The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-15

occupations Of rural life. Our children need a
separate and special training in country educa.
ton. We send them to the Polytechnioue for
eight months. But for four months we send
them TO Gods school, in the openness and 81 m
plicity of the country. A diploma in this
school will be of service to body and mind
while life lasts.
Loss OF THE CENTRAL AMERICA.
Rseollsctions Of the Survivors Last Rescued.
There is nothing Important to add to the
statement published in the Commercial yester
day, ofthe manner IN which Messrs. Tice, Grant
and Dawson, were rescued, bat each of these
lass.rescued survivors of the Central America
has some painfully interesting incidents to re-
late. Mr.. John Tice, second engineer, says.
Soon after the steamer sank, be discovered
the lights of vessel in the distance, which he
supposed TO belong either to the barque Marine
or the schooner the Ell Dorado which they
had spoken short time before the catastrophe.
!hey were to the leeward of him, and he CON
tinued swimming in that direction, in hopes to
reach the vessel; but with the disappearance of
the lghtspsbout half past nine or ten o'clock,
ne ceased his efforts. An hour or two later, he
AGAIN discovered lights, and this time much
! nearer him. In few moments he was able
70 distinguish the hull of a vessel bearing di-
rectiy toward him. His hopes were raised, and
ne was confident that he would soon be discoy.
cred and rescued. But, when only q quarter
OF mile distant from him, the vessel-a
barqne the Norwegian barque nl-sltered
her course, and kept of, and subsequently her
hull and lights disappeared, while she was ap.
parently sailing off in a fine breeze. During
the remainder of the night, he encountered
seven persons, who, like himself, were drifting
about on fragments of the wreck, or boards
and In some instances he hailed them. In one
case, the gentleman, q passenger, told Mr.. Tice
his name, which he is now unable to remem.
Der. Another said that he had seen the purser
OF the steamer but short time before, floating
on board, and the belief was expressed that
ne was yet alive. A heavy sea continued to
roll during the night and following day.
About nine o'clock on Tuesday morning,
after floating with his plank for sixty -one hours,
he deserted boat at the distance of two or
three miles, and without knowing certainly
what 1T was, further than that it seemed to az.
ford better means of sustaining himself than
his plank, changed his position, rested his body
on the end of the plank, and swan in the direc-
ton of the object. The wind in the mean time
had become light, and the sea smoother, and
ne was able to make some progress in his
swimming. Between twelve and one o'clock,
he reached the object he sought-one of the
wooden Efe-boats of the Central America. half
filled with water. He grasped its side, and in
2 moment had raised himself over the guard.
In 1t he found three oars, q pan, q pail, and
three old coats. With the pail he soon bailed
out the boat. One of the coats he fastened on
an oar as signal, and then placed the oar up
right in the bow of the boat.
ION Thursday following, he picked up
Moa0ra. Ia
NAMED in the boat, suffering all the pangs of
hunger and thirst, until discovered and rescued
e Se tAfs F 81 hsi MaEr canan shAarAr
Mr.. Alexander Grant, fireman, says:
This is the fourth time that he has been
wrecked. Ten years ago, when boy on Fall
River schooner, he was wrecked in the Bay of
Fundy, and narrowly escaped with his life.
Three years ago, he was fireman on the steam.
or Arctic, and, when that vessel went down,
was left floating on piece of timber, in the
broad Atlantic. After several days of intense
suffering, he was picked up by the ship Cam
bria, and carried with Captain Luce to Quebec
Nearly two years ago, be was fireman on the
steamer Crescent City, and, when that vessel
went ashore on the Bahamas, had q third prov.
idential escape with his life. Still he did not
quit the sea, but engaged again as fireman on
board the steamship Central America, and was
on her when she went down. Just as the
steamer was sinking, he, with nine others, got
upon piece of the hurricane deck that they
had previously cut clear, and, when the vessel
sank, it foated off with them.
"Amoug those on this raft we're George
Buddington, third assistant engineer; Patrick
Carr, fireman; John Banks, coal passer; James
kennathy, coal passer; - Evers, coal pass
er; and Richard Gilbert, colored, engineers
messman. The others were passengers whose
names he did not know"
Mr.. Grant has been able to make out the fol.
lowing diary of his dreadful experience:
"The Central America went down about a
quarter to nine o'clock, to the best of my rec
objection. The night was very dark, with a few
stars to be seen in the skies; there was no |
lightning nor rain. We could see over one
hundred persons all around us, clinging to
pieces of the wreck. They were all around us. |
crying for help; bat, as the sea was washing
over US every moment, and the wind blowing |
very heavy, we all had Just as much as we
could possibly attend to to save ourselves from
being washed from the deck. We could not
see over one hundred yards from u.s. We could |
not see Q man in the water over one hundred |
yards, but we heard cries for help all around us
up to daylight.
Sunday Aorning.-At daylight that morn. |
ing saw about ten or twelve persons floating |
around rs, but they were all too far off, except |
Mr.. Dawson, for Us to give any assistance Mr.. |
Dawson was on q plank, and SWAN to us, and |
climbed up on the hurricane deck with us. |
About III o'clock on Sunday morning, John |
Bank, one of the coal Passers, who was with us |
at the time the vessel sunk from under MS, died |
from exhaustion and swallowing salt water. |
After death, we threw him overheard.
"Bsfore night three more died, whose names |
do not know. They died from exhaustion
and swallowing salt water. These we also
threw overheard.
That evening, just before dark, we picked |
up another passenger, whose name do not
know He was supporting himself in the water
by piece of board, and was very much ex-
hsusted. .,:.- |
"During Sunday night there were four more
of our number died of exhaustion and swallow.
ing too much salt water. The name of one of |
these do not know. He belonged TO the
stewards department, and was a colored man. |
The names of the others we're
"George burlington, third engineer.
/" Patrick Evans, coal passer.
"Patrick Carr, fireman.
"Aonday~-On Monday, we saw nothing of
any more of the passengers or of the wreck !: |
nothing trsnspired on that day worthy Of no.s.
there were then four of rs out of twelve alive
/" Tbesday.---We saw another passenger I.
short distance from as, who was ON n mart NJ |
the Captains room, and Q great deal better off |
than he would have been on the hurricane deck |
with rs; we spoke with him, and he wanted to |
Know how we were getting along, and said he |
d'd not wish to exchange his raft or support |
tor chance on ours. he told me his name. |
but cannot recollect it. We parted with him |
when night came on, in conseo uence of the
WIND beginning to blow very strongly from the |