Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-14

So 4t<iasz - te1ded - pistol y -
- I'm did - ~ him ron that nne..
n ~ ne be a net believe the wreck would
break mp bsfdre ~ gale sbsted. he was amoag
n. sw.it.sr ana vile, Of Oregon City, ID
cone down % ean frsncisco shortly before .
- the eorpss q their little child. with which
they were On their VA. home. :, TIE aady ,sssss-
"A n NJ. Frspch's lifs-boa The zee broke CO.
rslx eye, ths boss bet she lised u ont and reach
ifsr ssyersl passengers had been drowned.
the oshert concluded not to attempt that way.
and relsssd 70 leave the ship. Captain Dali
tod them repeatedly that IL was their only chance
10 cling 70 the rope far they could uutn wash
ed ID. md then take the chances for reaching the
shore.
The sale was row ut ito height and tho ship
threatened n break 70 pieces AT every sea which
burst againss her. told the captain that should
try the line which be advised me to do. strip
ned let mysslf dawn and commenced shifting
along hands and feat. When about ten yards
fr.an the ship the surf rolled over me, and
though chung 20 the rope with my utmost strength
lost my held and feit that was adrft. Al
this moment the thought came over that no
one had got ashore safely, and that 1 was only
absut 10 share the fate Of the others. was near
" strangled before reaching the beach, up which
struggled. md was drawn cat oi the surf by the
group on shore.
APPEARANCE ~ TnE SHORE
We could not see the shin from the beach. IL
was raining and blowing, and the surf rolling In
tremendously. There were then several dead DO
dies along the beach. The place where we landed
was near village with but two houses called
CentcrvilIe. The people had already gathered TO
the beach, and lent all the suceor possible. Tho
women were taken TO house and cared for. II
was piteoas TO witness their distress, especially
that Of Mira. Sweitzer. whose husband had already
been drowned. The people had seen our rockets
10 v,n ha,, He.s ,aa1 nd
somc Of them collected on the beach before the
ship struck.
Closing scLSE-LAsT OF TnR NoRTHERSGR.
Nearly all It the passengers had made use OF
the lite preservera, Of which there was an abund
nnee on board. Capt. Dali still remained on board
trying to encourage others 10 take chanccs OF tho
RIPE His cabin boy was saved with $500 in mo-
ney. Every sea that broke upon the wreck threat
enrd to knock her 10 pieces. Al last Cnpt. Dali.
the purser. Mr. Breck, and Mr. Barry, Wells, Far
20 Co.'S, messenger determined 10 try and save
themselves. Mr.. Breck washed IF the line,
but reached the shore greatly exhausted. Mr..
Barry who had seen 80 many drown, was sure that
he would not be able 10 reach the sliure and 10 it
proved He not seen from the time he left
the ship. Capt. Dali, like the rest. was cpt
away; but, by great exertons, by swimming and
struggling. he gained the beach, and was hauled
ont OF the water utterly exhausted.
BREAKING UP OF THs WRECK.
number OF others remained Rmldships on tho
wreck. determined to take their chances Of being
washed ashore and, fortunately. when the wreck
broke up. which was alter, the fragment up
which they were drifteh ashore, and all were
saved. During the rest Of the night AZ intervals,
the cries Of those persons who had dashed them
selves to the larboard paddle wheel wero heard
growing more feeble and at last they coasod.--
Among these were Mr.. Gregg and his sister, who
who had refused to take the ordinary means Of
saving themselves. Whom tho wreck broke up,
IL. Al. IL.
much bent and smashed remained stationary. At
daylight not yes ge Of tho wreck could be seen,
snve the iron work. The wooden part of the deck
had been washed ashore, and was found strown
along the beach for lS or 20 miles, in pieces and
piles, as If it had been cut up into fre-wood de-
sgncdiy. 1t was awfully bruised md cut. and
showed by its appearance the terrible force of the
occca surf
DEAD BODIES LAsHED TO THE PADDLE WHEEL.
But the most sorrowful spectacle WINS thut Of the
b'dyM Miss. Gregg which after her DEATH during
the horrors Of that dreadful night the farce Of the
surthad not been able to wash away from the iron
to which she had been securely dashed. Tho other
two bodies gone--only the lashings remain.
ing The surf at times clear over the body of
the unfortunate young lady, and had washed away
every vcstige Of apparel. The hend hung down
with the long hair floating over the face Whom
the surf broke the body would swing out, aud with
the reco fall hack again against tho iron This
was witnessed from the bcach--thoro being no
means Of removing the corpse until the tide Tell,
when line was formed by men joining hands and
thus extending themselves out into the surf. Tho
water was not then more than four feet deer--a
large sandbar having been formed inside of where
the wreck had been. Tho last one climbed up
the wheel and cut the corpse down. whenit was
taken ashore and placed with the rest.
The statement that Mr.. French had returned to
FAVE this young lady in particular ~ erroneous.
He weu, back to the ship. ns hN said for all
board Nor can his death lie attributed TO her
refusal 10 60 i'll the boat, under any crcums,an-
boat could have lived along side ia the ed.
dy
THE BODIES ON THE BEACH.
In the morning fourteen bodies were found On
the beach. Bone If Thorn bore marks OF bruises
about the head and face received. doubtless, from
the pieces of the wreck floating in the surf These
were all buried behind u small hillcek. few hun
dred yards from the beach. The day lett tho
place heard thattw more bodies had been found
by the Indians, several miles up the coast. but |
unable to get there
Two of US went along the BEACH MS far as Eel ri
YER and hunted faithfully for any bodies up the
day OF my departure for Humboldt but. although
we found innumerable fragments of the wreck.nos
body could be discovered. 1t is probable that
the bodies Of Mr.. French, Mr.. Caldwell, and Mr.
Nation were carredsout to sea by the undertow;
they may prove to be among the two above mem
toned.
The above are but the hastily collected accounts
given US by Mr.. Denaing. lie pays u warm tri-
butte to the gallantry tosbe Captain Dali. and his
officers and 10 tho coolacss and general bearing of
the passenger The account will be found to
agree in the main points with that of Capt. Dals,
which Mr. Denning had not then seen.
TIE CAPTAINS BoY.
Captain Dali had a fayorite cabin boy to whom
he handed Eve hundred dollars in coin, after the
steamer struck; but when he lowered him to the
line he toic him to drop his money. was washed
away from the line to thcstern Of the wreck and
: Was uor,used "a he lost Very much Ia the cap.