Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-01
ss5sLfNCHBURG THURSDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 1.ls5s

sist such Of the passengers m are destitute.
The parser cf the Indian supplies the following |
account, p41a, --
On the morning of the 2ls. inst, at Ave o'clock,
in hasy. bu, MT thick weather, tho vessel struck
on Deal Lodges, grent number Of irregular rocks
almost entirely covered at high water. and over
which the waves break with great violence in
stormy weather. These ledsos arc a. the mouth
Of tho email fishing harbor called Marie Joseph,
about sixty five miles east of Halifax. The vessel
went on withoutn shock but with rip fiom tire
sound Of which IL very evident that the bottom
Of the forward part at least WAS literally turn out
Before the ircmcn could leave tho stoke hole tho
water was nearly up TO the rosf Of the furnace
doors. In twenty minutes tho engine room WIS
filed almost up to the hilhes; platform. Boats
were got out IA soon possible, hut with dficul-
ty, Tho starboard aud port boats, Nos l aud 2,
were swung dasits 50 low M to be clear Of the
rail. The entire efforts of the crew were then h.
rocted towards lowering the bonts three and four.
No. 3. under The charge of Mr.. Smith, tho second
officer was launched In safety. but al attempts to
launch M. ! were ior u long while fruitless. -
While the men were no employed, and, a. nearly
rs can recollect, about forty y-fve minutes afier
she struck, with tremendous crash the vessel
began To part amidshlps. Most Of tho hands left
the boat NJ whirh they were working and crowd.
cd to those which wero cut. 1t was at this time
that the lo>s Of life took plnce. The two forward
boats being nearest the steerage, were those ~
which the stecrage passengers crowded. The
German families, all we'll IA all the other passen-
gers that were lost, wero lost there. The anlv
way in which cnn account for it IL this: When
the vessel struck the was almost calm. In
mediately alter u considerable swell arose, and ut
the very time she hegun to brenk up tho 8 awas
breaking with great vip nee against boat No |,
which WAS crowded md that some ncautious per-
cried to those standing by u cut tho fall. His
orders were oheyel. and the consequence was the
stem wa smashed 10 atoms against tho ships side
nnd most Of the people in her perished. Por,
boat M. 2, which also swung on davils. shared
tue same fate Oae Of the davits gave way with
the weight of the people in her, aud at tho snmo
moment with boat No. l. she swan ped aud
turned bottom upwards. 1t is supposed that the
engineers were drowned uut OF hcr. Mr.. Smith
thrn brought round his boat to lccward Of tho ves
sci, where he was To lay off until daylight would
enable him I" pick up some more from the wreck,
Int this he found il impossible to d.. IIe was
driven out 10 and with great difficulty he man
ngrd 10 hing hIs boat 10 land. about thirty.fve
mjlcs westward from the wreck.
Another boat, in charge Of Mr.. Tibbetts, fourth
officer, aud one in charge oi tho bontswain after
vainly endeavorng for hours to return To the
wreck. gDt ashore NJ Malie Joseph. There WITS
a'so anuher boat lowered in comparative safety:
but hlcd IA soon IA she reached the water. Mr..
Bigan. tnrd officer, went down to assist those
already in the boat bnng hat wns driven out to
sen and has once been heard of. About day
ward pnrt falling almost over n its beam and the
after part set!l'ng down in nbout twcntyone feet
! of the water. Throughout the lay tho passengers
aud the crew were taken of ly boats belonging To
the place. md through the pight sought 10 reward
! themselves by visiting the wre and carrying IF
all the silver plate, together with the whole cloth
ing belonging to the pa,senger4 and crow. Every
eh'rt was made that night 10 get boats Grow. hut
not single man could be found who would 60. The
nagistra es nrc endeayerng to trace the guilty pnr-
ties bgt thus far unsuccessfulIv.
boats crew went out on Tuesday morning To
see il any OF the wreck remained, and they re.
turned with tho news that not single plate II thu
vessel to DO seen.
, Earl Mulgrave Lieutenant Governor Of Nova
Scotia; Sir Houston Stuart Admirn of the Brit
sh West lndn fleet, and Capt. Hickey Of the Eng
ish war steamer Gladiator. werc prominently yea
lous and successful in their eif.rs to relieve tho
passengers and Of the Indian.
STATEMENT OF THE Third NATE.
- [From ne Boston Trareter Nor. 261
Mr. james Bigsan. third mate Of the stenmcr
Indian, arrived at this part Ia It evening in the
schooner Wave, Captain Med maid from Chariot
tetown having been picked up hy her at sen, with
four Others, from of the b lrts OF the steamer
lndian. Nj. Biggan snys that the steamer cxpe
| ricnced severe we.crly gales lie most Of the pms
sage, but sustained no damage worth reportins
She made Cape Race, and from thence took n frcsb
cloudy that no observation could be obtained. but
the Captain feeling confident If his position, kept
under full head Of steam. -
On Monday morning the wen her was very dark;
the Captain was on deck occasionally: the duties
Of the ship was conducted in the usual style-that
is, one watch was below and the other on deck no
! danger was apprehended. About five o'clock how.
ever. going at the rate If ten milesan hour, she
ran upon n sunken reef about two miles from the
shore. She was steering wrs, Mt the time, by CON-
pass; the chiei and third mates the officers Of
the watch; the outside Of the reef was smooth
and the wind moderate. All hands were immediate
ly on deck. and the Captain assumed command.
Ho ordered tho helm a starboard. and the engines
storped, but the ship was immo veabe. She had run
nearly her whole length aground.
Orders were then issued to clear away the boats
OF which she had seven, but in lowering them three
third oficer. Mr.. Biggan, two seaman, John Ben
nett and John Fursand assistant steward. Charles
Barlow and butcher, James Cuttings, got into the
boat No. 4. and kept her alongside, though half
full OF water, to receive passengers. She sup
plied with oars aad there were four buckets in
her for bailing. but while clearing her Of water the
line by which she fast, parted and she drifted
seaward.
In vain they tried to return to the ship; their
boat was hall full of water, and only kept a.
float BY the air compartments in her. Mr.. BggaH
said he saw two boats land but knew nothing Of
the fate Of the third. Borne soaward by the chr-
rent ard SWELL those in the boat coud still sec the
steamer, several hours, and though We have later
nc counts by telegraph stating that she had broke
in two, Mr.. Biggau saw her mizzeu mast standing
four hours after she struck .fl1B .4
Considering the suddenness Of the accident, an
that one watch rushed on deck. Mr.. Biggan says
there was very little confusion. Every order WAS
promptly obeysd. The men stationed 81 the boats
were on hand, and the passengers gave way to M
fears. Il was the broken swell which swept over
ihc reef that destroyed the boats more than ANY
characterization in lowering them.