Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-09-24

it was the opinion of many on board thai
we would hold up all night, and did moi
think that she would go down before mid
night.
At 10 minutes of 8 o'clock Captain
Herndon took position on the wheel-houses
with his second officer and fred rocket:
downpard, the usual signal, to the brig
and schooner that we were sinking rapidly
This was fearful moment and must have
been to the ladies on board the Marine
who understood the signal, all whom had
husbands or friends on board.
1 now procured board six feet long
and six inches wide, tearing it off the
front berth, and took my position on the
taffrail, and held on the after awning
stauncheon. At that time there was two
or three hundred on the quarter deck
breathlessly waiting the final sinking
There was two seas swept over the deck
about this time, the last one sweeping near.
ly all the passengers on the main deck into
the sea- The ship Immediately after, at 8
O'Clock on Saturday evening, sank, going
down at an angle of As degrees, stern fore
most. The suction of the ship drew the
passengers under water for some distance,
and threw them in mass together. When
they reached the surface, the struggle for
life was intense, with cries and shrieks for
help, especially from those unable to swim.
Many unable to swim clung to those who
could, or laid hold of the larger peices Of
the wreck, which were soon swamped. In
ten minutes not less probably than three
hundred had sunk to rise no more, whilst
myself and others who had succeeded in
holding on to some means of support were
scattered over the dark and dreary ocean,
floating off with the tide. There was a
large number of passengers had bags Of
gold dust and some doubtless perished in
their efforts to save it. l may also here
state that from fifty to sixty of the passen-
gerss hut themselves up in their state rooms
in despair, and sank with the ship.
Those who had succeeded in keeping
themselves af1oat, soon scattered over the
surface of the ocean for distance of about
mile. One hour after ship sank l saw a
light at the leeward, which was seen by
most of those rescued, supposed to be that
of the schooner Sovereign, but it soon dis
appeared. We knew that the ships to lee
ward could not reach us, and turned our
gaze to the opposite direction.
Al o'clock on Sunday morning we saw
approaching US under full sail, with strong
breeze, the Norwegian bark Ellen; ran in
to our midst, and those on watch were as
founded with the cry of human beings
Capt. johnson, the commander, immediate
ly hove his vessel to, under short sail, and
commenced to rescue US. The steamer at
this time had been down over five hours.
He launched his boat, and threw out ropes
and buoys, and done everything that good
seamanship and human heart could die
tate to save as many as possible. I was
the fourth one rescued, and witnessed the
noble exertiobs of himself and crew through
out the night. He continued his search
among the drift wood, tacking backward
and forward, up to IL o'clock on Sunday,
but did not find any one after 8 o'clock in
the morning, and consequently relinquished
the search at noon.
On the morning of Sunday the brig Ma
rine was out of sight, and the schooner was
some six miles to the leeward, and appear
ed to be lying to, but soon bore away on
her course, doubtless being satisfied that it
was impossible to reach US, also seeing the
bark backing and filling to windward.
We bore away with fair wind for Nor
folk as the nearest port, and arrived of
Cape Henry on Thursday evening, five Of
US reaching Norfolk in pilot boat at day
light on Friday morning, which we had
chartered tor that purpose.
STATEMENT OF. MR.. WIN. BIRCH.
Mr.. Birch had tied short rope to his
arm, thinking it might be useful, and start
ed forward. On the wheel-house he saw
Capt. Herndon still calm and selfpossessed.
Remembering that Capt. Luce who was
on the wheelhouse of the Arctic when she
went down, was saved by clinging to it, he
for moment thought of taking position
by Capt. Herndon. Fearing he would be
struck by the chimneys which were abreast
the wheelhouse, he continued on 10 the
forward part of the boat. At this time
the most of the passengers were on deck
dispersed in different quarters, the greatest
number perhaps being aft and upon the
hurricane deck. Arrived forward, MIR.
Birch secured piece of board and stood
ready for the final plunge. A second lurch
drove another large number into the sea,
and almost Immediately afterward came a
third lurch, and then the steamer settled
rapidly, going down, as our informant des-
cribed it, with what seemed the rapidity of
an arrow from bow. He was drawn down,
down in the vortex caused by the sinking
of the vessel, receiving two severe blows on
the shoulder from what he supposed to be
an iron bar. In the lightning-like thought
of that fearful moment he gave up hope,
but finally the downward tendency was ar
rested and he shot up to the surface
amidst confused mass of struggling hu-
man beings, mixed with floating boards,
parts of the hurricane deck, loose boards,
and other light portions of the ship which
had broken away from the hull.
Mr. Birch, in his return to the surface,
involuntarily grasped some boards, and sus-
tanned by these reached hatchway, on
which there were already three young men.
He secured himself to this with piece of
rope, and with his companions watched for
any sail that might bring relief When
he first rose to the surface, as far as could
be seen and everywhere around were heard
the shouts and cries of the hundreds who
where struggling in the water for life
Gradually these subsided. Many, who had