Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-06
SHIPWRECK.
Loss Of the Steamship Londonderry
10 cut OF 27O Lives are Saved-COol.
ness OF the Captain and Crsw-rer-
ribIe Scenes.

10th sit. Thu vessel left London on the
24th of December and Plymouth on the
9Th of January. 1t experienced very
heavy weather and several accidents, and
on the 18th Captain Martin determined to
put about and run back to Plymouth.
Here let us quote the London Times /:
At three o'clock, A. N, on Wednesday,
the 18th inst, Captain Martin sent for
M. Greenhill, the chief engineer, and in
formed him Of his intention to put the
ship about and run for Plymouth, and he
desired that the full speed should be got
up Immediately. This was Immediately
done. In half an hour after the ships
course had been altered she was again
struck by a tremendous sea, which carried
away the starboard life-boat, and the sea
stove in the starboard cutter. AT noon
on this day the ships position was latitude
47o Az north, longitude 80 Y west. A
very heavy cross sea was running, with
the wind now dead astern Of the ship
which caused her to roll heavily. But no
danger even now was anticipated, and all
through the evening of Wednesday, and
long after midnight, the ship continued to
steam slowly ahead, the Captain and his
officers remaining steadily at their posts,
and the passengers appearing to have full
reliance upon she skill Of Captain Martin.
On Wednesday, the ship still rollingdeep-
ly in a heavy cross sea, and the wind
blowing a whole gale from the southwest,
a mountain of water fell heavily over the
waist of the ship and spent its destructive
force upon the main hatchWay, over the
engine room, completely demolishing this
massive structure, measuring twelve feet
by eight, and flooding with tons of water
this portion of the ship. Instant endGav-
UIs " ToPai-t -hAfnhway were made
with a promptitude and vigor cOmmensur-
ate with the imminent crisis. Every
spare sail that could be got at, and even
blankets and mattresses from all parts of
the ship, were thrown over the aperture,
but each succeeding sea shipped by the
vessel tore away the frail resource of the
moment, and not more than ten minutes
after the hatchway had been destroyed the
water had risen above the furnaces and
up to the waists of the engineers and fire.
men employed in this part of the ship.
The lower decks were also now flooded
with the rush of waters the ship was con-
tinually taking in. The Chief Engineer
/ T6Lldlutu al lie pO5b uukll Il6 WdIcI udl
risen above his waist, when he went on
deck and reported that his fires were out
and his engines rendered useless. Cap
tain Martin, with calm conviction, re-
marked that he was not surprised on the
contrary he had expected such q result.
Finding his noble ship at length little
more than a log IN the water, Captain
Martin ordered his msintopsail to be set,
in hope of keeping her before the wind.
This had searsely been accomplished when
the force of the wind tore the sail into
ribands, with the exception Of one corner,
under which the ship lay to throughout
the remainder of the night. The donkey
engine was supplied with steam by a
boiler upon deck, and all the deck pumps
were kept going throughout the night,
and the passengers of ali Glasses, now
aroused to a sense of their danger, shared
with their crews their Arduous labors.
Notwithstanding every effort, the water
gained upon the pumps, and the gale con-
tinuing at its height, cross seas with tre-
mendous force were constantly breaking
over the vessel. The motion of the ship
became low and heavy, and she refused to
rise to the action of the waves. At a
quarter-past four o'clock on Thursday
morning she was struck by a ire
mendous stern sea, which carried away
four of her stern ports, and admitted a
food of water through the breach. From
this time all efforts were useless, and at
~day-break Captain Martin, whose cool in
trepidity had never for q moment forsaken
him, entered the ouddy where all classesof
the passengers had now taken refuge, and
responding to the universal appeal, calmly
announced the cessation of all human
hope. 1t is q remarkable fact that this
solemn admission was as solemnly received
"a resigned silence prevailing throughout
the assembly, broken oulY at intervals by.
the well-timed and appropriate exhorta-
tons of the Rev. Mr.. Draper, whose spir-
itual services had been incessant during
the previous twenty-four hours. At ten
o'clock, the ship still rolling deeply, an at
tempt was made to launch the starboard
pinnace, but a sea struck her just as she
reached the water, and she sunk, leaving
a crew of five men struggling for their
lives. As the ship was lying-to three of
them managed to scramble up to the sides.
Of the ship, and the other two were rescued
by ropes being thrown to them. After
this the exhausted crew appeared indif-
ferent to their fate, and no further effort
at launching the remaining boats was
made until about one o'clock, when
tho water having reached the main cabins
and the ship evidently settling down, the
port pinnace was got over the ships side.
Even at this moment the sea was so heavy
that those of the passengers who were
within reacL of the boat appeared TO pre-
fer the frail shelter Of the sinking vessel
to the obvious dangers of a small boat in
a raging sea. At this crisis Capt. Martin,
always at hand, addressing Mr.. Greenhill,
his chief engineer, under whose command
this particular boat was rated, said
"There is not much chance for the boat
there is non for the ship. Your duty is
done mine is to remain here. Get in
and take command Of the few it will
hold" Thus prompted, Mr. Greenhill,
with his fellow engineers and some few
others, numbering only nineteen souls,
among whom were only three second
class passengers, quilted the ship, with
only a few biscuits in the shape Of pro-
visions, and not a drop Of water. The
pinnace had scarcely cleared the wake of
the vessel, upon the poop of which up
wards of fifty passengers were seen group
ed, when q tremendous sea was seen 10
break over the doomed circle, who, when
the ship rose slowly again, were discovered
to have been swept int the surging wa
tiers. Another moment, and the vessel
herself, settling down stern foremost,
threw up her bows into the air, and sank
beneath the waves.
The pinnace, having no sails on board,
could only keep aAoat before the wind,
and was repeatedly in danger of swamp
ing. They had not been afoat two hours
before they saw a full-rigged ship sail
past them, but at too greata distance to
hail. At . A. Il. on Friday they sighted
the sails of a brig, the crew of which over
heard their shouts and oretowards them,
but failing to get into the track of the
boat, after making several f~ruitless tacks,
she bore away. At daybreaka full-rigged
cutter was observed at some distance, and
hosting a shirt upon IN oar, they en-
deavored, but in vain, to attract attention.
Shortly afterwards the Italian bark Adri-
anople, Captain Csvassa, bound with a
cargo of wheat from ~Constantinople for
Cork, hove in sight, and the captain hav-
ing observed the pinnace immediately
shortened sail and lay to, preparing to
take them on board. On reaching the
ship, notwithstanding the stress of wea-
ther and straitened means for the support
of so large an increase to his crew, Captain
Cavassa received the Englishmen with
kindness and hospitality, sup
them with all that was necessary