The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1860-01-23
THE DAY BOOK.
The wreck of the Flora Temple.
frighfas Loss of Lsfs--Nsarly Thousand

Human Beings Cass Aioay.
I'VE End graphic report of the wreck of
the Amrican clipper ship Flora Temple, Of
Baltimore, in the China sea, on the l4th of
October, with the loss of $50 coolies and Is
Europeans, in the N. z. Herald. 1t was
written by DR.. A. P. Childs, who was pass
engers Oh board. We give the accounts
pretty much At length:
The Flope Temple, as fine a merchant ship
perhaps as ever entered the China sea, LETT
Macao for Havana on Saturday morning, the
9Th of Oct, 1859, having on board crew OF
fifty, all told. and eight hundred and fifty
coolies. On the following Friday, the l4th
of October, at z 80 p. M, she struck upon
one OF numerous reefs not marked upon the
charts, which render the navigation OF the
China sea so uncertain and dangerous. For
two days previous gale OF wind had been
blowing. At 7.20 P. NJ, on the l4th, We
heard the cry OF "hard up" from the look
out. The helm was instantly put hard up,
and the spanker lowered. No sooner was
this done than "hard down" was heard from
the officer, who by this time had come aft
again to the gangway.
In fact the ship was within avery short
distance OF the breakers, which could now
be distinctly seen and heard from the part OF
the poop,where we,were STANDING, and which
extended in curved line from about four
points on our starboard bow to about three
points on our port bow; they were close
aboard; it seemed impossible long ship like
the Flora Temple should escape them, and
although the yards were braced round and
the ship hove aback, she struck, first slight
ly, and then, very soon afterwards, several
n. khn hro Haea
running very high alongside. Such was the
position, from which it was found impossible
to extricate her. Pieces of the timbers and
planking foated up on the port side, and af-
ter some more very heavy thumps she at last
remained almost immovable. Having list
aport, the water had rapidly increased from
two and half feet till it had reached the be-
tween decks, where the coolies were. There
was no longer shadow of ground for hope
that the vessel could be preserved. While
this was going on-indeed, almost immedia-
tely after ship first struck-a fear that the
coolies would rise and murder all on board
seemed to have possessed itself OF the minds
of the crew, and to such a height did this
rise, that the captain (having at the time,
however, no intention of abandoning the
ship( had the two quarter boats lowered, and
placed an officer and five men in each, with
orders to remain near the ships that refuge
might be at hand, if by any chance they
should become needful.
The crew were thoroughly unnamed;
their only anxiety seemed to be to leave the
ship; no matter how, and had it not been
for the captain, his interchangeable brother,
and one or two others on board, the boats
would have left the ship absolutely unprovi.
ded with the mersst necessaries OF life-the
men could be got to do nothing. The boats
lo.rorod about ron oselock A h0ut 10
the other small boats were got out safely,
and there now remained only the longboat,
which the panic-stricksn men had declared
il impossible to get out. Fifteen, with the
captain. remained on board. The labor and
difficulty of getting this boat out was i'm
mense. The captain had to climb the
mainstay to hook on the tackle; but at last
it was got out at about 1 A. NJ, and with its
crew passed safely over the breakers. I'm.
media:ely before leaving the ship the lead
was hove, and four fathoms were found IN
der her bows and stern and three fathoms
amidships; just through the breakers there
was no bottom at fourteen iathoms: The
earliest lights Of morning were now showing
themselves in the east, and soon after the
day broke the coolies were all collected On
the upper decks.
The ship then appeared to remain almost
without motion; all her masts were stand
ing; she had strong list aPort; her back
was broken, and the main and monkey rails
and waterways were also broken amidships,
the sea making clean breach over her
starboard quarter. Having passed round
the northern extremity Of the line breakers,
the captain in the longboat joined the quar-
ter boat, with the smaller boats in company,
the port quarter boat with the second mate
in charge having deserted US during the
night, alarmed probably at the firing OF the
guns, which to their terrified ears, seemed
to denote another outbreak of the coolies
The captain had all transferred from the
dingies to the long boat and quarter boat,
and about nine A. NJ. sail was made to the
westward. In a very short time the wind
increased till 1t became severe gale from
w. 3 W. accompanied by tremendous sea
and heavy rain. The boats parted company
and henceforth can only speak OF the one
in which, by the help OF God, after fourteen
days and nights OF exposure, we arrived
safely at Touran, in Cochin China. &. Z,
During Saturday, (the 10Th Sunday,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday the gale continued without
abatement, and we remained hove to under
close reefed mainsail with bucket veered
one, and we were dreHched with the seas
that broke over us and with the rain, which
night and day coatinued almost without in
Permission, as it seemed to US. We were
covered with salt water boils; our feet were
terribly swollen and painful; we had saved
| nothing but what we stood in, and had NO
change; wet biscuit and q hall pint Of wa
ter a day was oil we dared to venture on;
sleep was almost impossible; the men sat
moody, wretchcd and disheartened. How
an open boat SO small as the one we had
could live in such sea Is mystery. Some
were never disheartened, but when the
cherries day declined into more cheer.ess
night, in an open boat, with q heavy gale
of wind, . tremendous sea, an angry sky,
| with lightning and thunder OF the most
| startling kind, none OF US could have been SO
stolid as not to feel what it was TO- watch
"as those who wait for the morning. we,
however, after being in the boat IL days
and nights, finally reached Touran, ana
were kindly received on board the French
steamer Gironde. We were 81 in number,
including Capt johnson and his brother. e.