The Portland daily press., 1865-07-26
Wednesday Morning, July 26, 1865.
a WRnoK AND a REsouE

A WRECK AND a RESCUE.
A lady who was one Of the passengers on
board the steamship Lafayette, which picked
up the boats of the Inflated William Nelson,
writes to the Epeaing Post very interesting
letter from which we make an extract or two.
THE RESCUE. WOO
On Tuesday, the 9th, the sky was without a
cloud, the sea smooth and the air superb. The
deck OF the steamer was luminous with happy
faces. But lew minutes after we had taken
our seats at the dinneT-table, at 1-2 p. NJ, the
ship suddenly came to stop. No notice was
taken OF this In an instant more we heard
hurrying steps on the deck, and cry of"A
wreck r "a wreck !" brought us all to our feet
We rushed up the gangways, and saw a little
to the southwest Of the bow OF the Lafayette
two nail boats hlled with half-naked men ana
women, pulling towords us tor lie. ~
As tney neared the side of the ship their up
turned faces beamed as if the gates of Heaven
were opened to them. The steps of the La
fayette were lowered, and thirty helpless be-
ings were rescued from watery grave. With
tender hand Captain De Boeande received
them one by one, and caused chairs and mat
tresses to be brought for those who had not
strength enough to stand. The sufferers were
silent. Tears alone spoke their gratitude
Now ensued great moral lesson for the
non-believers in the innate goodness Of the
human heart. There was scarcely dry eve
among the hundreds that crowded the deck OF
the Lafayette Tears stood on manly cheeks
and In eyes unaccustomed to weep. Ladies
took from their persons rich silks and stuffs to
clothe unfortunate women. Gentlemen doffed
their broadcloth for the comfort of the men
and weeping sailors stripped themselves for the
benefit OF their fellow seamen.
The kind pursers conducted those that
could walk into the cabin, and placed the best
OF the ships board before them; and the help
less Were led like babies. We saw sailors fore
ing small pieces of bread, dipped in wine, be-
tween the parched lips OF the shipwrecked sea-
men. In as short a time as possible they were
all made comfortable and the history of then
misiortunes ascertained. They were passen-
gers in the William Nelson, from Antwerr,
which had been burned at II 1-2 O'Clock OIL
the 18th instant, in Lat. 40 21, long. so 22
Two boats were yet out; the long-boat con-
tanning thirty-seven persons, and a small boat
containing fourteen, and raft on which were
about one hundred others.
THE THIRD BOAT stekeez sss
Captain de Bodande Immediately put his
ship about and went in the direction of the
wreck OF the William Nelson, with the hope oI
saving more lives. At IL the sailors at the
masthead cried, "Another bodtm In about
an hour we made Russian bark, bound to
the south Of France, which picked up the
small boat containing fourteen, before we
reached her. These consisted of family OF
four children, the youngest only few weeks
old, and eight seamen. They were nearly ex-
haustcd, and to render them more comfortable.
and to forward them to their homes with
more speed than was in the power of the
bark, Captain de Bocande caused them to be.
transferred to the Lafayette, making in all
forty-four that the sea had rendered up to his
care. 50
As the purser of the Lafayette handed up
these little children to the ladies on deck lie
kissed each one of them with tenderness
that brought tears to many an eye.
The long-boat and the raft were still OUT
With promptness and humanity that won
the hearts OF ali on board, Captain de Bocande
cruised in the vicinity of the wreck, firing can
non and rockets till nearly morning, but could
neither hear nor see anything OF the boat ana
raft
On the voyage there had been two births,
sixteen cases offever, and six deaths, making
frequent fumigations of the ship necessary
This was done by dipping heated irons into
tar and swinging them through the air. Dur
ing this process one Of the men let red hot
iron drop into bucket of tar which instantly
blazed up as high as the ceiling. The account
says: ss neass p sf ena u
Rothstein, who stood behind the men, ,di-
recting them, caught up mattress and flung
it and himself on the pail of blazing tar, with
the idea of smOthering the fame, when it ex-
ploded and threw him and the mattress back
ward ten feet The men now becoming alarm
ed, threw upon it straw beds and other COM
bustible substances, which burned like torches.
In ten minutes the flames burstup the hatch
way, and were running up the mainmast and
rigging like fiery serpents.
The scene now was indescribable. The
flames bursting out in the middle of the ship,
divided it into two parts, separating friends
and families and driving them to the extreme
ends of the burning vessel Some became
frantic and leaped into the sea- Others flew
up and down the deck wrapped in the flames
of their clothes, rending the air with their
shrieks. Strong men clenched in deadly COM
bat for the possession of a lite-preserver or a
spar, and ghastly men and women, with in
fants lashed to them, swung themselves out
side the ship by ropes. to which they ciuns
until the fire burned them in two and let the
suferers'down into watery grave. az
About one hundred persons had gathered Oh
the bowsprit when the foremast fell, killing
many and hurting the rest into the sea-
When the fire first broke out ten sailors seized
AOAA1
enty persons, and rowed off. They were pre-
vailed upon to return and take in twenty-sev-
en- passengers.
Captaln Smith, the two mates, Rothstein
ana as many OF the sailors as they could con
troll, lowered the three small boats (none ol
tnem seaWorthy), and placed in them Roth
steHls Whe ana four children, and the lest ol
the Nelson's passengers picked up by the La
fayette. AS the boats were rowed away from
the burning ship, some chickens. to escspe the
flames, flew after them and alighted on the
shoulders ofthe passengers. fat MO swan
up to one of the boats and Indicated 2 desire
to be saved. He was picked up. and showed
his gratitude by remaining quiet in the hot.
tom Of the boat. Some Of the chickens had
appeased the hunger of the voyagers before
they were rescued. 'oio- -
When Captain Smith and Rothstein copld
do no more lor the sufferers, they leaped int tS
the sea and swan away, more to escape the
cries OF those whom they could not aid than (
save their own lives. After having been il
the water about two hours, they were picket
up by one Of the boats. Ali
CHRISTENING OF A sHIPwREoKED CHILD.
On Wednesday, June 28, at 8 p. NJ, th
passengers OF the Lafayette assembled on dec
TO witness the baptism of the son of William
hothSteln, only few weeks old A praye
D0oA anu sllVer cup containing water, wer
placed upon table, and the little fellow wa
brought forward to receive the prenomens la
faayette Bocande, the names Of the ship an, an,
the captain who saved him from an aorl,
grave. President King Of Columbia COLLEGE,
New York, ofiiciated
SUBSCRIPTION.
After the ceremony Judge Edwards Pierre
pont made some remarks touching the conS
ton Of the Nelson, and proposed that a snI