The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-11
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS.
From the Boston Post, Oct. 10
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN LKIrCH.

NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS.
From The Boston Post, Oct 10
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN LRIrCH.
The Connaught left q Johns, N r on Wednesday Ut
fifteen minutes past two O'Clock In the afternoon, the
WIND then blowing from the 5 " st moderate rate;
this continued till Friday when fresh and strong breeze
continued 10 rise from the s Sw. and W. NV. at this
time every thing board the steamer In the very
bst possible condition; 1t length the wind increased
perfect gale and continued increasing TIL Saturday
ing about eight O'Clock the next morning leak disco
vered In the engine by engineer duty, Who
medately reported 70 quickly called al hands
deck and issued general ORDERS effect that the leak be
stopped as speedily as possible The engine pumps and
Bulge injections i'm medately got ready but proving
insufficient tho requirements Of the OCCASION fall the
deck pumps were forthwith rigged Shortly
engine and forward stoke hole these were
put into active service. AT this time baling also
commen eed by portion Of the crew who were sprtedy
forts OF the passengers and crew were kept for quite
time, and not without favorable result, for short
time the water decreased but this sate Of affairs did
last long, for the water again began TO increase
flowed with great rapidty into the engine
that We found impossibie 70 keep the vessel free In
TansactiDg the above suppose occupied about
twelve hours By eight o'clock on Sunday morning the
water had increased 10 such extent that u com
pctey extpen'shed the DIRE under the for yard boilers
this time there WAS great deal Of excitement among the
passengers, yet all seemed resoute and manifested ds
position TO nep all they could to this line OF conduct
there were but few EXCEPTIONS the quickly obeyed
all my commands and worked remarkably hard; there
little confusion but the majority Of those
board kept quite silent; the steam decreased 30
mucb-as was impossible for any human being TO keep
below-that the engine stopped Of itself. About
O'Clock half past nine O'Clock engineer discovered
smoke coming up from the AFT stoke hole and reported
the circumstance Immediately to me; his stating
he thought the ship was on fire, ordered I'll the
force pumps and hose be brough deck these were
put IN active service and used to the fullest extent wet
used 70 extiDgush the fire; buckets were used In
yeyipg water down 70 the place or where supposed
st continued to assist US oil they could The ladies'
among the cabin passengers behaved very weI-indecd
out sa
increased In the bold 20 last set portion Of the
and passengers 70 pumping in. thereby compelling them
TO abandon the work Of pumping out As to decreasing
pumping In was continued Al this time made prepa.
be rot in readiness The DOR, boats we're Art 20: out
The first boat was stove alongside the steamer heavy
sea; a the others were successfully launched There
were three life boats launched also four Others
prsirg mail boat two cutters and rig At this time
very few Of the manifested any particular de-
three O'Clock Sunday afternoon, the last one the
course OF two hours Afterwards We hoisted three sig
mails Of distress, one at each muthead, and At
the main gall Soon after man sent aloft 70 make
ont "sAil the lee bow" In few seconds sfterward
another vessel was observed bearing the way both
vessels standing 70 the north the s which proved
10 be bark, passed without paying any attention
to seeing our signals; the other was brgantne at
the time, bead IN the W. 8 W the wind from
the n. W., with very heavy sea- the brgantne bore
down ~ F. and by the time got within hailing dis
got ready 70 be conveyed TO the brgantne
hrst boat q small and contained eight per
cons the other, life boat, and have held some
thirty i've persons the majority Of the load OF each boa,
was composed OF women great eyertions st being
made on board the steamer 10 keep the Ore In subsection
water N every possible shape and manner freely
used every aperture that could possibly be up
covered IN order TO exclude the and keep the
eel from gong down great number Of the passengers
were lowered down into the boats by q single rope
