Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-06-10

A Awful Ooooe.-Appo1lsag -
eaaens of che vvreceinG 81 80
OCEAN Steamer 1onstage -
Cubn.
Some days ag. NC made editorial mention
If our fears that one Of the victims Of the
ill.f,,.d steamer Santiago de Cuba, OF the
c.rf,rnis Line, was The wife Of our friend
Flank Kicker, Esq. whom VIC were expect
ing to arrive from San Francisco, whittier
he had been on busiscss trip. Those
fears are row confirmed, and herewith we
give some Of the particulars Of that awful
event, which VIC extract iiom private let
ter from the bcreaved husband:
Nothing u importance occurred 10 rem
der our homoward "Trip otherwise than peas
ant until Ne left the river boat in Nicaragua
to take the steamer en- THE aide. distance
Of somc three understanding 10 pass over
heavy surf where We came neas being
wrecked. The water came INTO the port
bolss, drssehiag passengers and bssgsge.
Nothing further worth noticing occurred un
I'll the Sunday previous 70 our wreck, when
ws encountered . bad sss in tho Gulf
Stream. On Monday the passengers were
uneasy, and fearful while psssing thestesmy
Hatteras coast-the more % from want Of
confidence in our Captain; and strange 70
say, many had . prcsentiment that they
could not shake off, Of q disaster in some
shape. But we psssed through the rights
fol storm, aud escaped the jaws OF death for
the time bsing, yet my wife was still de.
spondest with the presentiment that had
occupied her mind during the entire voyage
that NO were not 81 reach Now York IN
safety. Oh Monday and Tuesday nights,
therefore, We slept without undressing
On Wednesday morning about O'clock,
ve felt q powerful shock, as IL We had gone
upon the rocas. My wfe's first exclama-
ton was: There, We are surely wrecked
With anxious minds we hurried INTO the
eabin-into . scene of deep anxiety, ou'
strange 10 say, no excitement: IL was y"
de-, that our vessel was bcached, and near
~. shore About : O'Clock, Capt Kelly,
a, old sailor. who, with his wife and daugh-
o., was passenger, volunteered to go ashore.
boat was lowered, Of which Capt. X. took
charge. and with his wife, daughter, and
several other lady passengers, safely made
the shore. Another boat was then lowered
and Capt Patton, another old sea Captain
and fellow passcnger-took command
and landed several ladies in safety. Bo,t
brought their boats safely back, through
the surf, which was more difficult - thu
tide was coming in at the time. Capt
Patton then took . line Of rope Of
shore. and Capt Kelly came alongsid
fos moro passengers. At this tim
the atossphers was little misty with up,
peasancss Of . storm, aud oil naturally anx
ious TO get on shsre, and those who wers
fortunate enough 70 get seat in Capt
Kslly's boat we're mach snvisd, a. he "a
considered cool headed and safe officer
The load this time consisted Of seven ladie
and one child Ny wife was one Of tn
: number, and must say ] urged her =
take that CHARGE somewhat against be
wish-excepting az she said, it would Civ
me more chance to save my life In case sh
! vessel should 20 to pieces. With the fou
oarsm en- there we're thirteen persons in .
! in the boat % she left the vessels aid,
1 Deep and almost bssathlsss Vas the anxiet
! Of those who watched her shoreward pro
gress - Il neared the heavy waves Of th
angry SURF In passing the fleet We oouI
soc that she veered considerably, and a
the second struck her che capsized- like
flash. Capt. X. and two others being dis
abled, only one man was left to rescue th
lady passengers. The men on shore wcr
nearly oil engaged in fastening line, br
lines were soon formed TO wade into IL
surf by joining hands, aud 30 oil the boat
{ passengers were picked up except the chill
= and one OF the disabled oarsmen Ever
|, effort WAS made on shore to resuscitate q.
b rescued You can form some faint idea
0 the intense anxiety Of those on deck wh
n had friends in the capsized boat-of II
: hope AGAINST hope MS We saw the ladie
y taken out one by one, the circle Of friend
that gathered around to assist in reStcrin
. life. With my glass saw some raised ,
) a standing position. helped into wagon
and carried awny, and my heart lightene
up with hope. But as | saw others role
III blankets and lett upon the beach, hop
sickened, aud ! felt that was bercft. VI
: the intensity of the next hours anxiety q
; We waited the returning boat But it cau
at last under the command Of the wrec
master, and ! sougnt for and obtained
seat in the boat. Would my worst fears
conGr med Would my still stIugglir
hopes be crushedg AS we approached Ii
, shore several Of our friends met tue. Not
word was spoken read in their faces At
glance that my wife was slscping anon
, the dead"