Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-16

wreck Of the Roynl Charter-.FOur Hum /
drod aud Finy Persons Drowned
The screw steamship Royal Charter was an
Australian clipper famed for the regularity and
speed Of her voyages She was lost in the
gallo Of Oct 29th, when within four hours sail
of Liverpool, together with 400 Of her paSsen-
gers and crew When it was found in the
thick atmosphere that the ship had got near
shore, su effort was made to put her about,
but The hatucane prevented. She was soon
driven t. The rocks, and swung broadsido to
the land only some ten yards distant. Every
wave beat over the ship like a cataract, but at
daylight few islanders came to the assistance
Of the crew, a hawser was got ashore, chair
rgged which could be hsulcd to and from the
ship by men ct each end, and about dozen
aeomcn safely landed. This process it was
supposed would be sufficient to land all the
passengers, but terrible catastrophe awaited
them The account says:
About o'clock, the waves beating against
her brosdside nth continued violence, she sud
denly snapped asuuder amidships, and tum'
| bled in pieces like house of cards. All the
saloons-as they had been repeatedly assured
by some Of the more active parties and by
Capt Taylor and his officers, that there was
no immediate danger. The falling machinery
and lumber seemed TO buy 400 Of the wretched
people II sbelieved that large numbers were
actually killed bv the falling debris, but soon
afterward the whole ship was broken up like a
shattered bottle. The scenes on board during
the last hour were painful beyond description.
Wives and husbands children and parents,
lovers and friends were embracing each other
with the consciousness that they were about to
meet inevitable death The Rev Mr.. Hodge
a clergyman from New Zealand, before this had
commenced a prayer-meeting in the saloon
which was earnestly participated in by most
until the crash and ruin and the flooding OF
water rendered panic universal.
About twentysix persons managed to gel
ashore, but it was more through Providence
than design or ability, for they were all wash
ed on The shelving rocks, and ns narrowly es
, capped being washed back Indeed, many were
washed on and off several times, and many
; who thought they had secured land or holC
fast by jutting rock, were hurled back ngair
; to a watcry grave On the vessel breaking
! open, numbers of people were to be seen float
ing about for a few minutes, but what will
the strength of the waves, the masses of debrl
: which thickly covered the sea, and struck many
! a brave and struggling mans brains out, few
were able to gain a firm hold of land. AT
= o'clock in the morning, nothing but the wrecl
scattered about, and cUrpses left on the strand
: : revealed the terrible catastrophe that had be
: fallen nearly 500 human beings, few hour
., before glowing with Joy at once again sighting
, the shores of Old England, for which they ha'
toiled and saved, and satisfied that now the yoy
: age in which they had almost circumnayigate
= the globe was safely ended for they were il
y the bosom of their country. Indeed SO mue
y had they satisfied themselves that the vOyag
u was ended, that on the day before they presente
u the captain with piece Of plate, for his un
= form Kindness and attention, and in the cor
. gratllatory peaches which followed the car
= tain pleasantly assured them that With
- - twenty four hours he expected to be on the le
) side of Mrs Taylor. The car ain, boweve
!, succumbed to a sailors fate He was see
u giving orders on deck with a spar lashed I
:, him, so that he might be prepared to float II
: was again seen struggling in the water, layin
. hold of a yard arm ard it every now and the
- - being washed from his grip. On recoverir
:, his spar, by determined effort, he on two o.
u u casions cried out cheerfully, "There is hoI
~ vet" After this he and Mr.. d. .wie the secor
70 officer, were seen on the lee side OF the shi
~ struggling to reach the shore, when boat ft
Z from the dsvIts and struck them both on u
- - head, after which they were seen no more o.
- incident is related, that when the captain hi
- been struck PROSTATE on deck, exhausted,
y saw the water steal a child from its mother
arms-a Jewess-and dash it about the dec
- He cried out to the chief officer, Mr.. Stevor
n to give q hand there, and to lash the child
=, - a rope--no doubt expecting at that time tn
-, help would be soon available Not a superi
~ ~ officer was saved, neither female nor child.