Evening star., 1870-03-09
THE LOSS OF THE ONEINA.
Letter from Surgeon Suddards.
Thrilling Account Of the Disaster.
How the Survivors Escaped.
A Terrible Scene.

AeeeJ'uPneo E1CtuSsUety 70 Inc 6uentnQ Star.
PHILADEDPHIA, March 9.-The following are
interesting extracts Of private letter from Sur
geon James Suddards, Of the Oneida, to his
father, the Rev. William Su1dards, d. D., O.
this city, dated Yokohama, January 31st:
.We left Yokohama at ID. m. on the 23th. Al
6:45 we were run into by the Bombay on the
sfarboard quarter, the whole Of which was
iron, and cut everything as with a chisel The
wheel, steering gear, spanker-boom, and gaii
AMI poop cabin were all carried away and i'm
hfteen minutes she sank in fourteen fathoms OF
water, and out Of personnel OF twenty-five
officers and one hundred and fifty men, nine Off
GERS and fifty-fOur men are left to tell the tale
Inc ward room dinner was just finished at the
moment of the collision. 1t seemed to me as
If the whole side of the ship was coming
bodily in on the dinner table. We all rushed on
deck Immediately and everything was in the
combing saw large steamer just clearing us
She was hailed by our executive officer and
requested to stay by us, but as far as 1 could
judge they steamed away as fast as thew cOuid
go. i walked aft on the quarter deck and saw
that everything was smashed to pieces / then
looked over the quarter and saw the extent of
the damage. l believed then that the ship
would 60 down in two minutes, and rapidly con-
Guided that every one must look out for himself
As 1 realized the position noticed that the
waTdIoom boat, which hung at the part quarter,
was manned by twelve or fourteen men.
jumped on the rail and asked if an officer
was in the boat. The men said no,
and seeing who 1 was they said: "jump
i'm doctor, and seizng hold of me, two OF three
of them dragged me into the boat. 1 at once
TOOK charge, ordering man at each fall to
lower when ordered. Having first cut all the
in three or four minutes of the ships going
down. During this time the boatswain and two
or three men got into the boat, making the
Mnode number 1s % seventeen; We were still hang
that peculiar way which precedes fOunderinp
ana the boat was dashed against the side Of the
ship, threatening to dash her in pieces. looked
on deck, and saw no one abaft the mainmast,
and gave orders to lower away and hang by
the falls. Afterwards her fall got iamned
and had to be cut with knife. Had we been
have been too late, as she went down like shot
after starting, and the suction would have car
ried our boat down with the wreck. may mem
non here that when she was brought up to the
ination it was found that seven pieces were
broken on the starbOard side, and one of the
planks was Knocked an inch out OF place. This
must have been done by the side OF the ship,
and conviTces me that we could not have saved
any more IN our boat, as she would have filled
and gone dCwn with q heavier load As the cox
der sail. We started for her, intending to bring
her along side, il possible, and save life Being
under sail: however, and going free, she rapidly
it up; and turning to 60 back to the ship found
that she had disappeared. We pulled to where
we thought she had been; but seeing or hearing
hOtninS, uu8Ily ne8Ocu IOr the shore, and landed
about $50. 1 at once went up to a Japanese
house, engaged three guides, and started OF
ior Nok0hama, Twenty-Five or thirty miles
distant. We crossed five mountains on the
way, and had the most fatigueng tramn
you can imagine. We arrived all safe, at four
O'Clock On the morning of the 18th when spread
1ne TS news and sent down assistance to the wreck
The vessel was found yesterday, but no bodies
as yet The English consular court Is investi-
eating the matter. All the officers of the Rom
bay have been on examination. Our turn will
come Tomorrow. Mr.. dc Long the American
Minister, is conducting the proceedings on our
behalf. You will know the result BY the next
Pacihc mail, due in San Francisco March 18TH
landed on shore in undress uniform, without a
cap, and only saved my watch by having it on
l have been very much shattered by the
occurrence and subsequent fatigue, but
am now much better, and begin to feel like
myself. An Yokohama has been extremely
KIND to the survivors. The feeling against the
Captain Of the Bombay for not stopping is in
tense, and If the court attempts to whitewash
him violence may be attempted. No vessel that
has ever been in Eastern waters was SO popular
as the Oneida. Even the English Office saw
they would much rather the misfortune had
happened to their own vessels. OF twelve Off
GERS eating dinner at the time Of the collision,
am the only one left"