Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-26

The telegraph has already mentioned the
fact Of the sinking Of the steamer Walker, in
the vicinity Of Cape May, on the morning Of
Thursday, The 2lst inst, and from our East
ern mails we gather full and interesting par
ticulars. At halfpast two o'clock on that
steamer Walker, under command of Lieut..
j. j. Guthrie, of the United States Navy,
was run into by coasting schooner, and
damaged so much that she went down in
half an hour afterward and twenty of the
crew are supposed to have been lost i1
STATEMENT OF SURVIVOR. e.--
The United States coast-survey steamer
Walker LEFT Norfolk on Tuesday, the 18th
inst, bound for New York. The whole num-
Der of souls on board consisted of sixty-nine,
including one lady, the wife of J. A. Seawell,
the first officer. Everything went on pros
perously till the morning of the 2lst, Thurs
day, abouttwo o'clock, when in sight of Alb
secom Lighthouse (the light bearing N. w.,
M N.,) the light from an unknown schooner
was seen one point on the starboard bow.
The wind was N. N. E., n e.
The Walker was.heading nm e., a E.,
making about five and half knots. As the
schooner neared the steamer the light be-
came ahead, and finally on the port bow.
Then the helm of the Walker was put to
"port," bringing the schooner's light nearly
abeam. Suddenly the schooner jibbed over
from the starboard to the sport" tack, and
came down under all sail square abeam of
the Walker, knocking a plate off the bow
below the water line, which caused her to fill
SO rapidly that she sunk in thirty minutes
after the collision. The wind was blowing
a double-reefed topsail breeze at the time
with a heavy sea running. The schooner
passed on her course Immediately afterward,
and the gale was so strong that it was i'm
possible to open any communication with
her.
The first officer of the Walker, Mr.. Seawell,
was on deck, in command of the watch, about
twenty men, when the two vessels came to-
-gether. The remainder of the crew, and
Mrs. Seawell, were below, sleeping in their
berths.
AS soon as the vessels struck, Mr.. Seawell
called up Lieutenant Guthrie and the crew,
who took their places on deck in the best
order, the strictest discipline being main
tanned. While this was going on, the
schooner struck the steamer three times-the
first time striking her forward of the guards,
staving in the port waist boat. The second
time she struck the paddle-box and wheel;
and the last time she struck the bulwarks
about the port-quarter and stern, demolish-
ing the port-quarter boat. This left the
Walker with only two boats for the officers
and crew to make their escape from the
wreck.
The bilge-pumps, worked by the engine,
and the deck-pumps were put in operation,
but they failed to free her. and she filed rap
idly at the bows. The two remaining boats
were then got out, and Mrs. Seawell, the
sick, and those most helpless, were passed
into them in regular order, without confusion.
There was no regular system of passing them
ON board the boats, but each stepped in us
fast as his turn came, without pushing or
crowding. When as many had got into the
boats as it was supposed they could safely
carry, they showed of, leaving between
twenty and thirty persons upon the wreck.
A PERILous POSITION AND REMARKABLE
ESCAPE.
The boats got but short distance of
when the steamer went down, bow foremost
in FIVE fathoms of water. Mr.. Seawell the
first officer, did not get into the boats, but re-
mained on the upper deck, near the smoke
stack; and, as the vessel slowly descended
into the deep, he climbed upon the taff-rail
the highest portion of the vessel upon which
he could get a footing or hold on by. While
he was standing there, several of the men
jumped overheard, and he threw them two
ladders, in the hope that they would cling to
them until picked up by some passing vessel
But in a minute or two he was compelled to
look out for his own safety. He waited until
jumped headforemost into the sea, with the
view of clearing thewhirlpool occasioned by
the sinking ship.
AS he sprang forward, one of his feet got
entangled in rope attached to the part o.
the vessel upon which he was standing, ant
| he was drawn down till the steamer reached
the bottom. He states that while going
| down he described several circles in the
eddying waters. While in this perilous
: Al I
| he pulled knife out of his pocket and tried
| to cut the rope which held him. Before he
could do this he felt himself rising to the
| surface again, and as he assembled he ex,
| perienced the same spiral motion, or turning
round, but in reverse order from when h(
went down. This seemed to unwind the
rope which held him by the leg, and he ROSE
to the surface with his head and shoulders
above water, but still held to the wreck by
| the rope. gr
When the vessel went down, part of tn,
cabin on deck burst off by the force of tn,
wind rushing out of the vessel, and fioateC
near the place where she went down. Upor
| this were three or four men, who happened
| to be near enough to Mr.. Seawell when h,
came to the surface to be able to assist him
| The men kept his head above the water by
| seizing him under the arms. They tried t
release him by one diving down with knife
| IN ms hand 10 cut the ropes, while the Others
would hold him by the leg. AS the sea wa.
| breaking over them all very roughly this at
tempt was tried several times, but withou
success, when, with a desperate effort, Mr.
Seawell raised the leg which was free, ant
| placed his knee upon the piece of the cabin.
The rope by which he was held stretched
to its utmost length, and, waiting favorabl,
moment during the pitching of the raft from
the heavy sea, one of the men dexterousl,
cut the rope with knife, which freed th,
unfortunate man from his dangerous posi-
| ton.
This narrow escape from drowning bears
| striking resemblance to the remarkable es
cape of Capt. Luce, of the steamer Arctic
who was taken down with his vessel in tn,
same manner.
NAMES OF THE MISSING.
The following is correct list of the miss
ing: ,...- ...,..
Henry Read, Philadelphia Timothy Con
nor, Jeremiah Coffey, John M. Brown
Michael NJ. Lee, Marquis Bonnaviento, james
Patterson, Michael Altman, John Dsiseoll
Robert Wilson, Cornelius Grove, Charles
Miller, George W. Johnston, Samuel Sizer
Peter Conway, Daniel Smith, John Farren
Joseph Bates, James Farren, George Price
GaribaIdi's SiciIian Simpsons.
A characteristic incident occurred at nne NJ