Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-09-24


From till o'clock the water was kept at
on the donkey boiler. Berths were torn
down and thrown into the furnace to raise
steam to start the pumps, but all was of no
avail-the cause could not learn. A drag
was prepared, but failed, and the ship con-
tinued in the trough of the sea. Bailing
still went on vigorously and was kept up all
night by the gangs, who were changed as
often as they became exhausted.
Towards morning the men were beg timing
to fail and the water to increase and grow
up in the hold Of the ship. At 4 o'clock in
in the morning of Saturday the 18th, the
gale abated, with heavy sea running
The water then was up to the second cabin
floor. At daylight signal of distress was
set, and vigilant lookout kept for sails
New inventions for bailing were invented,
such as rigging pork barrels with whips at
every hatch. Every one labored as day
light broke with renewed vigor.
They were encouraged by myself and
others with the assurance that the ship would
hold out. Every passenger remained cool
and seemed to forget the danger in their u
nited efforts to save the vessel. There was
no weeping or exhibition of despair even on
the part of the females. At s o'clock an
other attempt was made to raise steam on the
,dunkey boiler to pump the ship, but with
out avail.
One proposed box pumps, but on inquiry
water gained rapidly. The lee shaft was
shrouded in heavy blankets to stop the leak,
but the water burst through. At o'clock
on Saturday, the 18th, sail was reported
to windward. At 81 she came under the
stern. The boats were Immediately lowered.
Two were slowed instantly by the sea. There
remained one in bad condition. At o'clock
the work of removing the ladies and children
to the deck of the brig Marine, of Boston,
was commenced. The brig being much light
er than the ship had by this time drifted a.
way to leeward. The distance was conside-
rable and the boats were long in making the
trips, and there being heavy sea running
but few could be carried at one time
After sending the ladies and children, the
Engineer and some fifteen of them were en-
barked on the brig. BY this time it was dark,
the work of bailing still going on, with an
increase of water. As the boats successive
| ly approached the ship simultaneous rush
would be made by the passengers to get a.
board, and it was apprehended that the boats
would be filled and stove. 1t was now dark,
and about two hours before the sinking of
the ship schooner ran down under her stern;
but she could not render us any assistance
for want of boats
| The work of bailing went on until within
an hour of her going down. Two lights of
the two above vessels were now seen far to
leeward. Rockets wero fred from the wheel
downward, which indicated the immediate
sinking Of the ship. ----------
I Capt. Herndon remained on the wheel up
to the moment of her going down, which was
| 8 o'clock on Saturday night, the 18th of
Septemb Der. was standing aft, on the quar-
| ter deck. Some jumped over and put out
from the now rapidly descending ship, and
seized on whatever they could. No one
shrieked nor cried, but stood calm.
The captain behaved nobly and said he
would not leave the ship. I promised him
I would remain with him, as also did the
second officer, Mr.. Frazier. All at once the
ship, as if in the agony of death herself,
made plunge, stern down, on an angle of
IS degrees, and with a shrek from the en-
gulphed mass, she disappeared, and five
hundred human beings foated out on the
bosom Of the ocean, with no hope but death
They drifted off apart to the distance of a
mile, in all directions. About three hum
dred met death in twenty minutes after the
ship went down.
[ grasped board six feet in length and
about six inches wide, with pair of tin life
| buoys. Several seized me around my per-
son, imploring me to save them, but being
a good swimmer shook them off and swan
from them, keeping myself afoat
At Il o'clock in the morning the Norwe-
gian bark Ellen, from Belize, came running
down with free wind. The cries of dis
tress reached those on the deck, and they
hove to under short SAIL
| The task OF rescuing passengers was nobly
commenced, and by 9 o'clock the next day
40 were picked up. Diligent search was
made until IL o'clock, but no more could be
seen. They then bore away for Norfolk
with fair wind and arrived at Cape Henry
on the 18th, where myself, with four others,
embarked on the pilot boat, and arrived in
! Norfolk.
| CAPTAIN HERNDON.
Captain William Lewis Herndon was a
native of Fredericksburg, Va, and was the
son of Dabney Herndon, Esq, a highly re-
spected citizen of that place. He was born
October 25th, 1918, and was therefore at
the time of his death a years of age, 20 Of
which he had spent in the service of his
country. He entered the navy as mid
shipman at the age of fifteen.
About two years ago he was transferred
from the U. S. frigate Potomac to the COM
mand of the George Law These Cali
fornia steamers, carrying United States