Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-09-24
REPORTED WRECK OF STEAMER



AMERICA.
Fire Hundred Passengers Lost.--Onty Forty
Sared-$2, 500, 900 IN Specie.
The worst fears concerning the safety of the
missing steamer Central America, for Havana,
with over five hundred of the California pas
sengers, seem to be realized by the intelli-
gence from Charleston, s. c., published under
the telegraph head. The Thomas Swan, from
New York, at Charleston, reports that she
spoke on the 18th inst, the Norwegian bark
Eloise, which had forty of the Central Amer
ica's passengers on board, the resi- haping been
lost, when the ship foundered, which occurred
on the 18th inst This is all the information
yet received of the great calamity-the worst
which has occurred in the annals OF steamship
navigation The passengers on board the Cen
| trail America amounted to five hundred ana
| twenty-five, which with the officers, crew, and
| attendants make at least six hundred souls =
i The steamer also had the mails and specie
| from California, the latter being 81 ,5OO,OOO!-
| 1t is stated that, besides this amount from Cali
fornia, she is supposed to have taken on board
100000 as freight at Havana, making the
amount $4,000 900, and ii is estimated that
100000 is in the hands of the passengers,
which would swell the amount to t,1o and q
haiti millions, provided that these supppostions
| and estimates are correct, of which there IS
some doubt. Whether this amount Is lost, or
| whether il was saved with the few who escaped
is as yet, unknown. The details appear to be
very meagre for such important news which
interests so many families, the friends and re-
latives of those on board, But news ct sea IS
always of brief and unsatisfactory character,
and we must wait for the arrival of the vessel
containing those rescued, to learn, the sad par
ticuars of this most melancholy disaster. The
specie is said to be insured in London; the
steamer in Now York.
The Central America left Havana on the 9TH
inst, an hour previous to tho sailing of the
Empire City, which had to put into Norfolk
The Central America kept in sight until the
afternoon, when she outran the Empire City SC
far that it lost sight of her. This is the last
that was seen Of her. Several vessels putting
into Southern ports have reported seeing por
tions ofa wreck, supposed to be of a steamer OF
Cape Hatteras. The Falcon, which arrived a
N. York on Thursday, from Savannah, passed
a large quantity of wrecked stuff consisting o
barrels and boards.
The late gale was most severely felt in the
vicinity OF Cape Hatteras OH the 9th and l0tl
and on other parts of the North Carolina coast
on the 18th and 18th instant. The blow COM
mencedfrom the northeast, and yeered round To
north, northwest west and southwest, and last
ed for about twenty-tour hours. The southern
papers bring detailed accounts of the effects
of the storm, both along the coast and at sea,
the facts of which have been communicated by
City was disabled, the Southerner, on her way
TO Savannah, nearly foRndered, and the Nor
folk, OF the city of Philadelphia, was sunk.
The steamship Columbia, from New York for
Charleston, caught the storm off Cape Hatteras,
on Thursday and Friday, and came near drift
ing on the breakers. She endured it for egh-
teen hours, with her engine strained keeping
her steaiy. An account in Charleston paper
says -
Not only were the waves OF the greatest
magnitude and wldness, and the wind the
most terrible hurricane, but, for hours they
came in cross directions, the sea from s. h.,
| giving the ugleSt cross sea, and subiecting us
to the double danger of swapping and capsize.
I AZ 10 T NJ, the wind veered to L. s. f., and
| reached its height. but the seas thus more fully
in It's direction. Until A. NJ, the climax OF
the terrible power of both prevailed, then slow
| ~ abated; and at 3 O'Clock, A. NJ, Saturday,
the wind was down, leaving us on immense
rolling waves.
| Thus ended the first gale. For a few hours,
although the reverse storm was expected by
some, all parties became cheerful and partook
of breakfast. At9 A. NJ, the wind having
shifted 10 the West and North, or landward
was in few minutes the most driving hurri-
| cane We have ever seen or conceived. 1t pros.
rated the awful seas which had come from the
broad ocean, and appeared to sweep its sur,
iaee along in spary and foam with lightning
| power and velocity. For five hours il ex.
hl0ited not even abatement enough to mari
slualls--it was one great Squall. Under it the
sea gradually increased, and when at last the
wind became more iltful, it had reached a sur
glng power that made every timber quiver, al
though the ship took it lengthwisc and on he
bow.
In tle meantime, the gale had veered to thu
Southwark, thus giving us another ordeal OF
| er6sSsea, aud as our gallant commander callet
it--an ssugty sea- Between and u. M,
| was fearful. From then until after midnight
gradual "ccssation Of horrors'' took place
| exhausted passengers sunk to fitful sleep, an
woke at dawn of Sunday to find gentle breez
pacitied ocean and clearing sky, to fin
| themselves safe and bearing for Charleston
with gratitude to God in their hearts, and won
der at their deliyerance. For forty hour
they had borne the most painful suspense, an
for thirty-three had been in the extremes
peril.
The gale must have been circular hurrican
through which the Columbia PISSED, or whic
rather passed over her position. The quito
portion of its whlrl took her in one direction
then its centre, being more or less still an
vacuous, enyelOped her in the few hours lul
and again the opposite side striking her froi
still other directions, produced the secon
storm, and turned her PROV to all points of til
compass, in her struggle for preservation. W
|
language and picture. We recognized the
fidelity, however exaggerated and wild. Bl
the reality went far beyond.
TO tai LOSS OF THE STEAMSHIP CE
TRIAL AMERICA.
Fire HNndred Lipes EOst.-.arTlpdi of The Re
cuei at NOrJok and Savannah. TVo Milo
sa Specie lost.
NORFOLK, Sept. l9.--Fhe steamship Centr
America toundered on Saturday last, wht
two miles off Cape Hatteras. Fifty passe
gers, including twenty six females, were re
cued by t5c Norwegian barque Eloise, viii,
has arrived at this port. The officers were
lost except Mr.. James NJ. Frazer. The chi
engineer, George Il. Ashby, took boat, al
deserted the ship an hour before she we
down. The two millions of dollars in speci
which were on board the Central Americ
were lost
Charleston, September l9.-The officers
| the steamer Thomas Swan report that the 10
wegian barque Eloise, when spoken on the 10
inst, was making for Norfolk, for the purpo
OF landing the forty passengers rescued fro
the wreck of the steamship Central Americ
The details of tho calamity will be obtained
the arrival of tho Eloise at Norfolk.
Surannah, September lS.-The barque Sa
Ony arrived at this port this morning, with fl
!, passengers, rescued from the Central Amerc
| She reports the total loss of the vessel, trea
ure and mails, and about five hundred person
3. a portion of the crew, together with the W
I men and children passenger numbering in
/ forty persons, were saved by the brig Marin
bound to Boston. The sea was very heavy
the time the ship toundered. Forty-nine 9th
passengers were picked up by the barque Elois
| This makes ninety-fve known TO be saved o
of six hundred and twenty-six.
The names of the five saved by the barql
i Saxony, are as follows I'll, II. Chiids, Of IL
r firm OF Childs x Dougherty, New York; Jab
, IIowes, of the firm of Geo. Howes x Co., 81
i Francisco, California; George W. Look,
) Maine; Robert Redley Adolph Frederick