The New York herald., 1870-03-31
Another Steamer Disabled
and Adrift.
The British Mail Steamship Vsneznsla De-
serted by All Her PasSengers---Their
Arrival at This Port.
Refusal Of the Captain and Crew to Leave
the Ship : Forty-two Souls In
volved in an Uncertain Fate.


with thirteen cabin passengers. he carried
crew OF fortytw0 0fYlcers and men, ana was iron
steamer, 270 feet long, with other dimensions TO
correspond, brig rigged OF 1852 tons register.
Snc put to sea under favorable conditions steaming
out with general cargo ana her passengers, bound
for Barbados Laguayra, Porto Cabelio, Santa
Martha and Colon being due at Barbados on the 2lst
inst. Her course was about southwest by west ana
this direction she pursued, encounterng heavy
weather and all the dangerous and disagreeable IN
cidents Of the month OF March at sea.
TEN DAYS OUT
and 1000 miles from Liverpool, right in md-ocean,
at eight and half O'Clock IN the morning. the pas-
sengers, while at breakfast in the saloon, were
shook the vessel like an earthquake and made every
one trembe with fear. Instantly all hands were on
deck, and hurried examination showed that
THE RUDDER
and outer stern post OF the Venezuela had been
carried away-the rudder wrenched from Its plntles
and the stern post torn violently away. AS the
steamship was built In compartments, with strong
waertight bulkheads, the whole vessel did not I'll:
but through the large hole in the stern, by ten
feet and mostly below the water line
THE SEA POURED IN,
rushing III volumes, and In i've minutes the entire
compartments occupied as O storeroom for the
cargo and ships provisions was full OF water. The
length OF the storeroom was twenty feet, and the
ship In the brer time Of i've minutes had to sustain
the additional weight imposed by the admission OF
thirty hve tons OF snrsing ana spasnng water.
gaining even more force than would be produced by
this weight by the crOwding Of the external aud
the frlghtful rolling and pitching Of the steamer
sending at each throw this destroyer OF thrty-ave
tons against the interior buknead and threatening
oil with insta nj death.
THE SCENE ON BOARD
VpunZnpll tvh tba afro
anu Dravess were required TO look death the lace
and and beside their own watery graves. The
but lew days before for the sunny cline OF the
south, some for business, others for pleasure ana
others yet to iulf! offices OF piety ana duty, tney
were appalled, and
FILLED WITH pisMAY
at this sudden calamity. But there was little time
Tor thoughts OF a melancholy character. IL was the
duty OF every one to work at the pump, 10 save the
steamer and TO do the bidding OF Captain Cowcl,
who. IN all the gloomy foreSodngs or tie hour
acted his part with herosm and coOiness.
TBE SHIPS STORES
IN tho Hooded store room were now submerged and
Kept up serrble humping against the deck above.
The store room itself was situated below the saloon
the latter being below the spar deck, at the extreme
after part OF tne snip Directly forward OF the store
twenty feet long with width OF the full beeadth or
BEAM and extended to the sEIp's noor below. Now
the great fear was that the water would tear away
the bulkhead separating the engine from the store
room' break into the man body OF the ship and
Or 1t was feared that the water would force up the
deck In the saloon rush through and hood tins com.
partment, In which case all hands would have gone
TO the bottom.
They at once begun work, puL mp shores between
the spar deck overhead and the saloon deck to keep
the planklng Gown ana resist the immense pressure
Of thlrty-hve tons Of water, which n admitted,
would founder them on the spot. The water had
already
RUSHED INTO THE SALOON
from other passages and they now began TO bale to
keep anOat, and all hands toiled like beavers.
In the meantime the boats were put IN readiness
TO clear away as the last resort They worked hours
and the water was making visible headway, rising
buckets
Constant watches were kept for sail, but none
appeared. Nghtfall drew on but no relief Dark
ness overwhelmed the sea- but lights cheered the
suffering souls Theirs we're anxious eyes, and
theirs were longing hearts. Midnight came on with
AZ In the midst OF vast desert with water, water
everywhere, but not dropIo drink" The
gales tornsnasT %as sa
and the whitcd forms Of the crested billows and tue
whistle OF the rlgglng-these had no cheer.
