Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-11-11
MISCELLA ANY
Loss of the Steamer ssCentral America.o
Letter from 1t. Maauy to the Secretary Of tn

Letter from LII. UQHTy 70 tN6 OSCfeCuTy ~ Utc
Nary.
COMMUNICATED FOR THE NATIONAL INTELLI-
GENoER.
OBSERVATORY, Washington, Oct. 10, 1857.
SIR ON the 18th day of September last, al
sea, the United States mail steamship "Centra
America" with the California mails, most o
the passengers and crew, and large amount o
treasure on board, foundered in gale of wind
The law requires the vessels of this line to b'
commanded by officers of the Navy, and Com
mander William Lewis Herndon had this one
lie went down with his ship, leaving glowing
example of devotion to duty, Christian condaSt
and true heroism.
All hopes of his having been picked up by
some passing vessel have vanished. The survi
vors of the wreck have made their statements
the gale, the sinking of the ship, and their res
cue. These hays gone the rounds of the news
paper press, and we are probably possessed o
all the particulars concerning that awfal catas
trophe that the public will ever know.
The Department has already been officially i'll
formed of this wreck and disaster, and OF how
nobly Herndon stood to his post and gloriously
perished how the women and children were al
saved; and how he did all that man could do o.
officer should to save his ship and crew Also
But the particulars have been given to the De
partment only in perishable form of newspaper
records.
AS q tribute to his memory, as material to-
history. as al heirloom of the Navy, and alega
CIV to his country, | desire to place on record IL
the Department this simple writing apd memo
rial of him.
We were ntimates; have known him from
boyhood; he was my kinsnan. The ties OF con
sanguinity, as well as our professional avoca
tions, brought us frequently and much together
we were close friends.
Under these circumstances, ask your leave
to file a report of that gale and his loss. | ain
to embody in it simple narrative of incidents
derived from statements which the survivors
from the wreck have made either publicly, ,thro
the prints of the day, or privately to his family
and friends. These incidents, in the silent In
fuence of the lessons they teach, constitute al
inheritance of rare value to his countrymen
they are the heirloom of which spoke, and will
| am persuaded, be productive OF much good u
the service.
The "Central America" " at the time of hel
loss, was bound from Aspinwall, via Havana, te
New York. She had on board, as nearly as has
been ascertained, about two millions in gold, ,anc
four hundred and seventy-four passengers, be-
sides crew, all told, OF one hundred and one
souls; total, five hundred and seyenty-tive.
She touched at Havana on the 7th OF Septem'
Der last, and put to sea again at nine O'Clock on
the morning of the 9th The ship was, appa'
rently, in good order the time seemed propl.
tious; and all hands were in fine health and
spirits, for the prospects of safe and speedy
passage home were very cheering. The breeze
was from the trade-wind quarter at northeast
but at midnight of the 9th it freshened to gale
which continued to increase till the forenoon oi
Friday, September 11th, when it blew with
great violence from north northeast.
Up to this time the ship 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 aleak.
The sea was running high; the ship was very
much keeled over Oh the starboard side, and To-
boring heavily. The leak was so large that by
one P. NJ the water had risen high enough to
extinguish the fires on one side and stop the en-
gine.
Bailing gangs were set to work, the passen-
gers cheertully assisting, and all hands were sent
over on the windward side to trim ship. Being
relieved in measure, she righted, and the fires
were relighted. But there wss a very heavy
sea on, and, in spite of pumps and bailing gangs,
with their buckets, whips, and barrels, the water
gained upon them until it reached the furnaces
and extinguished the fires again, never to he re-
kindled. 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 side-wheel steamer, with not
q little top-hamper, aud therefore an ugly thing
to manage in such situation.
The storm spencer had been blown away, and
the foreyard was sent down during the night
Attempts were made to get the ship before the
wind, but no canvass was stout enough to with
stand the raging OF the storm. After the head
sails had been blown away the captain ordered
the cews of the foresail to be lashed down to
the deck, thinking to hoist the yard up only a
little way, show canvass, and get her off; but
by the time the yard was well clear of the bul.
warks the sail was taken right out of the bolt
ropes, so great was the force of the wind and
such the fury of the gale.
The foremast was then cut away; the fore
yard was converted into a drag and got over
board bits of canvass 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 purpose; she refused to come.
Crew and passengers worked manfuly, pump
Ing and bailng all Friday afternoon and night;
and when day dawned upon them the violence
of the storm was still increasing
All that energy, professional skill, and sea-
manship could do to weather the storm and save
the ship had been done. The tempest was still
raging resources were exhausted the working
parties were tagged out, aud the captain foresaw
that his ship must go down.
Still there was some chance for hope; he
might save life, even if he lost ship, mails, and
treasure. He was in frequented part of the
ocean, aud passing vessel might come to the
rescue of crew and passengers, if they could but
manage to keep the ship afoat until the gale q.
bated. He encouraged them with this hope and
asked for a 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 barrelful, to the steady measure of
the sailors working-song.