The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-10-19
Loss OF the Evening star.
! STATEMENT OF PASSENGERS.

make us sanguine of our trip; the sea was
sy smoother and pleasanter than on the day
before.
Nothing occurred during the day worthy
of note further than our constantly congratu-
lating each other on the beauty of the wealth
er, which was really charming; and again
was another day spent in pleasure and in ex-
pectation of continued pleasant journey tc
be repeated the next day, October 1, when
ono of the most delightful mornings that could
be spent at sea broke upon us. discovering to
us Cape Hatteras light abeam; the sea Still
smooth, the sun shining brightly, and the
weather calm and clearing off. No change
during the course of this day, and none dur
ing the night, until the morning of the I'd,
which commenced with fresh breeze from
east to southeast, with heavy swell, ,increas-
ing about evening to a gale, with heavy
swells. Things now began to look threaten
ing, and change was easily perceptible in
the countenances of the passengers, especially
the women, many Of whom looked anxious,
and commenced questioning the Captain and
officers, who did all in their power to allay
their fears. q The breeze still freshened 2 the
clouds looked gloomy Sails were taken in,
and all those preparations were made, which
easily told to the. now frightened passengers
that their experienced Captain was preparing
for serious emergency ! for at this moment
the most mex perienced eye might easily have
foreseeri IN the lowering clouds which hung
all round the heavens, and the wild spray
which began to dash in deluging torrents over
the ship, the storm that was coming, and
which was 80 fearfully to affect the temporal
and the eternal existence of every soul on
board. * ~
About midnight it began to blow burri-
cane, with very ugly cross sea; ship lying
i'll the trough of the sea. The night was
dark, fearfuly dark-nothing but the lnost
solid and gloomy darkness all round:ano view
to cheer, nothing to remind the terrified pas
engers of the deep sea over which they rode
but the foam of. the spray which came in
showers on cur decks. At this time the hur-
ricane was 50 furious, and the steamship
thrown so completely at its mercy, that for
the generals safety the captain was obliged to
send thegwomen all below aud luck them In
the cabin. We were now about 240 miles
northeast of Mantanilla reef. and $50 miles
from the land, and from this time until she
went down she never changed her position.
At three A. M. !, October 8, we commenced
baiing the ship from engine room and after
cabin, at which the women helped with all
their might, and with all the strength of
frenzy aud despair.
About four a. M, the starboard rudder
chain got out of the shieve, and the wheel
houses were washed overheard. At five a.
m, the engine was thoroughly disabled, in
spite of the superhuman efforts OF the chief
engineer and his ASSISTANTS The increase Of
water in the ships hold soon drove the men
from their duty by the cargo's) shifting aft.
The hurricane was all this time blowing with
fury which was fearful, terrific, and APP
palling in the extreme. aiac '3i9iht
So much SO, that it might be reasonably
expected that the wild force of the storm
would exhaust itself, but no such fortune was
in store for the Inflated ship Or its doomed
living freight 1t continued with the same
violence, and at last the dreaded and fearful
hour arrived, when, at about FIVE a. m, the
Captain went into the cabin and notified the
passengers that he had done all in his power )
and that the ship would certainly go down
Some of the seamen were at this moment as
sisting. in getting the boats tree from the fas-
Jennings to the ship, the Captain was xhorting
the passengers to act ooolly, the storm con-
tiuped to howl in the most fearful and depres-
sing manner, and now came the o most thrill
ling moment Of the. trying time. The wo-
men shrielsed frightfully, rushed on deck in
the most frantic manner, tearing their hair
and in many ways acting mora like luaatics
than beings endowed with reason, Reason at
this moment had certainly abdicated its
throne, and nothing but the widest state OF
madness had the poor beings come to. s The
men were equally as violent, though for such
scene it may have been worse. The women
commenced divesting themselves of their
clothing, and madly and wildly plunged into
the foaming surf, never to rise to Its surface
any more,i The captain and crew triedotheir
best to prevent this, but to no avail; despair
controlled their actions, aud rather than face
lingering death, many of them voluntarily
sought that grave which opened with such
fearful jaws to receive their mortal ALL -
While these fearful scenes were being en-
acted, which was about SIX a.. !. rl.,a the ship
took heavy fufch, settling fast A heavy
sea boarded her, and with one fearful,5 CON
finued lurch down she went, and all was over
with the Evening Star. . y 9 5A-z-s-9
One of the last persons to leave the wreck
was young lady belonging to the Italian
opera troupe which was on board 8 she be-
haved very heroically, waiting till the last and
only hope was gone and then jumped when
every resource had failed her. From what i
saw and have since learned all the boats were
o.psized when the ship went down After
being in the water among the drift wood, g.,
for nearly three hours, one Of the ships life
boats comingine me, ] got on board, but
was capsized out several times. During this
afternoon the sea ran very high and until
forenoon was surrounded with immense
qualities of driftwood, the wind still blowing
hurricane Alright the wind moderated
very much. & In this fearful sea l. spent some
OF the most wretcheds hours Of my existence,
until fortunately rescued from what ap peared
to me certain watery grave and then when
safe again could ! recall TO miLGI the horrors
OF that dreadful night on board the unfor-
tunate Evening Star.
1t costs US more tolbe miserable than would