The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-10-23
The Final scene AT the Wreck of
the Evening star.

One OF the passengers SaNeu Iolh the
steamer Evening Star, and landed in
Fernandina, Florida, thus describes the
final scene Of the great catastrophe:
The storm that day Tuesday and
throughout the succeeding night is de-
sclibed as one Of the seyerest ever
known on the Atlantic coast The pas
sengers worked faithfully with the crew
IN All their efforts TO save the ship and
even many ladies' engaged themselves
to the last moment in tina desperate
work, and only quailed when the fear
full announcement was made by the
captain that the ship must go down !"
This was indeed a most awful moment
one which no pen can justly describe.
Out in mid-ocean, companion to the
bowling tempest, the sea dashed into
fury by the wind, which came with the
force Of some solid substance; there, on
a great ship, tossed and buff'eted about
like child's toy or bubble on the
breeze, what could they hope for in this
wild connection, with only an open
row-boat to bear them on? Some, with
clasped hands, stood in mute despair,
while others rayed frantically and cried
out to their companions, "Oh, save me!
save me ]" The mother was seen to
press her child closer, and the husband
the wife to his bosom. Others ran from
the deck into the saloons, and there
bent down in some corner. to await the
end
A husband Jan army officer was
seen with his devoted wife and two
small children, all clasped tightly to-
gether, and there remained, even when
the foaming surge of the angry waves
washed through the saloon where they
were knceling, and there, in that last
embrace, death claimed the faithful VIC
TINS. SO rapid was the closing scene
Of this fearful tragedy that two Of the
ships boats were never loosed from the
dayits or mooring on deck, but went
down with the ship Two of them had
been cut loose and efforts made to
launch them, but one roll of the ship
plunged both, with oil who were near,
into the yawning gulf, and the next mo-
ment returned them and shattered the
frail bark INTO atoms against the steam
ers side Another moment and there
came n billow, high-crested and furious.
The devoted ship but partially lifted
her stern The shock of that wave
drove through the saloons. and with a
culver throughout her frame She settled
to starboard and the Evening Star was
gone forever.
This was six o'clock Wednesday NOR
ming, October g.
A few seconds time was enough to
obliterate every appearance that 50 gal
LIANT ship had gone down with its hum
dreds Of precious souls Nothing, save
some scattered fragments Of broken
timber and here and there a few human
heads, served to mark the ill-fatcd spot.
Two of the life boats roasted upon the
waters, and toward them the eyes Of
drowning scores were turned In the
midst of the drift stuff, dashed about
like demons Of destruction, many found
their death, as the severe gashes and
Ddu bluletS VI lie hulNlNoio bcdI VIII
ness. A piece Of the hurricane deck
and pilot house composed the only adj
ditional float on which there was the
least prospect Of life, and to this frail
support chung woman in the widest
energy Of despair. The dead body Of
another woman rested lower down on
a portion Of the deck another wave
and both are swept into the deep.