Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-11-19
Daily Tir9iaiau.
From the New York Tribune
Wreck of tho Ship Empress of Braxil-
EiDhf IiYaa Loaf

TO- at this port, from Caao. on Saturday last, We
learn that the French clippcr-ship Empress Of
| Brazil, Capt Charadana, was lost on Rocas Shoal
on the 10th Of last month. together with eight Of
for llayrc, on the 9Th Of October, with n cargo Of
coffee and l"gwood. Including passengers there
| were SO persons all told On board. Her voyage
prospered up to the night Of the 10th of October,
when, being very swim ssiler, II was calculated
that by dayligh, she would be abreast Of the Rocas
u small rocky island. lo5 miles N. E. Of Cape St.
Rogue, in lat. 20 So s., Ion. 33' AZ ". Unfortu-
na,ely tho ship had outran her reckoning. and
about IL o'clock at night she ran head foremost
upon the rocky shoals Of Rooas. Tho night was
clear. md tho moon up at the time. tisyery
singular therefore that serious n disaster should
some eight nine feet above tho level Of the sea
and five are correctly informed. a tower (which
| WAS to have been completed last August) has hcen
erected upon it, that lean be seon l2mlos distant
| in clear weather. Capt Charadaun, however, says
he did not 500 tho tower, and charges his misca-
culntion Of the position of the ship to tho strong
current which mperceptibly drifed hin, towards
the ro'ks. As tho ship was going free before tho
wind. at tho timc Of tho disaster, and It was i'm
possible to back her or he concluded that his only
resource was to try and beat oyor tho reef. Before
attempting to do this. however, ho prudcntly low
crcd the only boats he had on board-a leaky, di-
lapidatod long boat. which was thcn on dock un.
dergong repairs vt tho carpenters hands, and
small gig lnto these he placed tho passengers and
sufficient number Ut sramen To take care Of them
together with such provisions ms might be requi-
rcd III the even; OF the shp breaking upur siuking.
This done, he set his mon to work lighterng the
Ship hy throwing overheard tho cargo. 1t was
soon nsccrtained, however. thnt sho was leaking
~ II fearful rate. Still Capt Charadnnn did not
despair Of saving her, and he and his men reloub-
led their cxertons to free her of wa cr and heave
over her cargo. At length their efforts were up
rarcntly successful she began to forge ahead
Captain Charndana now sent nil tho <Icmander
Of the crew, save his mate and eight men. into
the boats. which he ordered 10 DO kept some dis
tance from the ship, and then clnppcd ON sail aud
drove her toward deep water. As She thumped
her way over the reef hc saw her keel come up
alongside. Then ho knew that his worst fears
were about 10 bc realized. The eight sailors were
standing on tho lee side. near the fore rigging,
Capt. Charadnna On the quarterback. aud tho
mate Caurain IA tho m1hcn chains when tho ship
cleared the rocks. She had no sooner entered deep
water than she filled and went down, hend tore-
most, twelve inthomS deep.
Capt. Chnrndana shouted word Of warning to
his men. and plunged overheard. his mate follow
ing him, and struck out rs fast as possible from
tho ship. The poor fellow forward attempted to
40 likewise; but the sinking ship sucked thcm
down into the vortex and but one OF them escaped.
The captain and mate were also dragged down
far under water but succeeded in struggling to
the surface amid n mass of wreck stuff that ioated
over the spot where tho ship had been cngul phed.
Chnra1ana and Cnurain swan for the boat, and
succeeded in reaching them and getting on board.
The boats were then rowed over the scene of the
wreck. in the hope Of saving some Of the seamen,
hut the only living things Atloat we're u cat, two
logs and II lamb. These were taxed on board,
md then hawser was passed from the long boat
the x Z. and they lay 10 until daybrcak. The
oil was then called and the following persons, Of
he crew, did not respond to their names:
j. II. f. IIutinct carpenter; Francis Price, sen
nan Louis Drecnmpc, steward; Theo. Manahia,
.eaman; L. NJ. Omnex seaman jacques Huchi,
'caman,
All the passengers that were saved and their
,amcs: Louis j. E,icnon, Mrs. E,icnon and son,
Malam Aum Mad Mosae Godchaim. 4 daugh-
crs ind son; Pohle Miguel, JOS c. Courient
Josephine Glonin and son.
The nnmes Of the officers and crew who escaped
ire: A. Chnrndana, captain; A. Canrain, mate
700. Smith boaiswain; Joseph Bnndon, ~ Laiflc
Iunn Julco,, Louis Robert. Jean Coumain, S. Ba-
nur p. liingant Jean Comen, j. j. Same, Louis
Scrinenoul, Eugene Dubrua, Thco Des?urne, q.
Sonnr, T.. Dcnnnu
| The rpre,hought Of Capt. Charadana had fur
,iShcd the bonts with wafer, bread, wine, and pre-
| 4crvcl meats, together with compnsscs and
| ails But the prospect before them ut tho
,est dismal enough. They had just escaped the
arrible fate that had befallen portion Of their
! .umler, and now found themselves ahoat on the
! ,nnts, several days sail from the nearest land.
1t was resolved to make for the Brazilian coast.
The gig went foremost. with the long bont in tow.
The latter was indeed in sorry plight. Destitute
Of gunwale one side and leaking like sieve
At every seam. it required The continuous efforts of
two men to bale her out. The thoughtlulncss of
the captain was now made more manifest. They
found boards sheet lead. duck and slush. with
nails and hammers, provided by him, in the boat,
to patch her up well as possible. With these
materials rough gunwale was nailed on. and the
larger leaks partially stopped. Though deeply
laden, the two boats made fair headway by the aid
Of sails and oars During the l7th two ships pass
! oil with free wind the boats, and those on
! board must have their flag of distress if they
did not hear their hoarse cries and the reports of
their muskets. But neither of them turned aside
to pick them up. fortunately, the day and night
of the 18th clear, with fair weather, for IL
would have required but very little to send the
crazy ong-boat to the bottom. They were blessed
too, with warm weather; for if the disaster had
happened in our bleak latitude, the poor women
and children. constantly wet with the spray that
! broke over the boats would have suffered terribly
from tho exposure; and some OF them would assu-
redly have given way under it. Their situation,
however, was deplorable enough. although Capt.
Claradana and his men did their utmost ~ make
the passengers as comfortable as the circumstances
would allow. 1t was therefore with unfeigned
delight that they saw the dawn of the second day
after their shipwreck, hoping that ere it set the
Good Samaritan Of the deep would come to their
| succor.
about days sail from land their hearts were
cheered by the appearance of large ship. career
ing along with stern. sails set on each side allow
and ao.t Fearing that she might pass them un-
Needed yet unmindful that all was not as calous
to tho call of humanity as the two Levitcs OF the