Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-19
The Loss of the Central America.


Yesterday and last nights rain amounted to
| nearly IL inch.
The Loss of the Central America.
Below we give further particulars in relation
| to the loss of the steamship Central America
The total of the crew was 1OI, and the New
York Tribune estimates the passengers at 600.
The officers of the steamer are spoken of as the
choicest men in the employment of the Compa-
ny, being distinguished for ability and trustwor-
| thiness.
She was commanded by Capt. w. l. Herndon,
of the United States Navy, whose explorations of
the Amazon have made his name familiar to the
scientific world OF Europe and America He was
| native of F Fredericksburg, Va and was regard
ed as one of the bravest and most accomplished
officers of our navy. His loss will be widely and
deeply dsplored.
The Central America was built in New York
in the year 1888, by VIM. ii. Webb, and made
her first voyage in September of that year. Her
construction was OF the very best description
she was diagonally braced with iron from stem
| to stern, and was in all respects staunch and
| safe as any ship afioat.
The steamer was valued at $500 600, and was
not insured The company does not insure any
of its ships. The freight lists and other papers
of the ship were all on board, and duplicates can
| not be- obtained from San Francisco under five or
sly weeks.
AS to the amount on board the Central America
IT is believed that it is confined to the shipment
| from San Francisco, reported by telegraph to be
about sixteen hundred thousand dollars The
report OF large shipment at Havana originated
from telcgraPhic dispatch received by one of
the large houses here, that a certain amount had
| been sent to them from Havana by the Catawba,
arrived at Charleston, another amount by the
| Central America, &c, summing up in the aggre-
gate Sis 600. Now, shipments of specie for
New Iork are not made 10y way of Charleston
as il would involve the payment of double fret hts
and double assurances, il is inferred that the
mittances by the Catawba were in bills of ex-
change, and no express intimation to the contrary
| having been made in the dispatch, that those by
the Central America of the same character
The larger amount of the loss will fall upon
| the foreign insurance companies, probably fully
two-thirds and the reclamation to be made from
them will form basis upon which to draw bills
of exchange, and thus stand as equivalent for
the shipment of specie to the same amount
Consequently the effect on the money market of
the loss OF much specie will not be so serious
as was at first unprecedented.
Subjoned is statement obtained from one of
| the passengers of the Central America landed at
Savannah:
STATEMENT OF Mr. HENRY H. cHILps
We left Havana September 9Th, having had de-
lightful weather and a calm from the time of
leaving AspiQwall In the afternoon of the day
of sailing from Havana fresh breeze sprung up,
and on w Wednesday morning, the 9th, 1t com
menced blowing very strong. The gale continued
all day, and at night il was still Increasing and
raining in torrents.
On Thursday the wind blew a complete hurri.
cane and the sea ran very high. Through Friday
the storm ragged with unabating fury and at Ii
a. m, 1t was first known among the passengers
that the steamer had sprung a leak and was max
ing water fast. A line was formed and all the
men went to work bailing from her engine room
the fires having been already eXtinsnished by the
water.
After some hard work we gained on the water
so much as to be able to get up steam again but
held IT so but for a few minutes, when the water
again rose on us and the engines stopped then
forever! Bailing was still continued in all parts
OF the ship, and kept up until she finally went
down.
During Friday night the water gained gradn-
ally, but all being still In good spirits wor ked
to the best of our ability, feeling that when morn
ing came we might possibly speak some vessel
and thus be saved
The fatal Saturday came at last, but brought
nothing but increased fury! Still we worked on.
About two O'Clock p. IN. the storm lulled little
and the clouds broke away, when hope was re-
newed, and all again worked like giants. At
p IN. We spied sail, and fired guns, our flag
being placed at half mast 70 our Joy we Were
seen, and soon the brig Marine, of Boston, hove
down upon US. We then considered safety
certain. She came near, and we soon spoke her
and told our condition. She laid by about mile
distant, and we, with the aid of only three boats
(all that had been saved from the fury Of the
Storm placed all the women and children safely
on board the brig.
As evening was fast approaching we discovered
another sail, which responded to our signals and
came near us. Captain Herndon told them our
condition, and asked that they would lay by and
| send boat, we had none left. lie promised
to do so, but ii was the last of her, except
| at distance, which grew greater and greater
every moment.
All O'Clock we saw no probability Of keeping
| afoat much longer, although we felt that II we
could do so until morning, all would be saved.
| In short time, a heavy sea, for the first time,
broke over her upper deck, and all hope faded
| away from Responding hearts.
| Lfe-prescfvers Were supplied to all, and we
sent up two rockets to attract the attention of any
swept over US, and In i moment more the steamer
| went down.
think some 400 or $50 souls were at that mo-
ment launched upon the ocean at the mercy of the
waves. The storm by this time had entirely sub
sided, and we all kept near together and went as
| the waves took us. There was nothing or very
Little said except that each cheered his fellow
| cofHfade on aud courage was thus kept up for
| two or three hours, and think for that space of
| time none had drowned, but those who could not
| swim became exhausted, and one by one pradu-
| ally passed TO eternity!
| The hope that boats would lie sent to us from
| the two vessels we had spoken soon fed MS and
| our trust was alone in Providence, and what bet
| ter trust could you or | ask for? | saw my poor
comrades fast sinking around me, and at o'cloc k
| That night i was nearly alone upon the ocean
| some two hundred miles from land
| however still heard shouts from all that could
do so that were not far from me, but could not
| see them.
Within an hour from this time saw vessel I
judged about one mile from me; Taking fresh
courage struck out for the vessel and reached il
| when nearly exhausted, but was drawn on DoaI d
| by ropes as soon perceived
The vessel proved to be Norwegian bark
| from Balize, Honduras, bound for Falmouth.
England. found on board Of her some two or
three OF my comrades, and at OK o'clock next
| morning We had forty-nine noble fellows on
board, and these are all know of having been
| saved We strayed about the place until we
thought that all alive had been fescued and then
| set sail.
| We found the bark short Of provisions and the
crew living on Cruel. We had some tea and
| coffee to refresh ourselves with, and at noon on
Sunday spoke the American bark Saxony, bound
for Savannah, who supplied us with provisions
| and took five Of us on board
| Our names are ID II. Ridley, Of Maine; Jabez
Howes, Of San Francisco; Samuel w Leek. of
Maine Adolph Frederick, ofSan Francisco, and
Henry II Childs, Of New York
The Norwegian birque set sail for Charleston
Norfolk, we presume, j with the balance Of the
| iorty-nine passengers. Their Names unfortunate
| ~, cannot give. The few recoll ected are-Capt
Badger, OF Baltimore; Mr.. Frazier, the second
oWcel, X Brown, of Sacramento; Billy Birch,
OF san Francisco, mnstrels A. j. Easton. of
San Francisco Fletcher, of Augusta, Me-
| There is a lad saved, some seven wears Of ACE
whose mother was with the other ladies placed
| on board the brig.
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