Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-23
rum TIC cafannah NSOI BlAnf A@IH'
SAD CALAMITY AT SEAL!


LOss OF TIE Central AmarIca.-AbOut
45O Individuals Drowned!
Among the most terrible losses by the recent
storms along urcosst that of the California steam
the Central Amerie1, with her treasures and
nearl' al herpassengers s the most saddening and
painful.
Sine the arrival Of the illfated stasmsr was
poupc"d % ti'vsus, from Aspinwa1 with 800 pas
s'ng.Ts fright, mails ard large amount Of treas
or" III 300 OOOl on bO5rj-snd her departure from
H'taTa q 9 v. on the 9Th 6 pit, ihe utmost
snx ty fas been felt fer her safety from the TACT
That shs had 10 encounter unusually severe buff
cares recently along cost. From Ne" IorE'
Nhit' eT SIR was bound, steamers bad oNen sent 10
out 81 Ter, ont much late 10 b. OF assistance
10 d.y Their il becOm 3 our painful outy 10 give
scFip,i1n of her sinking in the brny deep with
her crowd e passengers sru zgling mdniely TO the
last moment, after providing for the women and
ctidrsn, to keep the steamer shOat. The whole
will form picture Of distress which the mind may
conceive ia of its reality, but which words
will fal 20 describe
The arrival At this port yesterday rorning Of the
bark So1Ony Capt. Smith, with five of the passen-
gers ssyed from fbe wreck, caused little excite
ment ard soTToW in town. as they individually
nted to anxious listen the melancholy details of
the last fe~ hours of the unfortunate steamer, Ceit
trail Ameriea The following very graphic r'port
Of the calamity wa furnished by one OF the surVi
vorS To the pr.ss Of this city his arrival here
tour OF III T. UOW-VOyagrr rs IN the DARK So1tg
By reference 10 the Geographic news, Other partic-
usrs will be found lllVe the safety of more of
the psss~ng'r:
AZ sea. Sept. ~, 1856, on board bark Sazony
from Boston Capt. Smith, bound to Savannah:
GENTs:-Below please observe description of
the loss of the steamer seen by me on bosrd:
We left Havana Tuesday, Sept. Sth, having had
delightful weather and calm from Aspnwall.
In the afternoon OF day of sailing from Havana had
ires1 bre ze, and on "Wednesday morning blew
Wy g. The gale continued, and at night was
srl Increasing and rsined in torrents, and Thurs
day it blew a huFricsne-sea continued very high.
Friday saged with unabatng fury. At about
IL O'Clock, A. NJ, it was first known among the
passengers that the steamer had sprung leak and
was making water fast. A line formed and
men went to work bailiGg from her engine room,
the fres having been already cxtinguished by the
water. We Gained on it much to be able to
get up steam rgaiD, but she held it up for few
minutes ana stopped then forever. Baing con-
tnued in al parts OF the ship and wac kept up
iii she finally went down. During Friday night the
gained gradually, but ell being in good spir-
it, worked to the best Of their ability, feeling that
when morning came we might possibly speak some
vessel and then be saved. The fatal Saturday
Came at last, but brought nothing but Increased
fury Still We WoIked Oh, and about O'Clock P.
d the storm lulled little and the clouds broke
sway, hope was renewed and all worked like
giants.
Ala NJ, spied sail end fred our guns
ana nur & e at hall mast; il was seen and the
brig Marine OF BOSTON, bore down upon US;
th,D sid. red SAT, ~ Ftain. She me near
and We spoke to her and told our condition. She
layeG nv az about mile distance, and we, in the
oTly three boats saved placed oil the women and
children and they we're safely put on board of the
brig, excepting two women steerage passengers
who fused to leave their husbands. So far so
good but evening fast approaching and we
discoVered another sail, schooner who saw and
responded to our call and came US. Captain
Herndou told our condition, and asked them TO lay
by us and send a boat, we bad none left She
promised to DO so, but il was the last we saw Of
her, except bt distance which grew greater every
moment. At o'clock We no probability of
keeping her shoat much longer although If we
could do so until morning, all would have been
saved. In a short time heavy ses for the 6Tst
time broke over her deck, and hope faded away
Life preserVeIs were supplied TO all, and We sent
up tao rcckets. A TIRE mendous sea swept ov er us,
and The steamer in moment went down, and |
stink some 400 or 400 souls were launched upon
the orean at the merry of It's waves. The storm
at this time had entirely subsidized. We I'll kept
near together, and went the took us.-
There wac nothing very little said, except each
cheer red his fellow comrade on, and courage
Wss kept up for two or three hours and think
for that space Of time hone had droWued but those
WbO ooul not swim became exhausted, and
BY one gradually passed into eternity. Hope that
boats would b. sent to us from the two vessels
III 1t was alone in Providence; and what better
trust could you | ask for.
saw my comrades sinking, aud at ! o'clock that
night, ! nearly alone upon the ocean some 200
miles ron land. / howeV, T heard shouts from all
that coul do so, that were not far from me, but
could rot them. Within an hour from this
time, saw vessel, judged about Que mile from
me. TAXING fresh courags ] struck out for the
sci anG reached it when nesFly exhausted, but
drawn bOsFd by ropes. Il prove to be the Nor
hsrE If Il Ri
duras, bound for Falmouth, England | found on
hoard Of her some three Of my comrades, and at
81 O'Clock next morning We had forty mine noble
fell"~s hoard, and these all know of hav-
ing been -aVed. We strayed about the place until
thOuE BIT that oil alive had been rescued and then
set sail We found the bark short of provisions
and the crew living Cruel We had some tea
and coffee TO refresh ourselves and at SUN
day p ke this American bark bound for Savannah
who supplied us "ith provisions and took Eve OF US
on board. Our uames are:
B. H. Ridley, native OF Maine
JAu, Howrs. resident Of San Francisco
SaUu,l w. Look, Of Maine
Ulph Frederick OF San Francisco.
Henry ID. Cnilds, Of New York.
The Norwegian bark Get sail for Charleston with
the balance OF the forty mine passengers the names
uniortunat Iy, cannot give you. The few which
can be recoleeted are.
Capt Badger, Of Baltimore.
Mr.. Trays r, second officer Of the Central Amer
ica.
Mr. r. Brum, Sacramento, Cal.
Mr. Bllls Birch, OF the s +. Mlnstrels.
Ar. A. J. EsstoD, San Francisco
Mr. Fletcher, Augusta, Maine.
Tim, deck hand OF the Central America.
Two Galley hands teolored) OF the Central Amer
ca
There is also lad saved some II years old,
whose mother was, with the other lsdies placed on
board the brig Yours, Sc,
Il. II. CHILDS.
p. S-TheEe were three passengers that got u-
to the toat that saved the women and children
which ar known TO me-Ar Priest, L. J., ThOs.
Payne, Standlord, CT, aud Mr.. Jones'
Ne cannot leave abe SsxOny without expressing
our gratitude Capt Smith, aud bis otfictIs for the
uutirlng XsFtlons IN attending to our - anita and
n. rrli > unn reached the sher,. We we're
sick sb' n. sFly naked, aud eon,plct IL exhausted
aud a thruu, for thsir kindness we are much in
dtUtsd; and tue name Of Capt, Snlith aud his ship
will ever b. endeEFed TO ".
Report Of Capt Alex. Smith OF lark Ssxony
from Boston.
Spoke bark Ellen from Balize, Honduras, bound
for FaImouih, England, Sunday 1870, lzI. 81 IS
long. 20. She reported having on beard Aa
a a