The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-01-01
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ThnLos&c DE Comm o.. on

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The Los$cc the Commodore.
Below we Civ, some fuller details of the Cir
cumstances atteaas6g the loss of the Sound
steamer Commodqs Nfwent ashore in the
late storm. These As5rticulars are gathered
from the Herald and other New York papers of
Saturday:
The Commodore was one of the regular boats
plying between New York and Stonington,
Connecticut, in connection with the Stoning-
ton Railroad. She left Pier Is North River, at
four o'clock on Thursday evening, under com
mand of Capt. e. L. Curtis, having on board
about one hundred passengers and light
freight consisting of dry goods, merchandise,
leather, &c, valued at 100000, and proceeded
well until about 8: 80 p. ~, when aterrlhc gale
arose from the northwest and caught the yes
sci off the Stratford Lighthouse The gale III
creased in fury every moment, put Ior some
time the Commodore braved it timely, though
laboring heavily and every timber in her shal-
ingin such manner as TO create in the minds
of the passengers apprehenslons OF her imme-
diately going to pieces in the open sea, many
of them averring that she could not be sound
boat to shake so much" Still she continued
fair on her course, answering her helm perfect
ly, being handled in very fine manner meet
ing with neither accident or mishap until she
came near the Cornfeld Lightship, beyond New
Haven, when the wind began to blow in ter
rifle manner, attacking the ship with tremen-
dous fury, rendering her utterly unmanageable.
In a few moments she refused to obey her
helm, and could not by any means be kept on
her course. She was completely at the mercy
OF the winds and waves which played with her
for short time as if she were but a feather on
the surface of the water. Soon the trying mo-
ment for all came, when one breaker more fur
ious than all before, struck her with terrific
violence, "stoye in" her bulwarks and washed
the forward decks quite clean. Her smoke
stacks next went by the board, and the din
and confusion caused by this accident and the
noise of the breaking of furniture the crash
ing of lamps, tables and almost every movable
article in the saloon hall, staterooms and cabin,
was only excelled when it was announced that
the stoves were topping over and that there
was every danger OF fire.
Many who before remained comparatively
cool and quiet now became intensely excited,
and the thought that the most destructive of
all the elements had conspired to cause their
total destruction took from them most of the
intrepidity which so distinguished their behav-
Tor before. 1t was trying moment, indeed
the winds roaring with their utmost fury, the
snow falling in thick and dampening flakes, to
be frozen Immediately by the PIERCING wintry
blasts, which with all the attendant dangers
was enough to chill and freeze the highest and
most courageous spirit and to add to these
teaRfll trials came the cry of fire, and then the
moment came which would shake the noblest
and strongest Of all on board Some portions
of the ship did catch fire, and were only saved
from this danger by the almost superhuman
eXertions OF the persons on board, who, after
the greatest exertions succeeded in subduinp
the flames, which, with all the danger and the
terror they inspired, were almost preferable to
the gloomy darkness which followed. The
stoves were upset, the fire put out, the lamps
smashed and lights completely extingushed,
and then in the darkness of a cold and snowy
December night the ship Commodore was
left to be played with by most fearful and
mercless gale; and in this way did the unfort-
innate vessel continue ior two hours, until one
O'Clock in the morning, during which period
sho was, as before stated, completely unman.
ageable, and all on beard expecting her at each
moment to go down.
The deck hands, whose duty it was to attend
to the comfort and guard the safety of the pas
sengers, were not only the most useless in the
hour of need, but their conduct added materi-
ally to the danger of the vessel and the terror
Of those on board. Almost from the first mo-
nent many of these men went to their berths
rolled themselves in their blankets, and left
the vessel to her fate. When the pumps had
to be worked, and other courses taken for her
safety, they refused TO work, and only lent
help when paid by several of the passengers
One gentleman gave his last 800 to one fellow,
mo usein working now" Another party pro-
cured, IN some portion of the vessel a Jar of
whskey, brought 1t on deck, and had a noisy
and uproarious carousal; and one of them be-
came so nnmanageable that Lieut.. Noyes, u.
!. N, had TO tie him up to | vent further
damage. The work at the pumps and else
where, was mainly effected by the passengers,
many Of the women included
About four o'clock III the morning the gale
became still more furious and every effort
was made to launch the 1ife-boats. at which
the passengers, almost unassisted by the deck
hands; worked with all their might Several
attempts proved unsuccessful, but at last they
succeeded in getting out one of them into the
breakers with twenty or thirty passengers in
it, and bearing bawser ashore which being
attached ct the other end to the Commodore.
and the other boats being properly manned
the passengers were ali landed safely. though
IN wretched condition. Many of them in
their excitement TO enter the boats jumped in
to the sea, but were Immediately rescued with
the exception OF enc man who up to a late
hour last night was still missing.
The passengers, though safe from the wreck,
were many of them benumbed and almost mar
allied from the cold and wet Not one person
saved his baggage or change OF clothes, and
the ladies' suffered severely from their wet
clothes under clothing and all being complete
~ soaked, and turning into ice from the keen
frost which prevailed at the time. One of
them landed with nothing on save a blanket
with which she provided herself from the
wrecked vessel, as did others, but these blank
cts were afterwards taken from them when ON
board the cars, by direction Of an official of
the company. Another woman diSlocated her
leg While getting from the steamer into the
boat. All were wretched in the extreme
Cold, wet, and after having lost all their prop
cry bHey Hau on BOARD, III this Sorr0Wful
plight, after partal1ing Of some poor refresh
ments, they took their places in The cars and
started for New York.
Another account says:
The boat was leaking very badly The DON
key pump was out of order, and the passen-
gers commenced working the bilge pumps. A
passenger offered one Of the crew $50 to 90 in
to the lower cabin and assist the passengers at
bailtng. The deck hand accepted the money
and went below. The colored walters also re-
fused to WORK; they, having procured life pre-
servers, were seated about the stoves, trying to
keep themselves warm. The officers did every
thing in their power to keep the boat afloat.
The crew filled themselves with liquor from the
bar room, most of them becoming hopelessly
drunk. By the constant exertions of the pas
sengers the vessel was kept afoat until she
drifted into a small cove ON Long Island shore.
Here she was anchored until morning when
she was beached, and the passengers safely
landed. After having landed saw some of the
hog-frames of the boat, and found that they
were entirely rotten. do not think that the
boat was seaworthy, and think the owners Gull
pable ior allowing her TO leave in such wealth |
er, The Old Colony and City of Boston,
which were ahead of US, reached their destina-
ton without difficulty.