The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-13
Nlrhmnnn 0ispatrb.
MOANING. .OOr,R n IssS.
ThE LOSS OF THE STEAMER CONNluGur.
INTERESTING NARRATIvE,.

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rhE LOSS OF THE STEAMER C0NNluGHr.
INTERESTING NARRATIVE.
The burning steamer Oonnaueht was seen
on Monday morning Tor the last Tine The
schooner Lamartine then saw her, and lay by
her until she went down, with q loud explo-
sion The only remnants seen fioatir of her
afterwards were boat, bottom upwards, and
afew trunks, with other slight portions of her
deck, cargo. &c. In Boston, Wednesday, $500
was collected for the rescued passengers who
had arrived there. From an interesting mar.
rative Of the disaster we extract the follow
ing:
Many of the women, when they were first
made aware that the steamer was on fire.
tainted, olhers wept, majority prayed, and
few tranticalIy demanded what they should
do. The children on board did not seem con.
scious OF The danger, and therefore did not
evince much fear. The male passengers gazed
on each other with funereal looks or despond-
ingiy declared 10 each other that there was no
chance for them. The crew were of the same
opinion. apparently, but the captain kept
tnem engaged most of the time with some
work or other. The doctor of the ship and the
purser went everywhere throughout the yes-
sci, assuring the distracted passengers that
there was stiil some hope of being rescued
Inc priests informed the men that ii was
hours unless the mercy of God interposed
miraculously in their behalf They enjoined
them TO die like men and Christians aud not
10 be afraid. They labored to restore conf
oence among the women, and to console them
with the assurance that they were in the
hands of great and good Almighty.
Capt. Leilch never f.nched from his post
all through the night, nor did any of his Off :
GERS, and the most perfect order and disci-
pine were preserved throughout the whole OF
that fearful night. Thus did things continue
TIL Sunday morning dawned. Several times
did the captain order q man to the mainmast-
head after day break, to look out in all direc.
tions for a sail. But the news was "Nuthinp
in sight, sir" till eight O'Clock, when the
man at the mas thead, whose movements
were intensely watched by all on board.
loudly announced "a sail to the west,
ward" Great animation and hope were
inspired by these words. Captain Leilch
next ordered the largest gun on board to be
fired, and, Immediately turning round, he
added, "And run the tiag Of distress up" All
eyes and glasses We're now strained to the west t,
and some attempts were made by the male
passengers TO crowd each other and ascend
the masts. These efforts were Immediately
checked, however, by the prompt orders of the
captain, who showed determination to pre-
serve order In every vlcissitude Of the terrible
scene. Several reports OF other vessels being
in sight also temporarily aroused the detected
spirits OF the voyagers, but only to creal bit
ter disappointment Meantime, the gun was
soon fired in pursuance of the captains COM
from the mainmast "Oan you make out If
she is coming towards us /" demands the cap
tain. 81 think she is, SIR" responds the MAJ
at the masthead. "Do you make out what
she is!'' rejoins the captain; and the man an
nounced that she was like a brig. There
was fine breeze blowing, however, which
soon put an end to this painful suspense
The little craft, which afterwards turned out
to be the brig Minnie Schiller, OF New York,
of scarcely two hundred tons burthen, or only
about as large again as the yacht Rebecca, soon
showed her friendly outlines plainly and more
plainly TO the view Of every one ON board the
unlucky Connaught. The actual sight OF this
craft was the cause OF unbounded delight to
every one who beheld her on that occasion
1--WE are safe, praises be TO God !' now seemed
to be the watcnWord and ass urance among the
steerage passengers, while the cabin pasSen-
gers would exclaim, "She is coming to u.s. -
"She sees u.s." What a gallant little craft that
ISL and the like. She soon came so near that
it was thought by Captain Leitch that she
might hear the sound of gun. He therefore
ordered two guns to be fired and two addition :
al flags to be hoisted, dividing them between
the malnmast and toremast The fire in the
meantime was progressing, and the middle OF
the ship was growing inconveniently hot
The priests went among the steerage passen-
gers, and assured many of them very much by
saying, "The mercy of God has interfered, and
you Will all very likely be saved" When the
Minnie Schiller was first discovered she was q
long way of-perhaps as much as fifteen
miles-so clear was the morning. She there
lore IoOk lOuS tllue 10 dpprOdcn near tDe OlS-
tressed steamer, and 1T was ten O'Clock before
it was thought she could even hear the report
Of the Connaughts cannon. When the guns
were fired, however, flag was hoisted to the
rigging of the little craft, TO show that she
heard and understood the signal; and so glad
ly was this assurance received by the steam-
er's passengers that the first cheer now
arose, as a testimony to the irrepressible
delight which had seized so suddenly upon
| every man on board, and precipitated from
dismal dependency to unprecedented JOY
AS the brig drew nearer, il was perceived thai
| she was very small, and fears were enterta tanned
that when her Captain ascertained that there
| were nearly six hundred persons on board the
steamer he would decline 9ndering any as.
sistance. But the result OF these doubts was
| the most Joyous disappointment in the lives OF
| those by whom they were en- ntertained. Viewed
from the lofty deck of the Connaught, which
| was $50 feet long, the brig seemed like a small
boat, even when she was within two hundred
| wards and her masts seemed very slightly
| higher than the Connaught's bulwarks over
| the poop deck. When. she approached SO near
| that Captain Leitch could hail her, he took his
| trumpet, and, after demanding her name and
| that Of her Captain, the latter very promptly
| replied" The brig Minnie Schiller, Captain
| Wilson," The commander OF the Connaugh
| next called out" Make ready TO take us all
| on board without delay the ship is all on fire
| below" "Yes, l am ready to take you," re-
| turned the brave commander Of the tiny little
| Yankee craft. The topsalis of the brig were
| then backed" and she was Immediately hove
| to as near the steamer as II was prudent &c
bring her. 1t was now near O'Clock r. NJ OF
| Sunday and the iron sides of the wreck were
| becoming very much heated amids Alps. 1t il
| said that nothing can describe the scene or
| board now. Mothers EN- braced their children
and assured them OF their safety. Men con.
| graduated each other and awaited patiently
the progress of the arrangements tor theil
| safety.
-Four men from the Connaught were then
ordered into each boat by the captain, and ht
Immediately directed that the lady cabin pas.
sengers should be the first who should leave
| the wreck The captain was on the poop deck
all this time and beside him now were the frs
and second officers, who Immediately super.
| in tended the transferring OF the passengers
The ladies were assisted down the ladder, the
steps OF which were as wide as those OF many
stairs, by the officers OF the ship, and then
ca ught In the arms of the sailors in the boats
The waves were SO high that great difficulty
was experienced in removing the ladies from
the Ladder into the boat, for at one time il
would be under their feet and again as much
| as eight or ten feet beneath them. However
all the cabin ladies were lowered without &C.
cident, SO creditabie were the arrangements,
and safely transported TO the brig. When one
boat had received her full complement she i'm.
mediately started for the brig and another i'm
| mediateiy took her place, then another and
| another, till the six boats had received their
| complement, by which time the first thai
| started was back again safely, amid the cheers
| of all on board then the second returned and
was similarly greeted, then the third, and sc
ON till all on board were removed from the
| wreck. As evening and darkness came op
| however, IL was very dinicult to manage
| the boats with regularity in the rough sea
| and the progress of transferring was much
| slower than in the earlier part of the after
| noon Cheers were frequently given by the
| passengers Of the Connaught tor Captain
Wilson as he received on board the little
| Minnie the continuous stream Of passenger.