The national Republican., 1866-10-17
LOSS OF THE EVENING STAR
INTERESTING DETAILS or TIE DISASTER,

new 0rk, from Savannah, OctOOer III, we
learn further particulars Of the loss Of the
Evening Star.
Among the passengers by the Virgo were
+. s. Allen, late Purser Of the Evening Star;
Robert Finger, late Chief Engineer, and
passenger, H. II. Harris. By their state
ments it appears that the Evening Star en-
countered q terrific gale on the evening of
Tuesday, October 2, when about 24O miles
northeast Of Mantanilla Reef At midnight
on the I'd inst. her rudder-chains were broken,
and the vessel, being unmanageable, lay in
the trough Of the sea-
Purser Allen gives the following particu-
lars:
About two o'clock Wednesday morning
the steamer was lying in the trough Of the
sea. My barometer at this time was about 2s
and S-l0ths. Between two and three o'clock
the starboard rudder chain got out of the
shieve, the vessel becoming unmanageable.
About three o'clock we commenced bailing
the ship from the engine-room and after
cabin. About five o'clock the engine became
disabled. The water now reached the furnace
doors, extinguishing the fires. Having been
at work on deck, now went TO the lower
after-cabin and assisted in bailing, but the
water increasing in the ships hold, soon drove
the men on deck. At this time the scene
was indescribable. Her cargo commenced
shifting aft, and she was fast settling in the
water; her cutwater was stove in by heavy
sea, the water pouring in with perfect del
uge; her rudder gearing was broken, and the
light work on the deck was being carried
away piece by piece.
Ia,, ;ubt 40,
went into the cabin and notified the passen-
gers that he had done all that was in his
power to save the ship, and he was satisfied
that she would go down before many min
utes had passed he then closed the cabin
doors, and, with the assistance of myself he
commenced getting the boats clear from
their fastenings. The captain now opened
the doors on each side Of the social hall, and
efforts were about to be made to get the la
| dies into the boats. 1t was now six o'clock.
| A few minutes after daylight, as we were
about taking the first lady from the cabin
door, a heavy sea swept the decks, swamp
ing the vessel; she made one lrrch and went
down. now found myself struggling in the
water.
After hanging to piece of the wreck for
three hours, one of the ships boats hoated to
me, and climbed into it; but was capsized
six times, each time losing my hold. From
what l saw and heard, think all the boats
were capsized when the vessel went down;
all this time the sea was running very high,
and until afternoon the boat containing my
self and companions was surrounded by i'm
mense quantities Of drift wood. The wind
was still blowing hurricane. That evening
the wind and sea moderated considerably.
Captain Knapp, in attempting to reach our
| no. otr tha haaI init haa
piece of drift wood, and Immediately sank.
Besides myself, our party consists ofNhe fol-
lowing persons: Robert Finger Chief En-
gineer; John Lang, water tender; Frederick
Shaffer, coal passer; George Smith, seaman;
John Powers, seaman; Dennis Cannon.
waiter; Rowland Stephens, waiter; Edward
Larner, passenger II. ii. Harris, passenger.
Thursday morning opened calm and pleas
ant. We were now on the broad ocean,
without anything to eat and very poorly clad
On the morning Of the 9Th, about o'clock
made a sail, which we discovered to be the
bark Fleetwing, of Laurvig, Norway, from
Balize, Honduras, bound for Southampton
England, by which we were Immediately
taken on board and kindly cared for. n
STATEMENT OF Mr.. HARRIS.
At $50 o'clock the captain notified the
women that all who wished to take their
chances in the boats could do so. Purser
Allen placed number of women in the
boats, but at the moment these were de-
tached from the wreck they were swainped.
All the women that could get them had life.
preservers, but these were very few in num-
ber. Meanwhile the ship was filling vers
fast. l stood by one of the hatch-covers in
company with several women, intending to
cling to it when the vessel should go down
which we expected every moment In a few
minutes she shipped heavy sea forward OF
her starbOard wheelhouse, completely Gov
ering the vessel She never rose again out
of this sea, but went down in All instant.
was carried down with her about twenty OF
thirty feet. On coming to the surface Of the
water again ! caught hold of a heavy piece
Of the guard to support myself; but being
several times struck by pieces of the wreck
| relinquished by hold.
IHext succeeded in getting upon piece
Of the framework of the saloon, where
stood two or three hours, having been washed
of two or three times. At this time coull
see most Of the debris as it lay before me
One piece Of the hurricane deck, some hun
dred feet long, crowded with human beings
whose shrieks OF terror and despair ros,
above the fury Of the storm. While cling
ing 10 my piece OF the wreck, saw one o
a the life.boats, to which several persons wer,
j. clinging, turn bottom up. swan to her
|. and with the assistance of the others, sue
ceeded in righting the boat. Some eighteel
: of us got hold Of the boat, which was com
$ pletely filed with water. Some of thos
{ cinging to the sides of the boat with IN
, were soon washed away. Their places wer,
quickly filed by others She turned owe
and over in the water like q log. Afte
great exertion we managed to get her free,
Of water During the evening Of the 3
Wednesday, we began to suffer considerabl
y from the want of food and water
At five o'clock on the morning of the st
we saw sail, which proved to be the bar
e Fleetwing, Of Lauvig, Norway, from Baliz,
o Honduras, bound to Southampton, whic
hove to and took us on board We RENAME
on board of her thirty-three hours. At tw
l. o'clock on the afternoon of the 9th We spok
n the schooner s. j. Waring, Captain Fran
r Smith, from New York for Apalachicola
" Fla. We were transferred to her. Tn
II Warine having been disabled in the storm
- was making for the nearest port-Sayanna
IT or Charleston. We arrived off Tybee o
10 SUNDAY nipht and went nm to the citv III