The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-03-07
interesting Account Of the Loss of the
Steamer Lyonnnis.

Steamer Lyonnnis.
we nave heretofore announced the safety and
arrival at Rio Janeiro of two sailors of the III ated
steamer Lyonnais. One of these sbipwrecke ed
persons, named Tongard, furnishes the Courier
aeS h'a's uns with the subjoined deeply interest,
i's details Of the incidents which occurred at the
scene OF the disaster after the departure of Lieut.
huguiere's boat. Unhappily, it will be seen ,ha.
'u's narrative destroys all hope Of ever hearing
of any of the others wrecked.
STATEMENT OF ToNGARD
on .ne morning of the 4th, Captain Deyaulx
WAS ia LIS yawl with Doctor Clairin the chamber
nisid ana nve sallors be sailed in the wake of the
snip. About il O'clock we lost sight of him 7
qni'ted the raft to revisit the Ilyonnais where I
was r. joined by twenty of our companio na.r,v
All sailors All except four seized upon the wine
ahu provisions. We Intellectually appealed tn them
tn work in building another raft thew ranI;a1 W.
shy oish' d to die upon the shin
ihose OF US "ho still wished to escape dea I'll
oesan 10 construct two that we might send ont
10 tne great raft The night set in stormy and
terrible. One Of the small RATS which had rpada
several tips from the ship to the great raft and
which remained isolated from that. broke from i,s
inoorings at IL o'clock at night, and drifted away
at the mercy of the waves with the chief coot.
named Cayolle, the head fireman Roman and
four or five other persons. At this moment the
sea Yves very rough The ship, at every pitch,
struck violently against the raft, and we felt
that it must be broken to pieces. The uniortu.
mates who We're it uttered heart,rending
cries, begging for aid, and imploring that some
one would cut the hGwser which fastened the
raft to the ship which they could not do them-
selves, their end the rope was under the
water.
How could we let the raft go? 1t was our
only chance OF safety, and the night wss so dark
thai there no hope of regainng it before
day. We would await the dawn to throw OUT
selves into the sea, and go to recover it. Alas
when daylight appeared the cries had long since
ceased, and we could see nothing of the raft ex.
cept the piece of wood to which was fasten ed the
double hawser The rest must have gone to
pieces-the people disappeared man by man
Beside US our drunken companions slept, their
bodies half immersed in the water. We strove to
wake them, telling them that in few hours The
ship would sink; that might still endeavor 10
save ourselves by constructing new raft. One OF
them opened his eyes; and seeing that it rained--
Me-, replied he, i don't work when it rains.'-
-Four men set to work with me, and by O'Clock
in the morning of the 5th last raft was tiaished
and launched on the sea. The water then reach
ed the level of the deck; there was not moment
to lose. We embarked on the raft without pr =
visions and almost without clothes, with Two emp
ty Kegs, some cabin doors and some cordage. The
surface Of this raft about e ge square yards
l had with me, besides my pres mt companions,
the steward, the second cook, and fireman,
whose papers are in our possession.
"As to those who remained on the ship, to the
number of about 10, we saw them take refuge in
the forwa ard part of the ship fast as the water
drove them from the stern. AS as w had
moved away about four lengths of the Lyonnias,
we saw her plunge endways stern first, the bow
raising itself perpendicularly aud entirely out Of
the water. Soon she capszed on the siarboard
side, and In moment dsappeare red in the midst OF
boiling Of the water and a whirlof foara, with
noise like an explosion. 1t was then O'Clock
in the morning. There was strong breeze, and
the rough. Our raft, formed of boards
bound with cords, lashed upon two barrels, had
neither oar nor sai the waves alone moved us.
The weather on the 5 was squally, with rain,
hail and snow On the 6.h the was terrible,
the raft capsized, and the second cook was cast
Oft; shortly afterwards the man named Leguit,
yie ding TO de pal +, threw hinselt into the sea
The steward twice endeavored to initiate his ex-
ample but we prevented him. He disappeared
however, in second capsize. There remained
but two of us, and during the day we experienced
yet third capsiZe of our uulucSy raft
THE violence of the sea continued until the
evening of the 7th. Our weakness had become
extreme; so long fasting, in the water, beaten by
the rain and snow, covered with ice, our limbs
stitfened, our hands and legs swollen, We must
s1iil struggle against the sleep which overeame
US. At length, ut o'clock on The morning of the
9!h, we perceived ship with sails spread, with,
in the distance of about cannon shot. She SCENE
not 70 perceive u.s. for she continued on her
At o'clock IN the afternoon saw another
1t was bark coming directly towards us. Soon
she hailed us. We were saved!
some sailors lesped upon our raft, and as W g
were too weak to move, they fastened ropes
around and hauled board. We found
ourselves upon The Essex, OF Boston, Capt Ray,
who left Boston November s. with cargo Of
ice, for Rio de JaneirO The captain took the
kindest Of US his wife lavished upon US every
attention that we could need after such suffering.
Thus it is that we arrived at Rio the 25th OF De-
csulber, at p. M"