Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-10-03
4eftrreb anatttr,
INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE Loss
OF the CENTRAL AMERICA

The incidents connected with the loss of
the steamer Central America are various and
Interesting. We copy the following from the
various statements made. One passenger,
Joseph NJ. Bussiurd, writes the following:
Several OF the passengers, whose position
and intelligence, and w!thal, the trying cir.
cunIstances in which the ship was placed,
ought TO have restrained from depor,ng
themselves other than properly, drunk ex.
cessively Of liquors on board the ship pruba-
bly, from their own private stores, and made
themselves very noisy and troublesome.
know two OF the passengers Of high social
and political associations, who refused to
work, but got ularmingly drunk. so much SO
that their more sober companions had to put
them in their berlhs. In that condition they
lay when the steamer sank.
lie also imputes the loss Of the ship to
Ashby the Chief Engineer.
i am satisfied, from whn. afterwards
learned, that had Ashby immediately went to
work IN endepvorlng to remedy the difficulty
with the engines, that he might have got
them 10 work again, aud saved the vessel, as
every moment after the stoppage Of the en-
gines was Of great importance. After Ashby
returned he called together the engineers and
hremen, aud consulted as 10 what should be
done. a pipe had broken and u great deal
Of steam was escaping, which was all the
difficulty visible to me. Efforts were made
to set the engines going but this proved
Intellectual. Inquired oi Que OF the iiremen
the extent OF the trouble, aud VAS told that
the steamer had sprung aleak, and that water
was pouring in quite rapidly, aud that it was
impossible to pass the coal; and for this
reason the engines had stopped. AS yet the
water had not touched the fire in the furna.
ces.
After all the remaining lady passengers,
excepting three, had been taken on board,
shby, the chief ngineer, made q move to
get into the boat. Captain IIerGdon told
him not to get in. Upon which Asbby be-
sought the captain to place him in charge OF
the bout. He promised the captain that he
would cone back with the boat, aud what
was more, prevailed on the captain of the
Marine to come up with the vessel to where
the steamer lay, and get him to send his
small boats out. Captain III. said that he
feared TO trast him. as he was afraid he would
not come back, Upon this expression OF
doubt relative to himself, Ashby said ~
promise gnu, cap ain, most Solemniy that Ipii
come back 10 The steamer. aad sot desert her. y
or words To this purpose. i heard the re.
mark distinctly, and noted it. as the fact OF
to think that possibly the present would be
the last opportunity | would have TO save
myself
Many Of the ladies' had a great deal OF
money that they did not give to the purser oi
the steamer; two of these went into their
state rooms aud took out bags Of gold-S2O
pieces, Sll 900 in ull-and threw them down
in the cabin, so that any person who wanted
money could take what they pleased. The
two ladies had just returned from California
aud said, weeping, "That that money was al
they had made there, aud they were returning
home to enjoy IT," None of the ladies could
take more than two $40 gold pieces will
them. r. -
Among the passengers on board, not heart
FROM, are the names of John Denout, Phila
delphia; Geo. Ridgeway, Philadelphia Da
vid Jones, Schuylkll county; McCloy, Penn
sylvapia, and Elijah Spooner. Schuylkil
county. Laurence Darcy, on bis way TO h
children in Pennsylvania. Mr. Lee, proPris
Y