Unnanageabe from the first crash, the sails were
OF little service and the steering gear was OF course
gone. There was no time to rig Jury rudder, all
attention being required at the pumps and buckets.
so the Venezuela drifted about insubOrdinate to all
control. The head sails would not pay or her head
and the after sails could not keep her TO the wind.
Is Is one OF the most difilcut matters III seaman
ship 10 control vessel with her sails alone especl-
ally In violent seaway. How much more SO when
the stern IS sagged down by thirtyfve tons OF furi-
Gus water, anchorlng as 1t were, the snip TO her
quarters
Matters did not alter their complexion till the
morning OF the 10th inst, when Captain Cowell
DESCRIBED A STEAMER
coming over the horizon. He ssnalled IN distress.
The Camilla, steamship, from Palermo Sicily, bound
Tor New YORK, with cargo OF oranges, bore up.
Both vessels were now In latitude 33 Deg. 20 min
north longitude AZ deg. 80 min. west. 1t was eight
O'Clock, aud by ten O'Clock eight male. five female
and two children passengers were transferred In
boats on board the Camilla.
They lett the Venezuela believing that she
was doomed for the bottom. 1t was a provIdentIaI
escape. The captain refused to desert his vessel.
and SO did the crew, anu thus fory-two souls were
left to the terrible uncertainty 1t NAV take months
to dspe. The Venezuela when the passengers left
was throwing her Goals overheard TO tighten her by
The stern and thus to pitch the ship at an angle
as TO get The aperture ten by seveD) above water Tor
repairs, to relieve the terrific strain the saloon
deck and keep the sea away from the bulkhead sepa
ratlng the engine room. Forty feet OF the vessel had
been disabled and calm weather was necessary 10
effect repairs.
The reporter who boarded the Camilla yesterday
talked with the passengers who were or the
higher walks OF life. The most intelligent gave tue
reporter the above iacts:-
KEroRTER-Do you believe the Venezuela VIII
Iounders
PAssgsGER--My opinion Is she VIII never turn up
REfoR1ER ito first 0fficer)-Were you willing TO
board the Camlllat
FIRST OrFICKR-- Yes, sir; but they would no, come.
REPORTER TO opassenger)-What were the prospects
PAssENGERIf she could survive the terrible pales.
the captain had no doubt OF his ability save her but
when we ieft the tempest was fearful SQUALLS and
fresh gales blowing hard. If she weathered that
night think she NAV be AL right.
The passengers left the disabled steamer because
they thought she was going down; but
TBE CAPTAIN TRUE TO MS DUTY,
remained AZ his post. IL IL premature to speculate
upon tue late OF the Venezuela. she was without a
rudder, with wide gap In ner stern; with no pro-
vslons Dnt rice, beer and WINE part OF her carKo
IN mld-ocean. unmanageable; her force weakened by
the deseriion OF her passengers; In the midst OF
howl.ng tempest and IN latitude where she could
meet few sa at this season Of the year. 10
HOPE FOR HER SAFETY
a m nrn
natural conclusion from the facts. Transferred with
the passengers were luggage the mails aud the
purscr. The propeller and engine OF tho Venezuela
were unlnjured. She was owned by the West INDIA
and Pacific Steamship Company, and was probably
insured. The Camilla LETT Gibraltar March l.
The passengers she took on board and brought TO
this port from the disabled steamer were as fol-
l0ws:-Ar Hunter, purser oil the Venezuela. in
charge OF the mails; Lorenzo zerega for Laguayra;
James Merchant, William Smith, Mrs Middleton and
TWO children, for Aspinwall; Rev. Crspin Field,
captain William Good. II. Mike, and three Sisters
Of ST. Joseph; A. Cluny. Mrs. Bond, stewardess OF
the venezuela; A. W. Maclachian. for Antigua
thirteen.
Captain Pence, OF the Camilla. received vote OF
THANKS from the rescued passengers for his KIND
treatment.