Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-09-21

Sept 10. 1857.
The boat which left Norfolk Friday even
ing, arrived at Baltimore this morning, bring
ing several of the passengers Of the Central
America. Capt. Badger of Baltimore, fur
hishes some interesting facts
LIST OF THOSE KNOWN TO BE LOST
VIM. Lee, Canada Benjamin Colt, Han
cock County, ILL.,; Hanson and John Herne,
Missouri; Richard Wilson, Quincy, H.; Jas.
E. Birch, United States mail contractor, Fall
River; Gabriel Brush baggage master), New
York; Charles Taylor, North Carolina Sam.
Shreve, San Francsco DR.. Henry Bates, San
Francisco formerly of Barre, Mass.); DR..
Gibbs and Mr. Marins, California Mr. Park
er, San Francisco; Mr. Booker, Boston Pur-
ser Dobbin (brother of the late Secretary of
the Navy, North Carolina; Mr.. White, Sac
ramento; Purser Hull of the steamer Central
America, New York Mr.. Hull, brother of
the Purser. California; M Van RENSSELAER,,
first officer of the steamer; Capt. w. L.
Herndon, U. s. N, commander of the steam
er and James L. Tennison, doctor of the
steamer.
The Norwegian barque at Norfolk, which
saved forty of the passengers, is the barque
Ellen, Capt. A. Johnson, from Belize, Hon
duras, and not the barque Eloise, as was re-
ported.
STATEMENT OF OLIVER P, MANLUE,
One Of the passengers Of the Inflated Steamer.
The storm commenced Immediately after
the steamer left Havana, and continued with
great violence, increasing until Friday. On
Friday afternoon all hands we're called up to
bail. The vessel continued to ship water
and ali hands worked with buckets, barrels,
&C., all Friday night, and till about clock
on Saturday, when the brig Marine hove in
s;oIt ltbo lcJ; 4 iii,
on board the Marine at about six O'Clock D.
m; and the chief engineer left with them
In launching the boats, two of the five of
them were stove, and the other three were
! dispatched with the women and children,
| about an hour before sunset. The Marine
was laying nearly mile off, and by the time
the three boats reached her, it became evident
that the ship must go down before they could
get back. All hands then seized pieces of
spars, chairs, and life reservers, while others
rushed below to secure their treasure. The
confusion now became very great, though all
acted with GOODNESS, each endeavoring to make
the last effort for his own safety. Now the
vessel gave three lurches, some OF the passen-
| gers jumping off at each lurch.
Those who jumped off at the first and Sec
| ond lurches, swan off to some distance, but
| the mass remained on deck until the vessel
went down. which was minute OF two after
wards. 1 had provided myself with life.
| preserver and piece of spar, and deter
mined to go down with the vessel, with the
great mass of the passengers, all of whom
stood about bracing themselves up, and Sc
curing those articles most available to hold
themselves up. The vessel finally went down
head foremost. was standing near the smoke
stack at the time, and we were all dragged
under the water BY the sinking ship. The
general supposition is, that we were all drawn
under the surface at least twenty feet, and
when we rose we were nearly stihed.
The rapidity with which l was drawn down
tore the spar from my hands, and the life
preserver from my body, and when reached
the surface my clothes were almost all stripped
off of me. l, however, met friend Who had
two life preservers, who gave me one /; and
we also seized on pieces of the wreck, which
helped to sustain us. About four hundred
Of the passengers were struggling about, most
of them, however, lost their life preservers,
and Others seizing on pieces of the wreck
which came up with us.
The captain had cut away the upper works
of the vessel SO that when the hull sunk thew
would float off, but they were dragged down
and came up i'll fragments. Many persons
were killed, stunned, and drowned, by being
struck with pieces of the wreck, while the
| pieces were to others the ultimate means of
safety. An occasional fash of lightning
| showed to each other a sea of struggling
forms. Each stroVe to encourage his friend
with hopes which he scarce felt himself. At
| first we " ere all together in mass but soon
the waves separated US, and at each successive
fash of lightning we discovered that we were
being scattered over wide area, and soon
found ourselves apparently alone on the
| boundless ocean.
| ha &c ~, I
that already received. He concludes by saving
that about ten o'clock he was picked up by
the barque Ellen, and had the satisfaction Of
finding Others on board her.
1t is said that the barque Marine was in a
disabled condition. Her jib boom was car
ried away, one of her masts sprung, and her
tiller out of order, which will account for her
inability to approach nearer to the wreck than
the distance mentioned above.
STATEMENT or CAPT. BADGER.
Capt. Badger, one of the rescued passen.
gers of the Central America, states that the
gale increased until two o'clock on Friday,
the 18th inst, when it was perceived that the
engine had stopped; and the ship fell off into
the trough of the sea, which caused her to
make considerable water around her lee shaft
and the lee lower dead-l lights.
1t was afterwards ascertained that the
cause OF the stoppage Of engines was the ne
glect OF the lire and engine department OF get.
ting coal along from the bunkers to the IRE.
room fast enough to keep up the fires, conse.
quently all the engines stopped, as well as
all the pumps attached to the engines. The
deck pumps were out of order, and at Capt.
badgers suggestion, companies were organ
lied, while the stewards gangs and deck
hands went down to pass the coal along.
by this time the fires were put out, and the
water became so heated in the hold of the
ship, and the steam engendered was 40 erea,
that they were compelled to abandon passing
the coal. The ship then lay at the mercy ~
the waves, but still did not labor hard. We
then started several gangs at baiings the on.
ly hope eff saving the ship At my sugges.
ton the captain ordered the foremost to be cut
away, which was done about six o'clock.
, From four o'clock till eight the water was
} kept at bay. An attempt was made to raise
steam in the donkey boiler. Berths were TORI
and thrown into the furnace to raise the steam
to start the pumps, but all to no avail-th,
cause l could not learn. A drag was prepared
J but failed, and the ship continued in tho