The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-13
rAI Loss OF THE xoRfHflseR,


/ - - - = = ssYes - SoA0Ae
Full Parsienlsrs - sAs wreek-Th,rtv.
GkgAs Passengers Orswned-IAFliltnfl RI.
ctdenss-A Sisters Devotion, &c.
| The Pacific maiis BY the steamer A,i.n,,.
bring the details Of the wreck Of the stenm'
ship Northerper, on Cape Mendocipo. On -.
Oal'fornia coast, and the loss Of % livesa ~.
names Of the lost have been published hv =,
egraph from the terminus Of the Ov.r,s nj
Mail route. The San Francisco papsrs Of ~.
| 2oth ult. furnish accounts Of the disastsr
from which we make up the following:
| The Northerner struck a suuken rocr nm
| Ihursday afternoon about i've o,cinck ha.
fmmed;sts'x wsee nsn .tt Ref and Cape Mendocino-
| tanned sne was SO badly damaged that she
would sink In few minutes, Captain naII
tnen began firing his guns in distressj a nd
as"ueu as tue sieamer for shore. He beached her
| anout Mutsl1 SIX miles above the mouth of Rear
RIVER, and about one mile below Ceuteryille
me oeacn At this point 10 rather bold. thouvh
eiear. which enabled the steamer to re, close
.hor" At.er striking line was got to the
suoIe, sho oy fnis means many passengers
reached the shore, though most Of those who
1851 their lives did SO in attempting to save
themselves by this means. or the thirty-two
passengers drowned, but one was lady,
The frat thing that was done vas to- lou er
ooa' on tne larboard side-ail the starboard
ooals having been gotten inbonrd and taken
1vel rn 20 mat side OF the ship for that purpose
The chip lay with her head to the southward'
and her larboard side was eonseo uentlv IN
snore: MI. French. the first officer. was di-
Iected oy Captain Dali to lower his boat and
.ry ana save the ladies. No attempt had been
made yet to run a line to the shore. The boal Z
was got overheard safely, and four ladies. Wig ):
Mrs. Tew, Miss Hartney, Mrs. Sweitzer. and
MIS-; thompson and child, with three children
VI Mrs. rev, were placed safely on board. No
one could see fifty yards in shore from the
wreck, and none knew whether the boat could
i've IN such an awful surf; but it was the only
cnance The ladies behaved nobly. There
Was no Wnimpering, no crying or screaming !;
tulss Gregg refused TO 60 in the boat unless
ner brother, in whose charge she was could be
allowed to 90 also; but this could not be- and
aiter valniy expostulating with her, the boat
safety.
The next boat that started ashore was com.
Manoed by Mr.. Birch, the second officer which
Was capsized Ia the surf and two OF her crew
uIoWPeu. Miss Jordan was in this boat; she
vas dashed violently ashore after being nearly
crowned, and was rescued from the surf by
the exertlOns OF those On the beach, Sue Law
apparently llfeless for more than an hour, aud
~ took the u most Efforts of her friends by
ruooing and other means to restore her 10
consciousness. Mr.. Birch, the second officer,
narrowly escaped with his iiie
All OF THIS passed unseen by those who re-
manned on board, the darkness being Intense
ana the booming of The breakers deafening-
Inc passengers, such as remained, chung to the
wreck win the momentary ex pee tation that
sue would break to pieces under the fearful
assaults of the surf. As yet, she formed sort
VI lee, beneath which lhe boats had been
launched. Another boat was now got over.
board and sent ashore, under the command OF
MT Thomas (fiedwell, the Columb bin river nj
lot. Tins, tOO, WAS capsized in the surf and
MT GiadWell and three others drowned The
ship lay about four hundred yards from the
beach.
