The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-31
DEPARTMENT NEWS.
} NAVY D.EPARTM ENT.

Loss of the Steamship Central America.
The following letter from Lieut.. Maury to the
Secretary of the Navy will be read with the deep
est interest . .,. "a. ........ B.. ...........7
OBSERVATORY, Washington, Oct. 10, 1857.
SIR: On the 18th day of September last, at sen,
the United States mail steamship Central Ame-
Tica," with the California mails, most of the pas
sengers and crew, and large amount of treasure
on board, foundered in gale of wind
The law requires the vessels of this line TO be
commanded by officers of the navy, and Com.
mander William LewiS-H Herndon had this one
He went down with his ship leaving a glowing
example Of devotion to duty, Christian conduct
and true heroism.
All hopes of his having been picked up by some
passing vessel have vanished The survivors of
the wreck have made their statements of the gale,
the sinking OF the ship, and their rescue These
have gone the rounds of the newspaper press, and
we are probably possessed of all the particulars
concerning that awful catastrophe that the public
will ever know r. ..u =
The department has already been officially ilt
formed OF this wreck and disaster and Of how no.
bly, Herndon stood to his post and eloriously per
| ished how the women and children were all
saved and how he did all that man could do or
| officer should to save his ship anil crew also. But
the particulars have been given to the department
only in the perishable form of newspaper records
AS tribute to his memory, as material for his
tory, as an heirloom OF the navy, and legacy to
his country, desire to place on record in the
department this simple writing in memorial Of
him. ="
We were intimates have known him from
boyhood; he was my knsman The ties of CON
sanguinity as well as our professional avocatioas
brought US frequently and much together; we
were close friends.
Under these circumstances, ask your leave to
file report of that gale and his loss aim to
| lmbody in it simple narrative of incidents de-
rived from statements which the survivors from
the wreck had either made publicly through the
prints OF the day, or privately to his family and
friends. These Incidents, in the silent influence
of the lessons they teach, constitute an inherit
ance of rare value to his countrymen; they are
the heirloom of which / spoke, and will, / am
persuaded, be productive of much good to the
service.
The Central America, at the time of her loss,
was bound from Aspinwall, via Havana to New
York. She had on board, as nearly as has been
ascertained, about two millions in gold, and 474
passengers, besides crew, all told, of lOl souls;
total, 575.
She touched at Havana on the 7th of September
last, and put to sea again at o'clock on the
morning OF the 9Th. The ship was apparently in
good order; the time seemed propitious and all
hands were in fine health and spirits for the pros
poets OF a safe and speedy passage home were
very cheering The breeze was from the trade.
wind quarter at n. E.; but at midnight of the 9th
it freshened to gale, which continued to increase
| till the forenoon of Friday, September IL, when il
| blew with great violence from N. n. E.
Up to this time the shin behaved admirably: ::
| nothing had occurred worthy of note, or in any
way calculated to excite suspicious of her Prov
ess until the forenoon of that day, when it was
discovered that she had sprung leak
The sea was running high, the ship was very
much keeled over on the starboard side, and la
boring heavily; the leak was so large that by D.
m. the water had risen high enough to extinguish
the fires on one side, and stop the engine
Bailing gangs were set TO work-the passen-
gers cheerfuly assisting-and all hands were sent
over on the windward side to trim ship Being
relieved in a measure, she righted and the fires
were reighted but there was a very heavy sea
on, and in spite Of pumps and bailing gangs, with
their buckets, whifs and barrels the water gained
upon them until it reached the furnaces, and
extingushed the fires again. never to be rekin-
died. This was Friday.
The ship was now at the mercy Of the waves,
and was wallowing in the trough of the sea like a
log. She was a side-wheel steamer, with not n
little top-hamper, and therefore an ugly thing TO
manage in such situation.
The storm spencer had been blown awav, and
the fore-yard was sent down during the night.
Attempts were made. to get the ship before the
wind, but mo canvas was stout enough TO with
stand the raging Of the storm. After the bead
sails had been blown away, the captain ordered
the clews of the foresail TO be ashed down 70 the
deck, thinking to hoist the yard up only Il ttle
way, show canvas, and get her off but by the
time the yard was well clear Of the bulwarks the
sail was taken out Of the bolt ropes so great wa
the force of the wind and such the fury of the
gale.
The ioremast was then cut away; the fore-yard
was converted into a drag, aud got ovcrboard
bits OF canvas, also, were spread in the rigging
aft, hoping by these expedients, as a last resort
to bring the ship head to wind, but all to no prr-
pose-she refused to come.
Crew and passengers worked manfully, pumping
and bailing all Friday afternoon and night: aid
when day dawned upon them the violence of the
storm was still increasing.
All that energy, professional skill, and seaman.
ship, could do to weather the storm aud save the
ship, had been done. The tempest was still
raging, resources were exhausted, the working
parties were tagged out, and the captain foresaw
that his ship must 90 down.
Still, there was some chance for hope; he
might save life even If he lost ship mails aud
treasure. He was in a. frequented part Of the
ocean, and passing vessel might come to the
rescue Of crew and passengers, if they could bat
manage to keep the ship ahoat till the gale
abated. He encouraged them with this hone,
and asked for rally. They responded with
cheers. The lady passengers also offered to help,
and the men went TO work with will, whipping
up water by the barrel full, to the steady measure
of the sailors working song.
The flag was hoisted " Union down." that every
vessel, "a she hove in sight might know they
we're in distress and wanted help. .--l
Under this rally of crew and passengers, they
gained on the water for little while, but they
were worn out with the toll Of the last night and
day. they had not the strength TO keep il mld.a
FINALLY, about noon Of Saturday, the 18th, the
g II, began to abate, and the sky to brighten;
, asse hove in sight, saw the signal of distress,
IN down TO the steamer, was hailed answered,
and was asked for help. She could give noIr,
and kept on her course.
At about 2, p NJ, the brig Marine" Captain
Burt, Of Boston, bound from he West Indies TO
New York, heard minute guns, and saw the steam.
ers signals Of distress, She ran down to the
sinking ship, and, though very much crippled her.
self by the gale, promised to lay by. She passed
under tile steamers stern, spoke, rounded to, and
kept her word .. .....
The steamers boats were ordered to be W.
ered the Marine" had none that could live in
such sea. !
MI. ~