Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-06
Wreck of the Golden Rule.

The steamship Golden Rule, belonging to
the Central American Transit Co.'S line Of
California steamers via Nicaragua, left New
York May %, with 535 passengers and crew
of 100, all told, for San Juan (Greytown.) }
Everything proceeded favorably until the af
ternoon of the Goth. when the weather became
very dark and squally with torrents Of rain,
which continued through the night On the
morning of May 80, at 81 o'clock, the ship
struck on the Roncador Rect, in lat l3 80,
lon. so o. and in thirty minutes bilged.
About ten minutes before the ship struck the
reef was seen, the helm put hard a starboard,
the engine stopped, and made half turn
back when she struck Every exertion was
made to save the ship, but she came broad
side on the reef, and at the same time the
engineer reported the breaking of the main
steam pipe, anl the water gaining very fast
The boats were Immediately lowered and
brought under the lee side Of the ship, the
masts were cut away, and the ships company
were preparing to build RATS for the safety OF
the passengers and crew. During the day
there was a high breeze from eastward with
very heavy rain squalls, and very heavy
swell which broke completely over the ship.
During the afternoon discovered an island TO
the N. W. and sent the First Assistant Engi.
neer William Underhill, to report on the
practicability of landing the passengers and
stores. On his return, he reported the island
to be about twelve acres in extent, destitute
of vegetation, with a number Of small wells
on it. Before night they succeeded in con-
structing RATS from the hurricane deck and
the tops and sides of the deck houses, and
embarked the women and children, and at !
A. NJ. had safely landed 230 by means Of a
small boat In the meantime Mr. Pendleton,
the first officer, was dispatched to the nearest
land-old Providence, 80 miles distant-tor
assistance At daylight on the 3lst, five Of
the boats were loaded from the raft with pas
sengers, sails and provisions, and sent to the
island six miles Distant the remaining boat
was occupied in transporting passengers from
the ship to the raft, made fast to the rocks
inside of the reef and before night every man,
woman and child except the crew, were safe
ly landed on the island On the night Of the
3lst, the ship commenced to break up, and
from that time until June 5, they were entire
| ly engaged in securing provisions, stores
baggage, mattresses, blankets, &C., necessary
to sustain life on the island About half Of
the baggage and stores was saved, the latter
in very bad condition. At o'clock P. NJ
June 2, dispatched the second boat in charge
of the second officer, Mr.. Reid, with the pur
ser, Mr.. Rogers, to Aspinwall, $50 miles, fol
assistance. On the 9TH and 9th of June, the
ship became total wreck, and nothing more
remains of her but part Of her engine. Or
the 7th the Captain proceeded to the island
where he found tents erected, bedding dis
tributed, and everything working well. Mr.
Sloat, the chief engineer, had put condenser
which would make from seventy to eight
gallons of water per day, and was in perfec
working order, in case the wells on the islant
had given out On the 9Th the first office
returned with two small fishing vessels of q
tuns each Captain Dennis had partly sue
ceeded in making arrangements with the cap
tains Of the schooners TO transport as man!
Of his passengers o. they could carry TO As