Mr.. French, who had landed his boat with
the laQleS In Sa1etY hnn St4rf
on again to the ship aud attempted seyernl
nmes To launch her through the SURF but was
unable to do SD until alter repeated trials
Ine party on shore clustered around him and
begged hin. not 10 risk his life again. They
pointed out that he had got ashore this time
almost by miracle, aud that the fate of the
other two boats should be Il warning to him
our ne replied, with his characteristic spirit,
Il have got us much ~ live for as any OF you.
but arm going OF to that steamer aud stand
oy Capt. Dali; my life belongs to the passeu-
gers In heT'-and he succeeded at last in
iaunchlng her. l was standing near amid
ships when Mr.. French came towards the ship
the second time. When the surf broke the
water would recoil with fearful violence
against the ship aud create q Whirlpool OF ed
dy like mlilrace from forward, aft. along.
side and under the stern.
MIR. French seemed to manage the boat we'll
ana was approaching cautiously, when Capl.
don't &c into that eddy, or it will take you
down." The crew then began to back water
but 1t was too Ia z; the boat was taken by the
current darted swiftly af!, capsized under the
counter. and the gallant Frenchman and two
or three Of his crew were drowned. They
were sucked out OF sight in an Instant and
carried out in the under tow.
NearIy all of the passengers had made use Of
the lie presefvers, OF which there was an
abundance on board. Capt. ball still remained
ON Duard, trying 10 encourage others 10 take
the chances of the rope. HIS cabin boy was
saved, with S5UU in money Every sea thai
broke uOOn the wreck hrpafQ o. m I'm. hor
to pieces. AT last, Ga l,t. Dail, he purser, (Mr
breck, and Mr. Barry, (Weils, Fargo Il Co.'s
messenger determined u Try and save them
selves. Mr.. Breck was washed OF the line.
but reached the shore greatly exhausted. Mr.
Barry, who had seen So many drown. was sure
that he would not be able to reach the shore.
time he left the ship. Capt Dali, like The rest.
was swept away; but, by great exertions-by
swimming ana struggling-he gained the
beach, and was hauled ont Of the surf utterly
exhausted.
A number of others remained amidships on
the wreck, determined 10 take their chance OF
being washed ashore, and fortunately when
she wreck broke mp, which was soon after, the
fragment upon which they were drif,eu
ashure,and all were saved. During the rest
OF the night, NJ intervals the cries of those per-
sons who had lashed themselves to the iarbOard
paddle wheel were heard growin more feeble.
and at last they ceased Among these were
Mr. Gregg and his sister, who had refused to
take the ordinary means Of saving themselves
W hen tee wreck broke up, the heavy iron
work. among the wheels, though much bert
aud smashed, renamed Stationary. a. dsy.
light not vestige Vt the wreck could be seen.
save this iron work. All the wooden part OF
the hull had been washed ashore, and was
found strewn along the beach Tor eigh teen or
twenty miles, in pieces and piles, as if il had
been cut up into hrewOod designedly. 1t was
awfully bruised and cut, and showed by it's
appearance the terrible force Of the ocean
sarf.
But the most sorrowful snec,acle w.. th.,
of the body of Miss Gregg, which, after her
death, dullng the horrors OF that dreadful
night, the force OF the surf had not been able |
to wash away from tho iron to Which she had |
were gone-onIy the lashings remaining. The |
surf At times ran clear over the body OF the |
poor unfortunate young woman, aud had /
washed away every ve.iige OF apparel. The |
head hung down with the long hair floating /
over the face. When the surt broke the body |
would swing out, aud with tho recOil tai |
back again against the iron. This was wit |
messed from the beach-there being no means |
when u line was formed by men joining hands |
snd thus extending themselves out into the |
SURF The water was not then more than feet |
aeep-a large sand -bnr having been formed iE- |
one climbed up upon the wheel aud OUT the
corpse down. when II was taken ashore aud
placed with the rest.
In the morning fourteen bodies wero found i
bruises about the bead aud face, rscei, ed,
dou ubile>s. from the pieces Of tho wreck fioat.
lng in the surf These were all buried behind I
: small hittock, lew hundred yards from the /
Two more bodiss had been found by the In. |
dians, several miles mp the coast, but ! was Nm.
Abls ~ get ahere.
ALI the passeDgsrs say that they have nsver 1
.esn oraver maa than Barry. He stood ON
ne Week along side OF Captain Dali, with
>ortoin death Atarlng him n The face for ha L