The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-10-19

New York, October Is

New YORK, October Is.
The responsibility for the loss of the Eve
ming Star continues to be disc used by the
daily papers. The folio wing interesting
particulars are taken from the statements
Of passengers who were saved:
About midnight it began 10 blow hurri-
cane, with very ugly cross sea, the ship
lying in the trough Of the sea. The night
was dark, fearfully dark, nothing but the
most solid and gloomy darkness all round
no view to cheer, nothing TO remind the
terrified passengers of the deep sea over
which they rode but the foam of the rpray
which came in showers on our decks. AT
this time the hurricane was so furious and
the steamship thrown so completely at its
mercy that for the general safety the Captain
was obliged to send the women all below
and lock them in the cabin We were now
about two hundred and forty miles north
east of Matinella Reef and one hundred and
eighty miles from land, and from this time
| until she went down she never changed her
| position.
At 8 a. M. October 8, we commenced bail
ing the ship from engine room and after
cabin, ut which the women helped with all
their might and with all the strength Of
frenzy and despair. About q. m. the star
board rudder chain got out Of the shieve,
and the warehouses were washed over
board. AT a. M. the engine was thorough
~ disabled, in spite of the superhuman
efforts Of the chief engineer and his assist
ants. The increase Of the water in the
ships hold soon drove the men from their
duty by the cargo's shifting aft. The hur-
ricane was all this time blowing with fury
which was fearful, terrific and appalling in
the extreme. At about a. M. the Captain
went into the cabin and notified the passen-
gers that he had done all in his power, and
that the ship would certainly 60 down.
Some of the seamen were al this moment
assisting in getting the boats from the fas-
Jennings to the ship. The Captain was ex-
horting the passengers to act coolly. The
storm continued to howl in the most fearful
and depressing manner, and now came the
most thrilling moment Of our trying time.
The women shrieking frightfully, rushed on
deck in the most frantic manner, tearing
their hair, and in many ways acting more
like lunatics than beings endowed with rea-
son Reason at the moment had certainly
abdcated its throne, and nothing but the
widest stage of madness had the poor
beings come to. The men were equally
as violent, though for such scene it may
divesting themselves of their clothing, and
madly and wildly plunged in the foaming
surf, never to riss TO its surface more. The
Captain and crew tried their best to prevent
this, to no avail. Despair controlled their
actions, and 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 a. m, the ship
took h, avy lurch, settling fast. A heavy
sea boarded her, and with one fearful, con-
tinued lurch down she went, and all was
over with the Evening Star. Another state
ment says: Only four life preservers were
on board the Evening Star, which were dis
tributed among the ladies. The members of
the ballet troupe and French Circus Com
pany, not speaking English, could not un-
dersiand what orders were given in relation
to the boats, and yer, few if any managed
to reach them. The shrieks of the frantic
women could be heard above the roar of the
angry waves, rushing to and fro imploring
for aid, but it was each one for himself.
In addition to the French Circus Comps-
ny and ballet troupe there were forty two
frail women, who for various reasons were
seeking another field to prosecute their un-
| uOly CuAhHB. COuc Win
tons were migrating to q warmer cline ;
others were suffering with emu and merely
wanted q change Of scene. 1t is stated tn at
one young girl left widowed mother, sis
ter and child unprovided for, she being
their only support
John Truro, of New Orleans, one Of the
passengers of the ill fated vessel, bought a
policy for $4,000 in the Accidental lnsur-
ance Company, for which he paid ten dol
lars. Several Of the unfortnnates had their
lives insured for the benefit of those depend
ent upon them in the various New York
companies.
SAVANNAH, October ia private letter
from Mayport Mills, Florida, says that
Gonedsby, the second mate Of the Evening
Star, had arrived there, having left the
steamer with boat load Of ladies' All but
two were lost before getting near the shore.
In landing, the latter were lost. One
named Annie, from Rhode Island, and the
other, Rosa Howard, Of New York. Both
became insane from want and starvation
The bodies were washed ashore. That Of
the latter was nearly devoured by sharks