The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-25
PRICE TWO CENTS
FEARFUL SHIPWRECK. :

The ship Centurion, Captain Calkius, from Glas-
gov January Sd, arrived at this port this morning.
She has on board two of the crew of the British
bark Dromhair, which vessel waterogged at
sea- Captain Calkins reports: January 9th, lati-
tude 81 4O' longitude lSo, fell in with British
bark Dromhair. from Quebec for Sligo waterlogged
and took off the survivors of the crew. seven in
number, the remainder (fvc) having perished
through starvation, having been twenty -one days
on the wreck, with onls half a biscuit day, and
what water they caught when it rained.
Our reporter visited the two seamen rescued from
the Dromhar, which brought to port this
morning They state that the ship sailed from
Quebec on the 20th of November, with a crew of
thirteen men and passengers, laden with lumber.
On Saturday, Dec. 18th, about noon, a very
heavy northwest gale sprung up, with occasional
showers OF hail. About three o'clock the ship was
hove to. About seven in the evening shipped a
tremendous sea, which capsized the long boat, and
were obliged to break it in pieces to save small
boat inside it from destruction The ship then
sprung leak and all hands were put at the pumps,
where they continued to labor until about FIVE
O'Clock Sunday morning, the running higher
and the leak increasing. .s
At that time they shipped another tremendous
wave, which swept the deck of everything moya-
ble carried away the bulwarks and stanchions,
split the covering-board, took away the cook
house, stove the cOmpanon-way, and swept away
the wheel, together with the man at the helm.
named George Macintosh, who was not again
The little boat hanging at the starboard davits
was also swept away, with large portion of the
standing and running rigging. All the sails were
at this time blown from the yards. At the time
the wave struck, all the men at the pumps.
They jumped for their lives, and when the water
cleared of, they found themselves jammed into cor
ners about the deck One man found himself high
up in the rigging. The wave swept as high as the
maintop. The water ran into the cabin stove the
bulkheads, and flowed into the bread-room de-
stroying all the bread in it. They had only one
barrel OF bread left after this calamity, which hap
pened to be slowed away in a spare locker.
From this time the weather began to moderate
and the men worked at the pumps as much as they
could, lodging into the cabin to prevent being
washed away by heavy seas.
About O'Clock, Sunday night, the pump gave
out, and they not able to get it in operation
again until O'Clock Monday morning at which
time there was thirteen feet of water in the hold
Pumping was then resumed, and by Monday noon
all the water was worked out. They cleared the
wreck and attempted to get on canvas which occu
| pied them until o'clock Monday night, when
another furious gale arose. The sea rushed over
the ship fore and aft, and the were compelled
! to abandon the pumps. The storm continued all
| night; and about six o'clock Tuesday morning the
water had riSin above the cabin floor, and the suf
ferers were compelled to abandon it and take theil
chances in small house on deck, which had beer
so built in that it had not been washed away.
The ship was now completely waterlogged, an6
nothing more could be done. There thirty oil
forty pounds of bread, but no water. Capt
! Hutchinson, by cutting channel around the fore
mast, and inserting a small leather spout, managed
to catch little water whenever it rained This hf
| saved in a two-gallon demiohn, and served out to
bis men, while it lasted, at the rate of half tea
cuptul day to each. On Tuesday, tine 4th of Janu
ary, the last ration of bread was served out, ant
from that time, till the following Sunday, the only
means they had of allaying hunger was by chewing
! strips of salt beef and port How they must have
| lived, drifting with the sea, and washed by it
waves, with but half biscuit day for subsistence
may be imagined. The house on deck stood wei
until the bulkheads of the cabin were washed away
After that the men were liable to be deluged a
every lurch of the vessel
About the lst of January, John McInnis died o
| hunger and exposure. The same night Harry Eros
became deranged and went over the side, hanging
only by his hands. Some of the men tried to pul
him in, but he was soon washed away.
Next day James McGrail washed into th
| cabin and drowned. Samuel Coffran and John Muir
ray, boy, died on the 9th just as the ship Centu
rion bore down to take off the survivors.
John Hutchinson, the captain, John Elliott anC
Hector McNaughten alone able to stand wheI
rescued. The names of the others saved are: Hec
| tor Monroe, William Henderson, James Henderson
| and Dugal Campbell.
All but Elliott and McNaughten were transferred
February oath, to the ship Magellan, from BostoI
| Tor Swansea, having perfectly recovered the
! health and strength. Elliott was of those VIII,
assisted in saving the passengers of the ll-fatet
steamship Central America, and in his hour of neeC
he too, found friend.
! When Captain Calkins, of the ship Centurion
| hove too under the lee of the Dromhar, it wa
! blowing gale; but, notwithstanding he lowered
| his boats and went to the disabled ship. On ar
irving there a scene before them such as sci
| dom presents itself to man-the dead and dying ly
ing there intermingled
The living were carefully lowered into the boat
of the Centurion, and when on board that ship ev
cry care and attention which one sailor could Civ
another was given. Mrs. Calkins fortunately &C
companied her husband this voyage, and the res
cued speak in terms of the highest praise of her gen
tie and unremitting exertions for their benefit.