The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-09-23

At last We raised 300, and the steamttp by the
earnest lntereession of the captain of the Marine
took US into Norfolk The name of the capt.in "a
the steantug c0ud not be learned: he would NOT
tell ~ He merits and should be branded with
PnoIc scorn- The Empire City met us on her way
INTO Norfoik, and by her we arrived in New York
city.
STATEMENT OF MRS wf. BIRCH WIPE OF THE sJrysTRE ~
Mrs Birch, the wife of Billy Birch the minstrel.
took passage from California with her husband, and
was among the passengers on board the Central
america from Aspinwall. She gave our reporter
the following statement:
| noticed the stopping Of the engines of the
steamer, and was in my stateroom at the time /
asked my husband, who with me, what was
the cause OF 1t, and he said he presumed il meant
nothing serious. owing to the rough sea since the
steamer left Havana l was sea sick almost con
stantly, and confined in consequence to my berth
Alter inquired Of my husband about the CONVEX
sation Of the engineers, he went out to inauire
about the matter. and shortly came back and in
termed me that there was no danger, aud that the
engines had stopped on account of the heavy sea-
and it being impossible 10 make any headway He
said they had thrown the anchor and were irving
| 70 lie STILL This statement quieted my sppreherl-
sIons at first, but | was not lolg in ascertaining
that the steamer was alcak, and that the engine
hre was ont. The fact was not long in getting
spread among the lady passengers in the cabin and
| the statement was verified after "A short time by
the call for buckets and men to assist in bailinx
the steamer. Upon this announcement left nv
st"'efoom and lay nTOn sofa in the cabin.
Captain lierndon came in the cabin after the
general call had been made for buckets and aSsur-
ed all the ladies that there was no f,rouud c,r an
prehenslon, and he promises that matters wouit
shortly he made ali right This authoritative state
nent had the effect to calm excited apprehensions
oi those who were disposed to he in the least
alarmed The greatest soIritudc that was f.lt NJ
trst by the ladies' particularly the married ones
was i'r their husbands ut the pumps | knew nv
hashand was among the workers, and knew from
strength remained "
frt"ay night was sIeepIess night to all The
,h"n Kept Gp their work 1t the pumps and from,
hn""inS the position of affairs on :oarti don't
,i'lnH sihg'e person slept wink in all night All
'VEh'"iitN anu discipline in tine cabin was at an
"ni. preparing meals was Of course 5ispensed
Win ana Ia el SettiHg anything to eat or even
"fmp oi tea It was a diiicult undertaking.
nation. " i3
TiE LAnTFs OFFER TO WORK THE PUMPS
,, 'i;io ., tue ladies', feeling for the men, and
.s 'I.i'is shat some OF them getting both dis
IW'f tened ana exhausted at the pumps volunteer
+ ra 70 give helping hand AMI the indies ,co,ij
,re @ "f"ea too he CONT teIolcs if the chanee had
b THEIR HUSBANDS WE'RE TO FOLLOW THEM
n When the brig Marine was announced a fao,i,o
ot Joy was generally experienced bv tbe noss
ihe iAhies ana children were ordered fore and aft
t ana boats lowered to receive them on board 7 Tnf
~ 'ut hie' po"I mat was lowered safely In the
| | boat there were hyc women and six children n
/ ! Was pretty rongh ride to the brig but we ,yor
. landed there safalv wv WIZ
p Other boats followed bringing farther nartie.
: and expected that it was the intention r. .ros
e all the passengers to the brig otherwise ,rnuIj ~,
have left while my husband remained behind I'm,
| he told me to 90 and he would soon follow and >,
i ] went.
sUFFERINGS on THE MARINE.
: Capt. Birch. of the Marine received those VIII
came on board bis boat with the utmost consider
n alton in his power. He had the will to make al
d the women and children, as well as others, con,
IA Portable but he had not the power. and "a far a
the facilities at his command went, he did the hes
; he could Ills cabin was freely given up to fl
f women having children. The rest Of us-amoni
. them myseli-had to sleep on the top of the cabin
!, with only canopy to cover us The cold and VI.
+ was awful but felt that ought to bear it al
patiently alter learning the sad fatality that ba,
"Fertahen the majoriA Of my former fellow pas
sengers Among the most OF the ladies the though
hhd anxiety FOR their husbands and friends hahi N,
lreCluded all consideration for self Want of sIee,
and food and other needed comforts were of miuo
importance. Mrs. Birch says that purse Of be,
tween $50 and $500 made up by the, passengers
on the Marine for the captain and officers of tn,
brig. The money had to he forced upon the can
tain before he would take it.
