Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-10-01
Account of the disaster of the Central
America by a Passenger on Board the
Shin, ...

America by Passenger on Board the
Ship.
The following is the statement ofHenry
H. Childs
I left Havana on the steamship Central
Amcrica for New York on September Q.
The weather was delightful and the sea
calm on the passage from Aspinwall.-
On the afternoon Of the day of sailing from
Havana fresh westerly breezes sprung up.
On the following morning the blew very
strong, the gale continuing to increase in
violence as the day advanced. AT night
there was no abatement in tie fury of the
gale, and it commenced raining in tor
rents. On Thursday it blew a hurricane,
the sea running very high. On Friday
the storm ragged fearlully.
At eleven O'Clock in the morning of
this day it was first known among the
passengers that tie steamer had sprung a
leak, and was making wafer fast. A line
Of men was Immediately formed, and they
went to work bailing out the water from
the engine rooms. the fires having already
been extinguished. We gained on the
water so much that we were able to get
up steam again, but we held it but few
minutes, and then it stopped forever
Bailing continued, however, and was kept
up in all parts ofthc ship until she finally
went down.
During Friday night the water gained
gradually, but all on board being in pref
ty good spirits they worked to the best of
their ability feeling that when the morning
came they might possibly speak some
vessel and thus be saved. The fatal Sa
urday came at last, but brought nothing
but increased fury in the gale. Still We
worked on, and about two o'clock in the
afternoon the storm lulled little and the
clouds broke away. Hope was renewed
and all now worked like giants.
At4P. NJ we spied sail, and fired
guns and placed our flag at half mast
Ii was seen, and the brig Marine. of Bos-
ton, bore down upon us. We then con-
sidered our safety certain. She came
near us, and we spoke to her and told our
condition. She laid by about a mile dis
! 49,
/ ed, placed 0U UODleR ana rHrrurrn, urs
they uere safely PIT on board the brig
As evening was fast approaching, we
discovered another sail, which responded
to our call, and came near Us. Capt.
Herndon told our condition and asked
them to lay by and send a boat rs We had
mono left. She promised to SO, but that
was the lastwe saw other except at dis
tance, which grew greater and greater
every moment. At O'Clock we saw no
possibility of keeping afioat much longer,
although we all felt that if we could do SO
until morning. all would be saved. In a
short time a heavy sea for the first time
broke over the upper deck of the vessel,
and then all hope faded away.
Life prcserve-s were now supplied TO
Ill and we sent up two rockets, when n
tremendous sea Sreu Orer as, and the
steamer ia q moment arem do,rn. | think
four hundred or four hundred and fifty
souls were launched upon the ocean at
the mercy of the waves. The storm at
this time had entirely subsidized. We all
kept near together and went as the waves
took us. There was nothing or very
little said, except that each one chcered
his fellow comfade on. Courage was
thus kept up for two or three hours, and
| think for that space of time none had
drowned but three, who could not swim
because exhausted After this gradually
one by one passed away to eternity. The
hone that boats would be sent to US from
the two vessels we had spoken, soon fled
from us, and our trust was in Providence
-" and what better trust could YOU ask"
| saw my comrades sink fast, and at one
o'clock that ght | was nearly alone upon
The ocean, some two hundred miles from
land. | heard, however, shouts from all
that could do so, that were not far from
me, but | could not see them. Within
an hour from this time l saw vessel,
which Judged to be about one mile from
me. Taking fresh courage, | struck out
for the vessel, and reaohed itwhen nearly
exhausted, and they drew me on board
of il by ropes. Itproved to be q Norwe
gian bark, from Belize, Honduras, bound
for Falmouth, England. | found on
board Of her some three of my comrades
and at half past nine o'clock the mex
morning we had forty nine noble fellow.
on board, and these are all know of hay
ing been saved.