Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-02-16
SCENES OF Hoeaoa.

SCENES OF HORROR.
The Details OH the Loss Of the
Australian Steamship 0.OmdOn-
roospm and clearinghouse Cons
00ce ofshc Captain.
The wreck Of the Australian emigrant
ahp London, with the loss ofover two hun
drcd lives has already been recorded. The
English papers rccei, ed by the Africa fur
nish details of the catastrophe, cxcelling
in interest anything Of the kind that has
occurred in Europe since the loss Of the Roy.
81 Charter:
nERoisX OF THE CAPTAIN.
Il was not till four p. m. on Wednesday,
the 10th inst, that Captain Martain rcsolv
cd to put back to Plymouth, the London
being then some two hundred miles south
Of Lands End. But il seemed alrcady too
late. Al hal(-past ten on Wednesday night
. tremendous SEA swept the ship. broke in
to tho engine room aud put out the fire
This was the night on which the
thirty vessels were wrecked at once IN
Torbay. All the passengers Of the London
worked At the pumps, while the gale Ie
came hurricane, and the ship was losing
all control. At length, at ten p. M, on
Thursday, Capt Martin called his passen
gers together and told them that they must
prepare for the worst. The ship had al
ready sunk q low Is her main chains. One
boat was lowered and Instantly swamped.
but the five mcn in her were dragged on
board the ship. No attempt was made ,c
launch the other boats but the passengers
gathered into the chief cabin, and having
been calmly assured by Capt. Martin tina,
there was no hope left, they quietly joined
with clergyman in prayer. There ~as no
wild and 9 fish terror, no screaming, no
rushing to the boats there was the agony
Of sudden partings, and Of everlasting sep,
arations Of parent and child. and husband
and wife; but, with the example of Capt.
Martin before them, all these diving men
and women were compos cd and all resigned,
Will, the children wondered ana asked
why their fathers and mothers looked So
sad. Captain Martin remained nj his sta
ton on the poop, once or twice only goi e
forward, and and once or twice into the ga
loon to join in the devotions of the passen-
gers. At two p. IN. the few men who wer,
destined TO survive to hiring the sad story
h0mc-sixtcen Of the crew aud three of the
cnge,s-detcrmined TO trust themselves
to the chances Of tho sea, lowered away the
pinnace. and launched her clear OF the ship
These men called to the captain to come
with them, but this brave and stcadfast
English seaman declined, saying. mo, !
will 60 down with the passengers; hut
wish you God speed, and safe 10 Land. =
Tho boat then pulled away, and five minutes
after the London. with two hundred and
seventy souls on board; went down. and al
was over. II seems that after the pinnace
came away an IN ,tiect lal attempt was mad,
to get the other boats cut, but it was too
late.
A THOUSAND GUINEAs FOR LIFE.
At that moment those in the boat were
piteously called upor by lady about TWEEN
ty-three years Of age. who. with fac,
which was, il is stated. hvid with horror,
shrickcd out an offer OLA thousand guinea>
you'll take ne IN" But in that solemn
hour millions Of money would have been &C
counted ,alueiess. and to return mus, have
resulted in destruction 10 all. One @! The
seatpen has STATED that when the boa, wa
pushed 81. the captain had wished those
Ia her God speed the men n
solved that danger must be allowed to
accrue TO them from further crowdin-. and
thai some q them drew the'- knives wit
. determination q cutting II the hands Of
those Who nigh. leap irou tae 50 p and cn
cesv1r 10 eng TO the boats runwaes. il
"a 49, sar Ee. ~. -
was t'si made known tia, the vessel -u.'
g oo~n, passenger Drought On deck
carpe. bi-. and TIA. On doing 50 The Cap
tain gave saor. melancholy laugh. ana
then su..ed, - one Of the passengers OK
pressed 1t, al tas preposterous idea Of til,
mans thinking o, such a time Of his prop
erty.
rnf LAST GLIMPSE OF THE DOOMED.
Two passengers were last seen with life
belts, but probably none were alive when
they came to the surface. The spectacle,
Vas only 10 be seen, for Ia the din Of the
tempest no cry from the sinking multitude
could be heard, and soon not yestage was
Visible. As the ship sunk it was seen thai
eli on the deck we're driven forward, not by
water, but by tremendous and overpow
ering rush Of air from below. winch, as il
escaped through the deck a. well as
through the matches. impcled all on deck
forward violently, and their dreadful strug
gle must have soon ended. II was remark
ed that the third officer, who war named
Angel, stood TO the last AZ hi, post at thu
donkeo engine. which was employed in
working the pumps, and that his hands
werc on the engine even rs the vessel dis
appeared.
TIN EscAPR OF the SURVIVORS.
Leaving the sad circumstances connected
With those who have persisted, there is
something to narrate concerning the advcn-
lures Of the small remnant Of the crew and
passengers who were saved. A compass
had been given them by the captain. and
under the directions Of King. the men
agreed that whatever might happen they
would sit iMmovablc except when pulling
ct the oars. Two worked at each oar. and
they ran before tho sea. Every nerve was
excrted to make the boat vi hstand the
ID the waves and became surrounded bv |
che surge. Before daylight. and as the |
noon rose, tho men werc ovetj ,ycd at des-
efytnea vessel close Alongside. They hail |
q the ship and wcrc heard but ss they
could present no light, they could not be
see, although they could not see the shin
tacking about for an hour twin. to find
them. The scasch. vas fruilless. and II. |
ship was lost sight Of. The boa. had no, |
been rowed duffng the time the ship was
sighted, but simply kept away before ne
wind Until daylight, when no vessel was
visible. The men adhered to their course,
and It D o'clock sighted two vessels, but
wers prevented from making for them BY
cross seas. They rowcd for one Of them, how.
ever, for hours. When At last they up toher
shey found her to be an Italian bark the Ma.
stanople, Capt. Cavasa. just as they were
approaching the vessel they were strnsH MI
: heavy squsll and shipped sea 50 that eli 1
. the boat gave themselves mp for lost. but
eely ouelof thD men MOVING in the boat 70
1ail her Out. and no frcsh seas striking her.
ehsa &ers enabled to hail her clear. and
egjng - .alsngside the harx.' A line was
thrown 10 them, and .thev we're drawn IN ID
~ desk. where shsv fonnd themselv cs com.
Caeesay benumbed BY the exposure b, which
~ - been ssejected. Capt. Cavasa.
h*SAN+ - A1t& $50 754Isg