The New York herald., 1867-05-25
THE SANTIAGO DE CUBA.


A Fall Account Of tho Disaseef-The Ssate.
mont Of the Captain-A Singular Reason
Assigned for the Disastcr-The Names Of she
Lost-Full List Of she Insurancos, &c.
ATLANTIC CRY, N. j., Nay 23-PM.
Ihave Just returned from the stranded steamship SAM
tago de Cuba lying within five miles OF this place
firmly imbedded In the sand two hundred yards from
high water mark. As many statements and garpied
accounts Of the Of this lamenabe disaster have
appeared In the different journals Of your and other
cities having their origin partly in the excited brains OF
the passengers and partly from ignorant residents here
have endeavored to obtain correct version or the sad
affair doing full Justice to all concerned The partcu-
lars herewith annexed have been obtained from per-
sonal interviews with passengers Dr.. Reed, Coroner;
D. W. Belsle, Mayor OF this city, the captain chief
engineer and other officers Of the Inflated vessel.
The Santiago de Cuba left Greytown few minutes past
eleven O'Clock on the evening Of the l4th inst, having
board three hundred and foryeght passengers con.
ssting Of two hundred and fty-eight men, sxty-two
women and twenty-eght children. They started upon
the voyage under the favorable auspices the night
was magnificent in the extreme, the weather being
deciously warm and the sea quiet and untroubled
that its bright and placid surface the subject Of
universal comment All on board were in high glee,
With fond hopes of reaching their destination,
knowing that they stood upon the deck Of fast and
noble vessel Her cargo was very light consisting Of
thirty tons Of india rubber the passengers baggage and
the ordinary stores for voyage Or this character Tho
course sailed the usual one from that port az viii
be noted by the Captains statement herewith annexed.
Hatteras light passed eleven O'Clock the
ing Of Monday the Goth inst sixteen miles eastward
there As asserted By c the passengers Captain
Benin loudly and emphatcalIy proclams this statement
day. about noon tho position Of the ship Was ascer-
tanned by observation 70 be IN latitude SO degrees %
ana y ss
was north BY east quarter east steamng at the rate
Of ten suoss per hour AZ eight O'Clock same evening
east onehalf east and this course maintained ct
the rate Of speed until she brought up Absecom
Beach. to Dry Inlet and opposite Cedar Grove, Eve
miles from Atlantic City, at . quarter TO four
O'Clock wednesday morning Al this point and IN reIa-
statsment Of Captain Bshn, which he cheerfuly made
! to me ON board the stranded steamer this noon
STATEMENT or CAPTAIN y. W. BgBM.
/ We left Greytown evening 14h inst, having finished
taking on board all the passengers and their baggage
sailing the usual route passing Cape So Antonio, into
| tant eleven O'Clock evening Nay 90 The following
day Tuesday, found position by observation
longitude "a deg ~ min west running for the twenty
four hours two hundred and seventy mlcs We steered
ter cast making ten Knots per hour 4. eight O'clock
evening day changed her course 70 north by eas
one-hslf east going q the same speed This course
brought the steamer 10 her present unfortunate position
whereas il should have carried me nineteen miles
to the eastward Of this point Iwhiy onributs the dis
after to csryea that cdugM the htp at sea, gradually
cutting kr ooo ~ shore The night before she struck
about half-past twelve O'Clock, light and pass
ing it very quickly supposed II TO be steamer bound
south. The weather was foggy, but moonlight
70 Se Sd nas few sen minutes BEFORE
struck have the lead in readiness
O'Clock, be remarked that the water ahead was dis
colored 1t tho beach ! Immediately ordered the
ne,m hard aport knowing that could get the ships
head TO eastward could clear anything on the
coast The ship commenced striking almost imme-
datey and went of 70 position east northeast
when she stuck fast. then discovered that We
backed with all force but found 10 be Of avail
as she could not be moved; she was fairly embedded IN
after six O'Clock Al this time the passengers headed
by Captain Prn, Of the Royal Navy together with Cap
!ans Kelly and Pattsn. Of the steamers Montana and
Idaho came forward and requested me 10 lower the
get the and children cut Of the
ship at this time she striking very heavily and the
sea RAINING high strcnuously objected 70 this, and
for a short time they dessted But almost Immediately
thereafter . committee waited upon me. requesting
objected assuring them that they waited We should
| soon have assistance from shore; thai there
pressn. danger that not used pulling
boats through tho SURF They replied that they would
hold responsible for any accidents that would
blow and should 1t happen by my tardness that any
lives lost the pubic and relatives Of those lost
would hold me guilty finally consented 70 allow the
boat 10 be lowered although II was against my judg
| ment Yet the sea ran nigh, and IL It did commence
blowing there great danger that all would be lost
shore in safety, Captain Kelly and Captain Patten in
command. captain Kellys boat in returning shipped
baed out At tins time part OF the officers aud crew
launching the life raft but In the confusion OF
Ibis had to be- again drawn ON deck to be rghed and II
the meantime Captain Kelly bad taken another load but
eight and started for the shore; but when within one
hundred yards OF It. among the breakers it almost
capszed, drowning four women, child
and seaman. Quartermasser AcNulty, who after
wards lost his life from the raft At this time, by heroic
exer on saved the life Of Of the females that
washed vcrboard from the boat
shore with load Of passengers where 1t reached safely
In meantime ropes had been run shoro in order
20 baui the boats again should il be found
ssry Tne life ra in charge Of the second officer hauled
back TO the ship by this line In the surf the steering
lost from the raft IL beingknccked out Of the
stecrsrnan's hand While The men were hauling the
raft back by this line heavy roller came In, capszcd
raft, and washed all the men into the sea. Quarter
master NcNulty, who had acted nobly but q short
time before, although excellent swimmer lost;
while another Of the crew, who could not SWIM all,
The passenscrs being greatly frightened, we did
| nothing until the arrival Of Captain j. Tou-
mard wreck master on Absccom coast ana ms wreckng
orcw who with his own boats and the AID OF ours sue
ccdcd IN landing the remainder OF the passengers and
their entire baggage IN safety The ship's position is
beach, heading southwest She lists heavily OF
shore and Is humping badly Water about nine feet
| In her hold, her tanks bciDa completely covered
Sm cArTllxs RxAsoSs xIss,Ar-x,s FEEnG, ETC
The captain denies most vshemsnty that WHOM the
ae esa " ns w non
cenble from the ships deck until nearly seven O'Clock
He denies In the same manner many OF the strange
statements OF the passengers. but he docs not
explain the carsessness which caused him to be
upon the beach when he judged nimssn nine
teen miles from It, He does mot explain why
he did order soundings from noon Of the previous
day unit, just before the steamer struck No be wholly
attributes the mishap sreacherous current which
he, being Q shpmasler OF twentynne years standing,
should have been thoroughly convcrsaut with He gives
no answer 10 this apparent cupabis carelesncss but
hoo charge Of insoxScaton on the part OF OF
| the oniccrr Captain Bshm, know, feels his position
keenlyfees that the Of life has been fearfufees
that bis prospects have been sadly marrsd by this
trophe He almost feels realixng OF what he
oimes okine'y remarked: those that 60 down the
sea ana do business the great waters, frequently
are badly treated Captain Benin has been In the
employ or the North American Steamship Company over
year but was recently tranaerred from the San Fran
| cisco to the santiago Do Cuba
| rnS pRowmp-mER noxxs-pIsroernoS BopRs-
pUnIAl rHRER, ETC
The drowned, - appears In Capt Benms statement,
are seven. Their names and residences, with other
Items Of interest,", afe:--
Nn Eunics ssioas oroa, Of Indiana