The Republican journal., 1870-06-02

mable saltpeter, and the flames danced with
glee up the hatchway. SO sudden did the
terrible truth break upon the crew that for a
moment they were paralyzcd, but, looking
around and realizing that beneath them was
a seethng volcano, and the forked tongues
of their enemy were working to every part
of the vessel, creeping through the decks and
climbing the masts, they must act. 1t was
critical second
THE CAPTAINS EFFORTS.
When the first explosion was heard, Cap
tain Chadwick, who had been below, rushed
on deck and, although but moment inter-
vened, he was staggered to see the flames
forcing their way SO savagely through the
hatchway Nothing could be done. Smoke
all around, binding, suffocating, and the
boats could not be reached. He asked no
questions, but looking into the seething
cauldron below, told the men to save them
selves and pray to God to help them all.
With this word the
CREW LEAPED INTO THE SEA,
And attempted to cling to the spars and
boards they had already thrown overheard,
but in vain for many of them. In ten minutes
from the ignition of the varnish the mainmast
went topping, and in thirteen minutes it went
over the side, and the gashing, drowning
men clung with life in view to its charred re-
mains When this had gone, and the fire
was creeping along the rigging to the fore
mast Captain Chadwick took his little son
in his arms and jumped over the side into the
ocean. Happily he caught hold of 4 studding
sail boom, which saved his and his sons lives.
SO terrible was the heat at this time that the
faces of some of the men by the ships side
were blistered and cooked, and thus, to
change their positions and place their backs
to the burning mass, six poor fellows dropped
from their places of insecurity. and, frighten
ed and exhausted, sank to rise no more.
FALLING OF THE QUARTER BOAT.
When despair had settled upon the surviv-
ors hearts, and the captain and halt-drowned
sailors felt that no earthly power could save
them, the fastenings of the quarter boat for
tunately burned away, and the boat falling
in the water right side up, one of the crew Sc
began to pick up the thankful souls about
him. In a few minutes the captain, his son,
| the first mate, Marshal johnson, Il boy, f. III.
Roberts, seaman, the cook and six other sail
ors were taken in, and they showed off as far
as possible from the fast settling wreck.
GOING DOWN.
Twenty minutes from the first explosion
the Sunbeam sank from sight. 1t was fear
full how the fire still kept creeping through
the vessel. Varnish and saltpeter, thousands
of sacks of the latter, sent the wicked darts of
fire up and around. Mast after mast fell, and
about ten minutes past twelve o'clock T.. NJ.
on the 3lst Of March last, in latitude thirty
degrees torty-four minutes, about eighty
miles from shore. the last bubblng hiss was
heard and the noble craft of an hour before
was thing of the past.
DELlNERANCE,
q
disappearing wreck. the boat. with its twelve
souls, drifted for while with its foron
party on the ocean. \ ct work was to be
done, and that quickly, AS they had nothing
to eat and nothing to drink. But deliverancc
was at hand, and, when but an hour or 50 in
their trail craft, the
WHALING BARK CHARLES w. MORGAN,
Captain A1hern, then on a cruise, having seen
the fire miles away, bore down to their posi-
ton, and took them on board, subsequently,
landing them at Talcahuano, Chile From
this place the party made their way up TO
Panama.
TIE LOST AND SAVED
OF the saved, twelve in number, but four
names are known-Captan Chadwick, his
son, f. II. Roberts, and Marshal johnson
None of the names of the six lost have been
divulged. They were the second mate, car
pcnter, steward and three seamen. Perhaps
their tragic fate may never be ascertaincd bv
their friends.
THE SHIP SUNBEAM-IIER OWNERS.
The ship Sunbeam built in Chelsea,
Massachusetts, in 1868. She was of oak and
fastened with copper and iron. She had two
decks drew eighteen feet of water when load
ed, and was 79S tons burden. She was own
ed by Messrs Augustus IIemenWay & Co..
of Boston.
A most inexplicable and peculiarly sad sui
eide occurred at Omaha on the 14th. Miss
Ida I1uth, a young Girl Just entering her
seventeenth year, and who was to have been
married the following morning to u worthy
young bricklaycr, named Brewer, shot her.
self through the breast. and died almost in
Stantly. The motive is but coniectured; but
the stranger part of the story is told as fol-
lows: Three years ago when but . child
she was admired and courted by young
Brewer, frequent visitor at her parents
All went smoothly, and soon an engagement
resulted, her parents favoring the match
f The girl was beautiful, rcfinedand attractive
and received many attentions from other
young men. Her lover grew madly Jealous
: and a quarrel, separation, and the attempted
suicide followed. Six months after she &C
+ cepted a new lover, and again everything
went smoothly, though Brewer continued to
visit the house. About six weeks ago Miss
Ida told her mother that if she ever married
any one it would be Ben Brewer; her new
lover was dismissed, and preparations began
for her marriage to her first choice. On the
day before that fixed for her marriage, she
appeared fitfully strange, and told a confidant
that she could never love Brewer, but still
continued her work upon her bridal outfit.
At three o'clock in the afternoon the discharge
f of pistol was heard in the girls room, and
her mother, rushing in, found her in the
agonies of death. The robes provided for
her bridal decked her corpse for burial, and
the day upon which she was to have become
a bride she was consigned to the tomb