The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-10-10
MARINE DISASTER Ri!
Probable loss Of the Stea mship
quaker City.


Probable loss Of the Stea mship
quaker City.
The Bay steamer Louisiana arrived here
yesterday morning With ninety five passen'
gers which had been taken from 'the bark
"Dunbarton," Capt. Chaibarn, of Old
Point. These passengers had been taken
from the steamship Quaker City under the
following circumstances.
The Quker City left New York on Wed
nesday last about o'clock, P. NJ, for Ha,
vana, with the following list of passengers:
John Devers, John W Devers, Madame G
de Seclier, Jose Ordetx, | P Secre, / G
Thune ,..Suarez Valdez, Juan de la Busta, F
F G kirch Zudoch Dustin, William Irwin,
Miguel Bueno M Miranda, L jay, W K
Thomas, Charles Edmonston, NJ Armstrong,
Jared Anderson, R N Richardson, Joshua
Ogibie, William S Heaps, Andrew Riley,
Adolfo Martin, Davis Doblinski, Leonard
Devices, William Allen, Mrs Chartrand
and friend, Henry Hall and Lady, A Will
| son, j Brooks, Edward l. Crabbe, lady and
child, S Bello and lady, Martin Mora and
| son, jain s Harris and lady, John Chart
rand, A de Bauday, Mrs + Golibart, Miss
| Louisa Obi, Wilson, s Bello Miguel
P Sastre, A Cordivise, F R Diaz, D Jose
| Diaz, Mrs Charles Beardman and child, Mrs
| e B Thompson, Miss Jane Morrison, NJ Ga
brelle, lady and son, c W Farrance, wife
and child, MO Davidson, ladies, servant
and child, S s Lloyd, I Lloyd, W Wood
tord; R Petrello, G de Zaldo, Thos Free
man,M Mattargrains, Henry Jones, James
| Rocc; thirty storage "mechanics Tor the
Matanzas R R." Il d
/ The weather was fine, the ship made good
Roadway and everything was working
smoothly and comfortably antil about one
o'clock Thursday morning, whex the pas
| sengers were aroused by an unusual thum p
| ing sound, which proceeded from the en-
I CINE room. The unusual character of the
noise started them from their beds, come OF
them thinking the boiler had nursted. Their
| first impulse was to rush On deck and get
the SHIPS boats ready to launch. With this
in view, they were supplied with provisions;
but an examination of the ship disclosed the
fact that there was no Immediate danger.
| The pumps were tried and it wa. found that
the ship was not making w4ter, SO the pro-
/
treasured. An insp .ction of the machinery
now took place, and it was discovered that
the ever Of the engine Ga marine engine)
was broken; the fortunate TACT that it broke
on the upward stroke, was also developed
since it is supposed that had it broke on the
down stroke, it must have u 4shed through
the bottom of the ship, land in all probA iity
! have caused her to slak. 1t was also ascar-
| tanned that the Engineer who was standing
by at the time the lever gave way ,disconnec-
ted the engine, and smut off the steam before
| it could make another revelation, consequent
| ly before the piston could take volume of
| steam from the tip of the cylinder. This is
| spoken of as being most fortuatte for has
| the steam been let on from the top after the
breaking Of the lever the bottom OF the cyl
| inder must have been knocked out, and con
siderablo damage done to bota life and prop,
| erty. A still farther inspection developed
the fact that the side connections had cut
the telling from and had made considerable
indentation on the main steam pipe, without
cutting it, however. This is considered as
almost miraculous, for had the main pipe
been cut the destruction of life and property
(perhaps the whole ship) must have been
immense, since the steam from the whole OF
the four boilers must have rushed into the
| saloons and scalded or smothered the passen-
| gers before they could have gotten from their
beds. The Engineers and fremen must have
persisted instantly, and then the engine
would have been left without controlling
| power and while steam lasted, must have
continued to crash and tear all things around
it to pieces.
After making all these inspections, and
finding that the ship was not injured, and
that there was no further danger to be ap
pretended from the machinery, from the
fact, that it was too badly damaged to be
used, and the steam had been let off FROM
the boilers, an attempt was made to get
Roadway on the ship by hosting her sails;
these were too small, and it was discovered
that they were inadequate to the task Of
keeping her before the wind;th consequences
was that the ship drifted about in the trough
of the sea until daybreak, when signal of
distress was keisted. This remained at the
masthead until noon before it attracted at
tention. During the whole of this time, the
passengers remained cool and quiet, and the
crew exerted themselves to get the ship up
| to the wind, but without avail, as she would
not obey her helm. About noon, the Bark
"Dunbarton," Captain Chadburn, hove in
sight, and bore down upon them. At this
time there was considerable sea running, and
it was four o'clock in the afternoon, (Thurs-
day. before he succeeded in getting off the
ninety-fve passengers. The captain, crew
| and the remainder of the passengers remain
La - AZ g