Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-28
Terrible Suffering at Sea.


New York papers contain the following statement
of John Elliott, one of the crew Of the Dromabair,
of the suffering undergone by himself and his
companions:
The British bark Dromahair sailed fr I'M Quebec
on the Goth Of November. 1865, for Greenock,
S,otland loaded with lumber, and manned by
thirteen persons. including the captain and mate.
She carried no passengers. Her officers were
John Hutchinson, Captain; John Elliott first mate;
and Vim. Henderson. second mate. The following
are the names Of the rest Of the crew. Hector
McNauebton. Hector Monroe Doueaid Campbell
James Henderson, Henry Frost. Samuel Cochran.
George Mcintosh. John Murray, JAS Mctirail and
John McInnes. The bark was built in st. John.
New Brunswick, and carried 800 tons. The voy
age was not characterized by anything worthy Of
note until Saturday, the 18Th day of December;
thea ~ the sun crossed the meridian, II storm
connrncei
The Dromahar was then in about so deg and
80 minutes north latitude, and 80 degrees west
longitude. The captain ordered sail to be taken
in and the deck clenred. At three O'clock the
ship was hove to, bu, the winds crushed roaring
on tossing her like Il feather on the foam. AT
seven o'clock she shipped sea capszing the
lon. bout aud the life boat. which was inside Of
IT, iorclns both from the lee rail into the sea- The
Long boat was stove to pieces, and had To be bro
ken up still more to the life boat. The ship
had already begun to make water, and all hands
hut three were put at the pumps.
Thus the night passed; occasional showers of
tlil being driven tmrously down upon the bark.
Between these showers the moon occasionally
pierced the tissue # flcecy clouds. and tipped The
cres, foam of the raging pillows with u wavy, ire
mulous light.
About five o'clock on Sunday morning the 10Th
ef December. thu little bark shipped another trc-
mendous sen, which carried away the port bull
warks and stancheons split the covering board,
carried AWAY the cook house, tore the life boat
from the deck where it had been dashed carried
AVA, the companion and the ste ,rnge wheel. Mr..
George Mcintosh. the pilot at the wheel, was
struck by the mountain bilnw-
Dashed the helm and plunged headong in the main"
Tie little boat hanging at the starboard davts
was also swept away, with large portion of the
standing and running rigging. Nearly all the
snil. at this time blown from the yards At
the time the wave struck, NIL the men were at the
pumps. They jumped for their lives and when
the water cleared off. they found themselves jam
med INTO corners about tho deck. One man was
high up in the rigging. The waves swept as high
IL the maintop. The winter ran int, the cabin,
stove the bukheads.and flowed into the bedroom;
destroying nearly all the bread in it, They had
only one barrel OF bread left after this calamity:
il happened to be slowed away in spare locker.
The cabin stairs were carried away.and everything
torn mp that impeded the course of the madlcned
waves. Sea after sea swept over the laborng ship,
the seeking merc y to cling TO her. knowing
that as she loaded with lumber she could not
90 down. Whenever they could they worked at
III" pumps, trying to keep the waterdown as much
rs possible.
All day Sunday the storm continued, but not
quite violently. About eight o'clock Sunday
night the pumps were utterly disabled Ivy sea.
Then the storm began to moderate, but the water
gained on Us.
At one o'clock on Monday morning there were
thirteen feet OF water in the vessel. Seeing there
~ hope lat in the pump we commenced to
repair 1t, aud tho wind had somewhat abaic1, we
got IT to work, and the ship free from water Nv
noon Of Monday. We cleared away the mrcca n
MUCH IA possible and tried to get some canvass
on her to steady her. We made a tller and got
her we could work he, pretty well; but at eight
o'clock Monday uisht there arose II tremendou,
gac--n wind even more furious than We had
h'reteiHre h.i-dashing the sea over the ship fore
and att, The storm WAS 50 violent we could not
remain Mt tho pumps. Tho wind continued to
blow all night fcarfuliv.
The mountain high and steep
AZ six o'clock Tuesday morning the water was
ny over the cabin floor. We were all obliged to
Z, into the cabin 10 save ourselves from being
washed overheard, az the bulwarks had been torn
away. But after swept rs and
filled the cabin, we were compelled to run from it
AMI get int, small iorecastlo house on d, ok.
built in with the rise Of the deep, about three feet
above dock.
When the Dromahair was used As n passenger
ship this house was used as n second cabin. When
were forced to leave the cabin we got thirty or
forty pounds of bread, put it in bag aud to5k it
along with III to the lit le deck house. We had
IA water and no other food cxcert some salt meat,
which we got afterwards. The storm continued,
and we remained in the house fora few days. then
the hulkheals of it were knocked down and the
~acr ga free ,.ctess to IT, passing through II nj
every urch Of the vessel. The bark now
completely wn;erogged, and would have sunk had
She MT brcn lmied with lumber The storm
= n. O,l