, 1860-01-20
ARRIVAL OF THE COLUMBIA.
wreck OF the NOrtherner!!
Thirty-uix Lives LOstn

plaee on Sunday morning last. We are
placed in possession Of the facts attending
The Wreek Of the NoriAerney on the 5th
inst
For the following account Of this terri
bis disaster We are indebted TO an extra
IRON The once Of the HumbOldt Times Of
the eth inst, and 10 Mr.. G. W. TEw, form.
cry from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who,
with bis wife and three children. were for
tunatsly saved. although every thing else
udsI I0zI Mt. f.'s loss amounts 10 some
5000. consisting Of jewelry, furniture, &c.
He saved nothing except the clothes be
wore. Mr.. A. B. RABBEsoN, now Of Stella
coon, also saved bis life by swimming ashore
On the rope. but like many others. loses all
Ae possessed in this world, the hard earn.
iugS Of many years Of faithful labor. He
Had been TO San Francisco to lay in a stock
Of merchandise. Mcssrs o. P. MEEKEH and
- PEEKNs. also Of Steilacoom, are
Numbered among the lost. Sad must
be the duty Of him who reveals to the Wild
Ow Of the former her irreparable loss. Bit.
ter win be her tears. for MERKER was q no
be and generous man. Boih these gentle
nea were well and favoFably known, and
fheir loss viii everywhere be spoken Of only
h sorrow. Peace to their noble souls
Nearly oil our merchants, also, are losers
~ this disaster. though we are pleased to
learn that none suffer very heavily. MesEs.
GFeenbaum 4 Co.'S loss amounts to some
$500 in merchandise; Phillips 4 Son $500;
9. Crosby & Co. $500; Kendall Co. 5000;
A. D. Gore 5000 in furniture; A. J, Burr
500; Ayers 4 Williams $500; G. X. vii
lard 4 Son $500. and n consignment Of
$1,000 in drugs; the Bettmans also lose
tiaing sun. About One-half the mails
were saved. theash in greatly damaged
condition.
Editor Pioneer and Dsmocraf:-
Being comfortably quartescd on board
the good steamship Columbia, hasten 10
give yon an account Of the late disaster to
the Norfhsrney, which Ieft San Francisco
ats O'Clock on the 9Th inst, for Olympia,
va Portland.
We hnd a very pleasant passage until
The afternoon Of the 9th, when between
Blnnt's reef and Cape Mendocino, OF ten
minutes before o'clock, the ship struck
sharp pointed rock, under the fires, making
. breach from fifteen to twenty feet in
length. Capt. Dali was on deck at the
time. and supposed that il was a whale, as
be was In the channel where he nearly al
ways passed through. (and in the track
where Lieut.. Alden, Of the U. S. Navy,
advises steamers 10 keep but IN a moment
discovvred that the water was rushing in
fnriously, when be quickly called all the
male passengers on deck and told them, in
. cool manner, what had happened, aud
requested them 10 be ready 10 help work
the pumps, which werc being rugged with
oil possible dispatch, and at the same time
told them not 10 become alarmed, as we
were within about 20 or rs miles Of Hum
boldt Bay. which place he was in hopes Of
reaching before the ship Would siuk; but
alter working the pumps vigorously for ten
minutes, Il was found that the water had
gained six inches, and was nearly up TO the
fires when she was headed for the shore.
Before this the ladies and children we're got
upon deck, 10 the Captains room, and told
70 sit down, so that when the ship struck
they would not be hurt
In few moments she struck on reef
and two boais we're lowered and the ladies
with the exception Of Que young lady, who
refused to leave the ship aud children " ere
IOwered into them and started for the shore.
The inst boat succeeded in landing without
any serious accident, although the breakers
were running very high, but the second
one was eapsized, and seven out of the nine
who were in it, were lost As soon as Mr..
French (frst oaacer) who went in the irsi
boat, had succeeded in safely landing the
ladies, be started back 10 take line,f from the
ship, bnt was driven ashore. lie immedi.
ately fighted his boat and started again,
and succeeded in reaching the ship, and
took the line, but jus, as be was starting
Tor the shore, a breaker struck his boat
and drove her under the counter Of the
p 1919 - - oApyOoeu uc EeCtiftu SOlnS
physical injury, and as The boat passed out
asten, smother breaker struck her broad
side, eaPsized her aud drifted her toward
the shore. 10 this undertaking Mr.. French.
the noble soul, lost his life. The men who
we're with Mr.. F. succeeded in reaching the
shore, but were so much exhausted as to be
unable 10 return to the ship, although they
made several attempts to get the boat
through the surf. While this was being
done, the ship was bounding furiOusly on
the reel, and an anchor was let go, which
kept the ship from drifting up the coast,
while every breaker that struch her would
liit her enough to keep her drifting towards
the beach. When within about a quarter
Of mile Of the shore. the ship stuck fast,
and ior . lev minutes lay comparatively
easy, until che became bedded 10 the sand,