St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-10-14

+ Now perceived that the ship haC
;, got her head to the wind again, s,
S that the flames came over the quartz
n deck. In consequence of the crow,
8 could not get to the wheel-house to as
e certain the reason, but was informed
!. that the helmsman had deserted hi
y post, and the vessel was left to her
r self, headed to the wind.
i At this time the scene on the quar-
: ter deck was indescribable and trul,
: heart-rending. Passengers were rush
e ing to and fro; husbands seeking
e wives wives in search of husbands
relatives looking after relatives; moth
ers lamenting their children some
wholly paralyzed by fear; Others
: madly crying to be saved but few
perfectly calm and collected. The
flames pressed so closely upon them
that many jumped into the sea. Rela.
tlves, clasped in each others arms,
leaped over and met watery grave.
Two girls, supposed sisters, jumped
over and sank, kissing each other.
missionary and wife leaped into the
sea together, and the stewardess and
assistant steward, arm-in-arm, fol-
lowed.
One Hungarian gentleman, with
seven fine children, -four girls made
his wife jump in, then blessed the six
oldest children, made them jump in
one after the other, and followed them,
with an infant in his own arms.
About this time | was standing out
side the bulwarks, holding on by the
davlts, leaning ont to avoid the flames.
which were leaping towards me. Saw
a swamped boat under me, spinning
by rope still attached to the ship.
As the oars were tiedin her. thought
if got TO her | should be enabled TO
save myself and save others. Let
myself down by the rope, passing
over man who was clinging to it,
but who refused to come with me.
Took out my penknife to cut the tackle,
when the large blade broke; then
severed it with the small blade. The
ship passed ahead As it approached
the screw, found the boat drawn to-
wards it !; tried to keep the boat off,
but the screw caught and capsized her
over me. Dived away from the ship,
and came to the surface near the boat,
which was keel uppermost. Got on
her, and by pressing on one side, with
the assistance Of a wave, she rightcd,
but was still swampcd The oars had
! been knocked out by the screw. The
only thing 7 could iini In heI tU pad
die with were some laths nailed to-
gethcr as sheathing for the sides.
When looked around, the ship was
a quarter Of mile from me. | could
see ladies and gentlemen Jumping off
the poop into the water in twos and
thrces, some in flames several hes
itated To leap from the burning ship
until the last moment, as the height
was % feet, and only at length when
compelled to throw themselves off to
avoid more painful death.
In half an hour not soul was to
be seen on the poop. Pulled after the
ship-picked up German, who was
swimming strongly. Got him beside
me on the boat and padded after the
ship with laths.
Saw a vessel under sail approach
ing she reached the steamer about
3 ?. NJ. We continued pulling to.
wards them, and about half-past seven
O'Clock, after being five hours in the
water, got within hail of the sailing
vessel, which put off a boat and took
us on board
She proved to be the French bark
Maurice, Capt. Earnest Remand, of
Nantes, bound from New Foundland
for the Isle of Bourbon, with fish.
She had, up to that time, rescued 40
passengers of the burning steamer,
chiefly taken off the bowsprit, but
few were picked up floating around.
About p. NJ. one of the metallic
boats came up with about % persons,
including the lst and Sd officers. Af-
terwards three or four men were picked
up floating on piece of broken boat
The 2d officer was taken up, having
been swimming with nothing to float
upon, for six hours. The % and Sd
officers were severely burned. One
male passenger was burned fright
fully, and some other male passen-
gers slightly.
There were but six women saved,
three Of whom were burnt, one of them
in shocking manner.
Capt. Rcnaud acted with the utmost |
kindness gave clothes as far as he |
could furnish them to the suffering
passengers acted as nurse, doctor |
and surgeon to the burned people !; |
dressing the wounds of the females |
with delicacy and tenderness that |
evinced benevolent and amiable dis
position
| did not see an officer OF the ship |
during the fire, and am certain there |
was not one Of them or the crew on |
the poop, except the man at the wheel
for a short time.
Understood that when the Captain
heard OF the fire, he rushed on deck |
without any cap, and when he saw the |
flames, exclaimed" We are all lostr |
He tried to get out a boat, which when
let down, was swamped and he,
whether accidentally or not | do not
know, fell into the sea, and was soon
left far behind The 4th officer was
in this boat he cut her loose from
the davits she was carried under the
screw and smashed. Several in her
were drowned, but three or four men
escaped on fragment OF the boat
and were picked up by the Maurice,
as before stated
About the same time one metallic
life boat was let down from the port
bow and swamped, but got cleared
away with thirty-three persons in her,
including the first and third officers
and several women. The men in this
boat capsized her two or three times
trying to clear her of water Ten
persons were thus drowned, including
some women. They afterwards bailed