Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-14
VOL. S--NO l06.


mont she stopped washing fore aud afs the shin.
and taking several of their feet. bot none were
washed overheard. This WIS, however but a
small specimen Of the surf which afterwards made
mp as the wind increased. The ship to0k M Q
sand spit, and remained there but q iew.momcnts,
whom she went over into deep water, and worksd
up hundred yards further. An sdcl,ur wos not
let 60 until after 1t was evident that she could not
got any nearer tho shore II now grew quite
dark. and commenced raiaing and blowing hard.
In short tine the most awful sarf ever saw
made up, and began 70 break over the ship. She
wheeled out from the shore. und the long walls Of
water, appalling in their appearance, would ssriks
upon tho lace Of tho deck. A lew Of these served
to break the hurricane deck in PIECES, which, with
the ~taterooms. and finally all the light work
about the ship, was swept away. NoH'dy wsa
washed of at this time. /, was very chilly and
the darkness intense.
SAVING THE LADY PASSENGERS.
The first thing that dnne was to lower Q
boat on the larboa,d ride--a.l the sar,nard bdats
having been got inbourd and taken over to that
side Of tho ship for TINT purpose. Tho slip lay
with her hcnd to the sonthward, and hcr lnrboard
sid was consequently in shore. Mr. French, tie
first officer, was directed hy Cap. Dali to lower
his boat and try and saye tho laes. M attempt
had been made yet to run n line to shore The
boat was got overheard safcy and four ladies'
vx:--Mrs. Tew, Miss llartuey, Mrs. Swoitzer,
and Mr.. Th mpson and child, with threw chill
dren Of Mrs. Tew-wsre placed safely on board.
No one could sec fifty yards in shore from the
wreck, aud none knew whether tho boat could
live in such an awful surf but il was tho only
chance. The ladies behaved nobly. Thrrs was
no wbimmarlng, no crying or screaming; Miss ,
Gregg refused TO go in the boat unless her brother
in whnsc charge shc wns. could be allowed to 70
also, but this could not oe, aud after vainly ex-
postulating with her the boat wont of without
her aud reached the shore in safety.
LOST OF THE Tws RnATS
The next boat that started ashore COM
mnnded hy Mr. Birch, the see,nd officer, which
was vnpszed in tho surf and twn Vt her crew
drowned. Miss Jordan was III thasbnat she Was
dashed violently ashore 9ter being nearly
drowned. aud was rescued from the surf by tho
exertions Of those on thu beach, She h,y apparent
ly lilress for more than nm hour, und il took the
utmost Efforts of her friends by ubbny and other
menh- to restore her 10 con -con .ness. Mr.. Birch,
the sccund officer, narrowly escaped with his life.
All Of this passed unseen hy those who remained
on board tho darkness being intense, and the
boomug Of tho breakers dcafening The passen-
gers, .nuh ~ remained. clung b, tho wreck with
the mOmentnry expectation that she would break
70 pieces under tho fearful as.nut of the surf. As
yet she formed II sort Of loe. hencnth which the
boats Ind been launched. Another boas was now
got over crboard aud sent nshosr under the command
of Mr. Thomas Gtadwoll thu Columbia river pilot
This, too, was capsized in the surf. and Mr.. Glad
well and three others drowned. The ship lay
about four hundred yards irom the beach.
DEATH OF Mr.. FRENCH.
Mr.. French, who hnd landed his bon. with the
ladies in safety, about starting IF again
to the ship and attempted several times to launch
her through the surf but was unable to do so until
after repeated trials The party shore clustered
around him and begged him not tn risk his lifo
again. They pointed ont Tint bo had got ashoss
this time almost by miracle, and that the fate Of
the other two boats should be warning to him;
ha, ,l,al ct,n ...,.. ..-s.
have got rs much to live For NJ any VI you. but I
am going oG 10 that steamer and stand by Capt.
Dali my life belongs to the passengers in her.
and he succeeded ot last in launching her. was
standing near amidshrs when Mr. French came
towards tho ship the second tune. When the surf.
broke the water would recoil with fearful violence
against the ship and create a whirlpool or eddy
like mlracc from forward, alt, alongside and
under the stern.
Mr.. French seemed 10 manage the boat we'll,
and WAS approaching cautiously, when Capt.
Dali sang out 10 him. BE careful. Mr.. French;
don't get into that eddy It will take ypu down."
The crew then began to back water, but il was
Aoo late; the bat taken by tho current. dartsd
swiftly aft. capsizrd under tho counter, and the
gallant French aud two or three OF his crew were
drowned. They were sucked out of sight in an
instant and carried out in the uoler tsw.
GETTING THE LINE Ashore. e5s -
About this time tremendous sea strusk tho
!,
person was Mt ut the moment. We did not know
at this time that the other two boafs were lost,
and We waited some time for them 10 RETURN
Seeing that sumething must have happened to
prevent their return. Captain Dali asked Mr..
O'Nell, the Chief Engineer. whether ho could
carry line to the shore with boat. lie answered,
IL will try" and took the last boat. and all our
hopes seemed centered upon il. with the belief
that we might save ourselves by the line. For
tuuatey the boat reached the share in safety by
that means. A large onu was brnt vn from the
ship and hauled to the beach Miss Gregg WAS,
still on board, as wns also her brother.
ATTEMPTING TnE LINE.
Numbers Of the passengers now commenced to
try the line. In almost every INSTANCE tley were
washed away from the rope before they had lsft
the ship twenty yards. The forco Of the surf was
tremendous. 1t came in fiom the ocean in top.
pling walls of water. and kept the rore almost
constantly buried. Seeing tho Inevitable fate Of
those who had gone before, the next few made .
running noose to prevent being washed away, but
this proved a fatal sxpeiient, for ,hey g,t en-
tangled in the line and was quickly drowned.
bcimS unable to get above Water Tor even amo- :
ment.
Mr., Rogers, the bar pilot attempted to get on
shore by The rope, and when Gb ut thirty yard&
from the ship came upon an unknown man, who
was clinging and afraid to move. Go IN 10
onP shouted Mr.. Rogers. Il shall drnwnP'
s,renmed the other. .Go on!" replied Mr.. Ro-
gers, "y,u can, get back nowF' AT this mo-
ment huge roller burst over them, and tho man
letting g. his hold clasped his companion around
the waist. They were now far under water. Ro-
gers struggled, freed himself from the death krips
dived, and finding he bad been Washed eleaf'of
the rope buHetted with the snrf, and ii last was
tossed on to the beach nearly dead. The surf was
full of pieces u the wreck, which must have kilE
ed several who were not drowned. Meantime, Mr.
O'Nsil tried several tmes % launch his boar. but
was unable - do 90. s. sssSa ~ sA#1
Mfs Nation, ths frst assistant engineer attempt
cd hoaline, and made himself fast to il with .