
stated, my small boat could not live in such sea-
continued drifting, but not more than two
miles distant when the lights of the steamer
which mp to that time had been plainly visible at
30 p. VI. disappeared. | Immediately wore ship,
aud sailed over the spot, hoping that might save
some, rs at that time feared that she had sunk;
could discover no vestge Of the steamer; made sail
although blowing fresh, for fear that might fall
t. leeward; aud wore ship every two hours during
the night. could not AT daylight have been more
than from half q mile to mile from the spot
where she went down.
At dawn OF day placed tive men at my mast
head with strict inlunctions TO look cut for any
thing that belonged to the steamer the men them
selves took deep interest in looking out for her.
and had rather be aloft looking out than below
myself with my glass kept close look out until
. 80, \. Vi. At the same time (after daylight,l
three other vessels were in sight, hove TO the same
ourselves, one of which was brig and the
others bar9ues the brig squared away some two
hours before did; the barque Saxony stood south
ward, supposing that he was bound south tried
A. L tH,.fh ha -
any part of the steamer; set my colors and sig
nal To speak him, but he did not bear down and L
was too far to leeward to reach him; the other
barsues appeared to be edging OF on her course at
the time that kept away
From the time that / missed her lights until
sailed away from the spot, l did not discover q
vcstige of the wreck of the steamer: supposed at
the time that she must have sprung new leak,
aud suddenly gone down with all ON board as il
not so, | supposed that the remnants Of
the wreck must have drifted away from me. lett
the spot with heavy heart; while lying to await
ing the movements of the commander of the steam
in regard to sending his passengers ON board, 1
| went forward aud gave the mate orders to get
! ready for throwing cargo adding that
with the help of the passengers, would throw all
| averboard, in order to give them room. | told the
steward, in presence of the ships company, to DO
careful of every drop of fresh water, and also of
| the provisions, We should have that whole ships
company on board in the morning; all on board
appeared anxious to render the steamer every as
| 'itance; had no idea that the other vessels IL
sight had on board persons saved from the wreck.
Mr. Fletcher, in his statement denies that the
schooner II Dorado laid by the steamer at all, but
asserts that she sailed ON. Mrs. Almira Ktteridge
gives interesting account Of the mauner In
which the lady passengers lived ON the Marine af
ter they were rescued; from which we take the
following:
When we got to the Marine the water was wash
ing and dashing over her guards, and were
handed right into the water. Thirty women and
twenty-six children were slowed into the little
cabin by setting them down ON the floor a. closely
as they could sit. The only seats in the cabin
were two three trunks and as many stools
1here were only seven berths in the brig. shortly
after getting on board, tea was passed around
among We had not eaten anything since FRI
day morning; so it WAS the best tea ever tasted.
There only ve cups tor us all To drink Oat Of
| some hard crackers were also passed around The
| cabin eight feet square, the captains and
| mates rooms together, making up nearly ~ uch
| more room, were given US. The captain and crew
| appropriated all their spare eiothing 10 our use
/ The berths mostly occupied by children. Mrs.
A. Ellis, of Waterford, Washington county, Ohio,
was very sick. and had four children under her
charge. We managed to get them all into oae
| berth, aud ever afterwards that berth MAS known
As the birds nest" The rest of us sat around
| the floor on anything could find, OF upon noth
| ing / sat down right by the cabin door, through
| which the water was rushing In all night. sat
! all night up to my waist In water. The storm
very hEA, the sea DTOkt over us, tuu the shfp WHA
tossed to and fro like feather Ia gale. shals
never forget that night; had to hold on To the
door with all my strength when the vessel urched.
| Thus sat all night, everything on or about mo
| being perfectly wet. Mrs. Marvin sat in n cup
board, with a pair Of gentlemens white pants on
| aud gentIemaus coat on, looking just like \
man.
| Mrs. Eastman wore the captains old hat all tho
way. Mrs. Travis entered Norfolk In her stocking
| feet-she could not get her shoes on, OF had loss
| them. | never had my shoes of for week. lay
| with them on ali the time.
About O'Clock Saturday night man came
| on board the Marine and said-''tho steamer has
| sunk; saw it go down, and every seal on beard
has gone to Dayy Jones locker" Such u sbriek a
! rose from our midst hops never to hear again
shortly after Mrs. Badger spraDg forward to the
cabin door and said-''l hear my husbands voice.
She stood there looking out some time, Al length
We succeeded in recovering her from the sort oil
hysteric fit into which she had killen.
At first drank our soup and Cruel oss o
soup plates but st length got quite aris,oc ti,
aud eat them ont of wooden spooGs MIR. Jones
made four wooden spooas-one iDr Mira. Marvin
one for Mrs Easton, one Tor Mrs. Mcneil, aud on,
for mysef Sometimes We passed these spoonl
aru and wOaid take them right cut Of on
mouths and pass them 10 the applicants, VII,
would Immediately them with gusto. The Lea
day out the captain OF the Marine came 4
me and borrowed mine At night We used tin iii
preseryers for pillows. and while in the cabin the
put us together 50 thick as not to give us room &
Kick.
KIND TREATMENT At NORFOLK.
/ wish il was Ia my power TO express cur grs
| titude fJr the Kindness with which We were trssi
| cd by the people Of Norfolk AL.fat Nv anty Of a
went in there. and stopped az tn, principal hote
The ladies of the place sdiatcly sent in grea
baskets Of clothes "a 9s-skirts under- clothes. an
clothes Of all kiaels-so that those who went ther
without anything, came away with carpet has
. full. Some one sent Ia aud took the measure
ell car Feet, aud then supplied with very geo
= CATERS. Especially are We indebted to Mrs. Wa
t,Ts the landlaiy Of the hotel, Mrs. Sally TsEewei
Mas. 4. Y. Leonard, Mrs X. III. stevens, Mrs. A
Santos, Mrs. k. y. BagneT, aud Mrs. sharp, wh
e were stopping at the hotel Our own sisters eoul
NOT have treated Us with more consideration. the
did every thing in the world that could be dose g
tHs. We shall ever remember their kindpess Wit
Il.