New-York tribune., 1869-05-13
WRECK or THE STEAMSHIP HERMANN.
PARTICULARS OF THE CATASTROPHE-TERRIBL
LOSS OF LIFE-BRAVERY OF THE JAPAHEsE
fROoPs,


PARTICULARS OF THE CATAsTRoPHE-TERRIBLE
Loss OF LIFE-BRAVERY OF THE JAPANESE
fR0oPS.
WASHINGTON, May 12.-The State Depart
ent has received from Consul at Kanagawa uhder
date OF March ls, the particulars Of the loss OF the
Pacific Mail Steamship Companys steamer Hermann nam ,Sn T
following fun statement by Capt Newell OF inc loss Vi
'no i''' STATEMENT OF CAPT NEWELL
was ordered to take command Of the Hermann as as
soon as that vessel should return to Yokohama rom
Yedo and did so on the morning OF me I5tn INST 90 e
were then board $50 passengers and crew OF 90 e
The heavy gales Which % n1 pd yeeTed to
north and east, and the barometer @ Stits
of sausar Outside Of Cape Sagami We encountered
heavy southweserly SWELL but the wind was fresh rom
air miles distant 40 p M, and then steered northeast
by east till p NJ, then steered northeast east one
stcered east by north onehalf north, the ship making
about knots per hour against the Strong %nI; %
These courses should have taken the ship about egnI
miles from the land at the Point OF kawatZu 6ut sup
posed the heavy m C from land might be about
r Tfo it6t was extremely dark and hazy, so that
the land very indistncily and altered the ships
course TO the eastward, IN the mar, manner nNt re-
lated Ia %es shSgs fTo YoSohmS Vide BERTH the native pilot
on board having told me that there was reei on @ te
pOint although its existence not indicated on t9
chart nor mentioned In the sailing directions steere9
This course +. by N, half N, from TILL o'clock had
me tapdad COMPASS to examine the cOurse made by IT,
and was going forward again. when discovered break
ahead / then ordered the helm "hard port" The
shin AT once answered the movement OF the helm put
eot Violence upon the rocks striking first forward and
then aft, when raised by the following swell sue
Great Sreat Violence. forced her over the reef,
the water ang the t5d ship go, bTepEHs TSpdy outside
Of her un she had settled fairly upon the bottom and
up to the hurricane deck this was about 10 O'clock Am a. m
she had by this time broken open amdshlpsi the Dows
were stove in and the hull more or less broken Dy INC
had concluded at once after striking, that It was
safest for the people 10 cling TO the wreck a. no pOat @
the should not be lowered The ltepresetveS oi
which there great number, were got up anu tng
rockets when the people on shore lighted fires IN little
bay ON which tho town OF kawaiZu Is sltualeu Az 1
u m the port boats swept away, two OF them PC
ING AZ once swamped alongside. Some OK the crew
jumped into the third one anu RT RGt So gisSr nv "
soon after had the starboard boats lowered which were
0ucky filed with people, In two OF them they cut the
painter dd ~ or distance from the wreck The third
and last boat cast adrt from tho vessel D9t relnneu
for about half an and then went In toward the shOe
As the wreck settled deeper the people came upon the
hurricane deck. Between midnight ana a. nl one vi
the tunnels fell upon the hllB ahu oHenvU
forward upon the hurricane deck broke IL OH amushl,
causing ,Gss or bnSy e eu the foremast had gone
The sea reaching the hurricane deck, broke
M the whole Of forward but the after portion 0ated
ohalmost entire and remained IN tins way aongsde anu
served 10 40 or 20 people We then eoeotea on d
rapidly the former veeTug TO the southwest ana COM
ing IN e land very cold and piercing. Some oil INC peo
ple were washed on; tried 20 save themselves on
pieces OF the 1oating wreck The boats DSlng "a US @
fte-boais, although swamped stll noated auu MeIS
washed into the small bay by the surf and tnpo teSU
WHO cung them were saved IL is lmpossoo ioi & n9
10 estimate the loss Of LIE The ship nrst stthSh wy
M ~ m and had not settled 80 that the sea uasheu u
broke up the hurricane deck unth aoo1t a, ~.
casualties happening IN tho hter.m, w
in shore by the surf while hostcd by the &
rosty from the cold and somo OF those IN the rigging
proved unable TO endure H. AZ daylight, IOuhu ths
,sar be bay mentioned above the ship about onclouth
OF nile further out. but was swept ny the heaFy Iong
seas the spot where she hnaly setue1, @ hau
hope from tho appearance OF the coast hht thoso N
were In tho boats during the night we're saved Du rs II
afterward proved many OF them were. ABOUT U Psopo
.ul remained on the wreck soon one oi me SNIP pSHs
and humber of native craft came of from shore The
latter would a0Dg Dgsde, 80 that was Obliged 10
| transfer the people from the wreck to them py
weather moderated sim more, the japanese
boais alongside, and helped to take OIL the paanee
sbp through tho nj ght we're safely landed on shore
Before closing, would remark that the behavior OF
the Japanese was heroic When tho ship struck those
brave men. suddenly reused from sleep Dy the aNI.l
crash, seemed 60 comprehend the situation 10 HohSnI
There was no stampede ana no disorder FROM e , nlS
they were quiet aud cool retaining wonderfully Iher
presence OF mind, and calmly awaiting tho commshds OF
their leader This officer called them on deck and ater
consulting with me as TO the proper course 70 pe pnr
h they retired 10 their rooms. where they remained
until driven from them by the water rising IN me vessel
None OF them attempted 10 leave the vessel without per-
mission from the officer In command and noticed that
those who determined try swimming ashore, stripped
themselves with the exception OF belt hbeut the waist
and fastened 10 this their swords, jumped into the sea
on arriving at KAwatzu we mustered 5s officers ana
men, first officer water tender aud 20 OF the crew
having been lost We walked sixty miles through the
country meeting every where with kindness, aud
reaching the head Of IedO Bay obtained the boat which
brought Us TO Yokohama.