from the weather eide OF the steamer: Others
90, board from the lee side Grst could not
Of In rou
sequence OF the ship drifting fast down the boats but
after awhile the sea somewhat moderated and with great
care we succeeded In getting the boats the lee side Of
the etc amer, 10 that they could receive the
passengers The small boat referred TO above the frat
one that reached the brgantne; the passengers
quickly and safely conveyed the brisa1tnes deck
ter which the boat returned 70 the steamer II only
by the utmost exertion that the Gre could be kept
while tho pssser being passed into the boals
On the weahersiie Of the vessel the iron became 30
heated that the passengers forced TO 20 TO the lee
EIDE Of the steamer the plates OF iron commenced
irg every direction the deck became quite warm In
deed much that the heat could be felt through the
soes n one's shoes and what made II stl uDcom
irritable the pitch commenced melting &C seams
OF The deck, the smoke to Issue from the sky light
and ennpan on wsy-aIso from the engine room hatch
AMI stoke hole patches. Al this time was an utter
mpoeshility for any one - look into the main abat
engine room Dow came 10 the conclusion thai the
,ei would Inevitably be burned up; al about nine o'clock
r the ere broke through scme portions Of the deck
well throrgh the nrst ssyltght blankets and
partial socccs, About half pas, nIne oeoeE the passn
all placed IN the boass and Aiterwsrd
The deck Of he brgnntne the flames could be longer
subdued they broke through The forward saloon
ana deck with terrible force: abort time the flames
exst ded ~ 10 the masthead, and almost instantly
burnt all the mainsiays and other ropes also sail
that was &c, on The manmasi 70 keep the stoamer steady
Al this time boat which had Just returned from the
brgantne was sent forward under the lee fore rigging
get some provisions " possible In snort all that could be-
got out, now sent that portion Of the which
manned 10 the last boat, and 9TH the assistance Of Mr.
ship 10 see no one vas len on board; Il was only
with the greatest difficulty that ve could do this,
a. the smoke and beat nov became intolerable;
le the steamer and took 10 the boat when aban
doned the steamer about fifteen amer
O'Clock and When reached the brieantne n was
about hall past ten OF twenty minutes Of even at
icnton shown the passep on board the brgan
tine the captain acted In the meat attentive 10
O'Clock A N. ON Nooday; then u appeared one sol'd
nass q fame In the distance. on sunday speni our
time IN sitting aud layns round on the decks Of the
Sse PASSENGERS came % me- ard csrea al sey had 70 30
saved, but whsn they got safely on board The erxnns
they sppcaed somesaat dssni SIZED and called for s0f
bresd ss dry bscults being passed around when
the steamer ~ss abandoned, think y vas 70 latitude
"a min W ,hlrs inc Ore ors'ssssd p esn.sn uenee
Of The felt srocnd the eolcr lng fire, the Ore
originated al the an boiler. % The tiArboArd sac
STATEMENT OF carr. JOIN wusos, or rHr BRIG.
ANIME MINNIE sCuIFrtR.
A, the tine l discovered the Uonuaughts sigma az
dstress my he.fng " under urht
canvass. sas zoe arst person % board the brgaa,ss
who saw the signals Of distress mmed sieiy bore down
The sesuer, and 40, within hsiltng distance or
AZ near ~ two hundred yards ~ The steamer ms
about tee O'Clock Y. NJ bad only so nneu bosrd
-four OF whom f@tars. ana coud sro.k ~arcc one
word u Fnglsh. Wien the small hoaR touched tbs
briRsntine. portou ~ the steamers hurried
board, AFTER the passenger and attempted COO
ctal themselves among The passengers % deck
only ian the greatest dtruy that could force than
10 return 10 The .teamer 70 the nvcN ~ tho~s
Who stlll remained dsrgtr, the orce~ a. The Coz
nsught deserve the highest praise, bit The sailors The
greatest cor1erraton for the cuwartly 10 Which
they scsed o. the men slowed themselves away
down 10 The i0recsfte had W nghl tbcm Of u and
foroe them uto their beats For the passengers of the
steamer could procure but few provisions and ICES
ter, The unfortunate passengers mostly subssied RAJ
sins, portion Of which They brought board Ani tse
rect formed part o. my cargo The wemea behaved al
nrably they appeared more nerve than ths ca
believe they TIE least AFRAID ~ the narsis
Although the occurrence has caused dcrab truu
bic, stu feel happy 70 have saved The lives u 40 May
% my fellow creatures
THE VERY LATEST.
BosroS, Oct. 10. 1890
Nlnri