CANARY BIRD AMONG THE SAVED.
When the ladies were told to go on deck. and rre
nareo get in the small boats, they were told that
they could carry nothing heavy with them Mrs
Birch had little canary bird in nice c.Va L,,h
ot which She thought woald have to leave she could
not bear the thought of parting with her dear cana
~ and the bright though: suggested itself to her
~ pnt it in her bosom, which she did In get
ting into the small boat she fell upon her breast
and expected nothing now but that her bird was
crushed. Fortunately it proved otherwise. and She
! carried the carary-hcr hearts treasure next t.
her billy safely in its Place till she reached
tue brig Marine. A box cage was furnished her hy
Captain Birch. In the height Cfthe storm the Lir.i
kept up its cheering songs, and on board tbs.
ciuonly and uncomfortable Marine il did not cease
from its roaring sweet carol
|, wM. :. BLtssF0RD'S STATEMENT,
The statement of Nr fassford in the main. c,-
incdes with that at other passengers. and We only
extract those portions likely TO l.. If interest.
The labor Of the men at the buckets and barrel.
was very severe and trying. Everything was done
to accp up the spirits. 70 give i;lpgtuS anl en-
conragen.ent 10 the work, large number sang
while iaboring. The Voices OF the workers rose
merrily and powerful above the din of the storm
aud tue a,hin of the steamer sides by tine waves
| The burden Of the song was the stereotype cou!-
} let, sung with salor-iike melody and vivacity-
iieaye o. liea O, Jump and 90,
Wen be jolly hnt r. ..
From want If keeping uD a Irnner system oi
mama cement, however, in arranging the men in
watches, oas TO alternate at proper intervals. ~
the first nun Der of men. notwithstanding the
, stimulus Of song singing, became so completely
tired out that after IL time they had to give up
, work. Some fell down exhausted and fainting in
their steps.
LAnIES PRoFFER ASSISTANCE AT THE BUCKETS
Al tiIs cflolS AHte ~ ne ttcS OcfHtfG HtOd qcf7
crousiy a"d ncdiy-Scysral IF 0eHs rdrRtee-toq I,
tte Her pidecs ut tie bucLftS; but the men, tired
rs they were, had too much gallantry to allow
this The offer of the ladies', however. To assume
ortion Of the trying toll renewed encourage
ment 10 the men. Mrs 4. J. Ea-ton, "a bride. vino
with her husband were among the passengers,
and were Il wedding tour. furnished the men a
large number OF bottles oi wine. The liberal he
sfowal of the winc and the spirit which prompted
its donation. won the admiration of all. Not only
was Increased yigor given to the men, but it reused
them to work still bfavely OIL.
several OF the passengers, whose position and in
tclligence, and withal. the trying circumstances
in which the ship was placed, ought TO have re
strained from dep0rti0g themselves other than
properly, drank excessively of liquors on board
the ship probably from their own private stores
aud made themselves very noisy ami troublesome.
taotc n tt00 Of tie passengers gt hgt scout and pa
lLcdl acsouti0Bs tC't0 rctted to ,rGr bg o alarm
i49'y dc'nh 50 'hitd 50 ttaf Hsr mare sober cont
;,isst4y ia{t1 PIT ttsm is Nsir bsrttS. IL Hat
t{IiJs iLev kfy loiss The .tsta.sr qtab.
The men worked at the buckets. enjeavorin; 70
hale the steamer, from Friday, gt / Z. NJ till sat
uriay night. One erea. difficulty in the progress
Of tie work was th@ want OF proper and strength
ening food. dry cracker about all that
could be got hold of. What made ii still worse
was the impossibility Of getting water to drink
During the night the men had 10 work entirely in
the dark Justice comPels it 10 be said that Cap
tain IIerHdon with all his nobility aud disinerrat-
edness of character, and notwithstanding his pos
srssihg in high degree most OF the traits necgs-
stlS - an ciItCithA NIhui"IurF was not equal To
the present trying emergency. lie all over
he ship, running here and there himself for a
blanket, hammer, or trivial things which he
should have sent others for. lie was not wanting
in manly courage, but he wanted decisive prompt-
ness. Had he subdivided matters properly, aud
exercised the rixdness Of control necessary t. the
occasion, think the steamship might have beef
kept afoat longer than she was, and possibly
saved.
At =. NJ, Saturday, sail from the
windwafd. Guns were fired, and signals of dis
tress hoisted. Fortunately, the vessel saw u.s. aud
came down under our stern, being kept to the
windward to lay 10, but the gale blew her away
three % four miles To the leeward. The sight 0i
this brig, which proved to he the brig Marine gave
! increased encouragement to the men engaged in