The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-10-30
Ii,nt- rdnnnl b. No..

SONS report # The disaster Is which
ia and many others perishel made
is some q tie papsr. It the time q rs
occurrence Bot such disasters have
become 50 common. that hui very htte
NOTICE s taken oic,ent 81 which many
valuable lives clest and the country
deprived = tho services 81 It's uoblcst
patriotic men
But though ti1cs Ca the sand are
soon washed cut 81 th, waves and tie
rolling ga retains rs farro8 from tie
keel. and the public mind ceases 10 ~
long disturbed by wrecks aud losses
vet none Of those occur without arry-
ing and as abiding aiefand SORROW Is
many kindred heart Thus Il is III
the case before us
i in tho year 1917 tho subject 81 this
notice being then . mere child, came e
reside ia my family. for the purpose 81
pursuing Ills education. He renamed
here about four years, and for large
portion o. the time was a student in the
Burr Seminary He maintained a good
standing as a scholar in the Seminary
and on returning % Albany, pursued
+ his studies with credit and success in
the ACADEMY ofthat city, an Institution
Of high grade
Al the beginning Of the war he enter
4 cd the regular army and at the time Of
/ his death was Aideto Brig Con. Wright
with whom, and several other officers Of
the command, he was on his way from
San Francisco TO Fort Vancouver 81
board the steamer Brother jonathan
having about $50 persons in the ship
The steamer struck with full force up
on a sharp ledge Of rock, not far be-
meath the surface Of the water Tile
ship was old and weak and doubtless
unseaworthy Before hearing the par
/ tieulars, a gentleman, who had been on
board Of her observed that she proba-
BY went al to pieces as soon as she
struck This prediction proved quite
too true For ina few minutes the bot
tom part Of the ship, being disengaged
4 by the conclusion, came up and was
floating alongside.
The condition was seen to be despcl-
ate. But we are told that there were
no frantic acts among the passengers
though they all must have been impress
cd with a sense Of their awful peril,
The captain now ordered one of the
large boats to be lowered and filed with
fifty passengers, under the charge Of the
First Mate. But sad to say, the next
thing seen of tho boat She was floating
bottom upwards, having been capsized
! w L G waves. 4 second boat, already
nearly filed With female cabin passeng-
ers, among whom Was Mrs Gen. Wright,
was next lowered, but before The seanen
could man il, the steamer careened and
upset it, throwing all on board into the
water. At fifteen minutcsaiter the ship
struck, the third mate, Mr. Paterson
who was asleep when the crash came,
lowered his small boat and hurried Oh
board five women and children, who
we're nearest at hand. Ten Of the crew
leaped after him The load was too
large for the boat, and she dipped I'M
cessantly, but the strong arm and cool
ness Of the mate, brought her twelve
miles to Crescent harbor. These were
the only persons saved
When this last boat left the wreck,
Capt DeWolf Gen. Wright, and sever
al others were still seen on the deck OF
the steamer There were then two boats
on the deck, but the violence Of the sen
probably prevented their being launch
ed. Had the sea been smooth tits quite
probable that all on board would have
been saved, as the steamer had SIX boats,
which could have carried all the people
to land Many Of the dead bodies
aoated ashore, and were recognized by
friends, among which vas thai Of Gen
Wright and his wife and our lam atel
young friend, Lieut. Wait III had .
lifo-presever firmly fastened to his body,
and had Invested himself Of his cont,
but retained his gold watch and a sum
Of money il his pocket He had been
il tho water about ten days when one
Of the men who were watching for the
bodies that began 70 be east upon the
shore, discovered something floating
about a quarter Of mile distant The
attention Of the boatnan was called TO
it, and itproved to be the body Of Lieut.
Wait He was easily identified by Capt
Buckley, Of The 9Th California volunteers
who took charge 81 tie body, and thro'
his kindness and attention, it was ulti-