New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-15
MARINE AFFAIRS
LOSS OF THE snip JOHN GILPIy.
SAFETY or Tx PASSENGERS AND CREW.

b. Ford OF Brooklyn, n. Y, and M. Sherwood OF
Boston, passengers Of the late ship John Gpin fou.-
dered 6: sea Oft Cape Horn The following pa'ticu- |
ars connected with the disaster furnished Capt
Stephenson by the passengers:
The ship John Glpin, Of about 100 tuns burden
Capt. John +. Ropes sailed from Honolulu IS H.
Nov 30 1857 with cargo Of whale oil aud bone and
Is passengers. bound for New Bedford Mass. We
sailed with fair wind and everything indicating
pleasant snd speedy voyage. Nothing occurred, ex-
cept the inc Cidents TO voyage until tho
18th OF January; this day began with fresh and iu-
creasing gales; p. m, blowing very strong, with
eayy sea. At i. III. OF January - heavy shock
was experienced by all on board but a. the time was
attributed 10 heavy striking the ship, the sea
beirg very rough, and blowing a perfect gale. The
pumps were attended usual. and the ship found to
be making no more water than usual. At a. n.,
passed fed of ice at 10 a. IN, when the pumps
were started they not freeing the ship IN the usual
time the well was sounded, and five feet OF wster
found in the hold All bands set at the pumps,
and seach made or the leak, which resulted in finding
the cutwater and part of the msn stem gone as Tar as
could be seen on looking the bows, and probably
caused by collision with sunken ice at the time the
shock was felt At this time tie was running 20
bigh and the ship pitching anu !abonng 80 violently
that poihing could be done in that quarter to repair
damages Two Of the officers were now sent below IN
the fore peak and reported that they could hear the
wa:er running ia fast, and could see the man stem
working as tie vessel rose and fell in the sea AT l.
m WERE BY dead reckoning, in lat. 81 10 y, lon -
o. W.; a fearful high sea running, AMI constantly
breaking over u.s. the chip sboring heavily, aud
strong gales continuing. The pumps were again
sounded and eight feet of water found in the hold
the leak having made three feet IN two hours. AZ
about p. IN. the captain informed US that we must
prepare for the worst, the leak fast gaming on her'
without sny prospect of soppingit. AT 9p IN. passed
another very large iceberg Throughout the night 1t
wss very dark ht IVY sea running constantly break
ing over and delugng the decks the weasel moving
Ike 20 much lead, and prospects were lcdeed most
gloomy In a ship leaking beyond any human efforts
to prevent it, in gale and our only hope of safety
resting upon the boats which were noue ot the oes'l'
800 miles from the nearest land, the Faulkland
Islands which were dead to windward, 1t now became
very evident that unless aid of some description pEo'l-
dentaly reached ns, We must perish. Our bosts 40
quarter boats aod launch were prepared for lowering
provisions and water placed in them aud everything
in readiness for leaving the ship when It should become
necessary; and anxiousy awaited tie dawn oil da!'
At clock a. m., Saturday, 3O.h January sounding
gave 10 feet water in the hold, ami We could distinctly
hear the noise of the oasas below breaking from Their
beds and floating about. The ship was now becoming
more and more sluggish in her movements and quite
unmansg able and ali felt that sAe must soon Do
abandoned to her fate. soon after daylight the we-
come sound of Sail hoi" heard, and large ship
was seen on our weather bow. sgns OF distress
was Immediately set and several guns fired to
attract her attention, and in short time
we had the pleasure of seeiug her shorten sail
aud heaye.to for US. As approached, her
csptaip seeing condition, was already prepared
TO assist U.s. ard by the time We had hove ID had dis
pschei 40 life boats well manned, which rendered
US very substantial service in transferring passengers
and luggsge-our two quarter b9qs having been stove
and rendered perfectly usesss The fret trip they made
Owing to the heavy runring the transhPmeut OF
passengers was proceeding attended with much dau'
ger AID it is almost miraculous that nothing IN the
way of accident occurred At noon al the passengers
and crew with such property "a could be saved. were
safely On board our deyerer which proved to be the
Eng. sh chip Hereordshire one of the old Eat India
Co.. frigstes Capt Thos. 5. Scott, of London, loIp
the Chncha Islands, bound to Cork. We were kindly
welcomed on board by Capt. Scott in person. VINO
thougbtfully provided for our every want. The last
we saw of the John Gipin was about p m., when
her mizzenmast had gone overheard.
The supply Of provisions and water ON board the
Herefordshre being insufficient for the wants OF forty
five unexpected guests and her for the passage to
Cork Capt. Scott decided 10 put into Bahia Brazil,
where We arrived after stormy and rough passage on
Tuesdsy March .. We found in port only one Amerl-
can vesse. homeward bound-he brig Hurric .ne Bird,
and for Baltimore, expected to sail on March lin
which a portion Of our passengers, MI Stevens ani
family and Miss Pitman, Capt Ropes, hs officers AMI
part of the crew. took passage. The baarce oil ths
crew-twslvs in Dumber-were forwarded by the
American Consul in the lIeretordshne, via CNA,
home and the remainder Of the passengers tine United
States Government having made no proy'oa' Tor snip
wrecked passengers, unlike the English Government
took passage in the Hersordshire trusting IN ProU-
deLce to get home from Cork
The Herefordshire sailed again on tho afternoon oi
Tuesday March Q. On the morning OF the ioth March
LAT. u 81 S. lon 30 81 W, she was spoken by the
clipper ship South, Capt. George B. Stephenson who
upon learning the situation Of the passengers Iimds
stev went on board, and offered them passage 10
New.York. which was most gladly and gratefully ac-
cepted aud the weather being favorable, they AMI
their baggage were speedily transferred capt. ococ
with characteristic generosity, inssted In sendins o"
board variety of creature comforts and small stores
pigs poultry, &c.nesry sufficient to last the pa''on
gers 10 New.YOrk
Capt Scott, bis family snd oosrs by their kind ani
uureu ltting attentions the passengers curing sHe
tine they were On board his ship, hss placed 'fem
urier deep aud lasting oblga,ions
sENoRAsDA Or THE SHIP jobs "lIPiN.
Dec. -, lat 50 - s., ion. lC5 10 L'' spoke
American whaling bark Superior, Of ami from New
Bedford month. out clean. Jan. |, at. 45' 10 D.,
ION. III f., came up to and spoke shP Harriet and
Iii. Cant. JsnOua l. days from Hoeoulu, tor