Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-08-12
THE WILLIAM NELSON DIS.
ASIEk.

by the Scotia we receive fuller accounts
of the burning Of the em,gran. ship Will
liam Nelson at sea. Her Captain makes The
following statement D-.''.. '''. .'''l
II am an American, and my name Is John
Levy; my ship was of 1889 tons burthen.
and on board crew of thirty men. left
Antwerp on the 2d of June, and Flushing
cn tie 4th, with six hundred tons of rails:
different other merchandise, and four hun
dred and fifty emigrants,' btrnd for New
York. Yesterday l had just taken an Oh.
servation, which showed that MAS in 40
deg. 81 min. north latitude, and so deg. 81
min. ives. longitude, from Greenwich, when
learned that my men, in fuinigating the
vessel, had set her on fire. / made every ef-
fort to extinguish the flames, but they spread
with such fearful rapitlity that Our labor was
unavailing. then ordered the four cared
boats to be launched. In the disorder which
had seized every one. they were Immediately
filled by those persons who were nearest at
hand. l remained on board ths vessel, but
was soon surrounded by flames, and ives
obliged to throw myself into the sea, when
was picked up by one of the boats. My
ship was all on fire, and my unfortunate
passengers were perishing in the flames, or
drowning without my being able to assist
them. The scene was horrible. This morn
ing, at four o'clock, everything had dissp-
peared. My four boats were laden with
people; ordered them to follow, and pro-
ceeded in northwesteriy direction, think
ing should Have a chance of meeting with
some ships. The two other boats cannot be
far off, -sIr .H ..l. ..'..
The captain of the Mercury, who rescued
fortythree persona, says that during the
night of the 27th Ut, when in Al deg 48
min. north latitude, and 4S deg. SO min.
west longitude, he heard voices to vino ward
calling for aid. Nothing could then lie
seen, bu. the ship was put about, and a few
minutes after btnt in which were thirty
eight persons, Including four women and
three children, came alongside. The oc-
cupants were taken on board, and related
that they belonged to the ship William
Nelson, which had beer burnt two days be-
fore. .' t..-. --- s'4--t.- ---- .-
The captain consequently cruised about
the spot to try and save other lives; at about
eight in the morning of the 9Th he saw q
quantity of wreck, and thtee hours later a
man was perceived fpating in rub three
feet wide and sixteen inches deep only. He
was taken on board, but was found to be
in complete state If exhaustion from huh
ger and fear At midday three mrn and a
woman were picked up from some spars.
They declared that they had clung to those
pieces Of wreck for, forty y-eight hours. and
could have held out but little longer. Three
other persons had been with them but had
disappeared during the night and of that
number was the husband of the woman now
saved. ...--.....t -'G -H1 .at' ,.
Among the episodes of the catastrophe is
mentioned that Of young woman only q
few months married, and expecting shortly
to be mother. who in the confusion which
prevailed while in the water citing to sea-
..-.-.. L".-. s,as ...;sto 20 i,n hsI husband
The sailor swan away with his burden to
tile boat, and they were both picked up, but
the young wife's stupcfaction on discovering
her error was painful to witness. There are,
however, still hopes that the husband may
have been saved in the other boat, 3d.. %
Among the furty-three persons saved by
the Mercury Is an infant only fortnight
old, born on board the William Nelson, and
who, with its sister, aged three years, are
all that remain of their family, The parents
had placed the children Iii the boat and
then attempted to swim to it themselves,
but were both drownedsg The infant was
tend with maternal solicitude by young
woman in the boat. -.,I .,,... t...s9 ar.
An emigrant was so fortunate as to save
his four cf1ildfeti from both fire and water,
and get them on board one of the boats.
His wife was, however, still on the burning
ship. He swan back to the William Mel
son, got on hbard, threw his wife into the
sea, Jumped in after her, and again reached
the boat with her, thus saving his entire
family.
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