The New York herald., 1870-09-23
OCEAN SUFFERING.
Wreck and Abandonment OF the
British Bark Ondara.
Tour Of tho Crew wsshed Overheard and
Drownsd-The Survivors Rescued and
Brought to This fort-1heir
Story Of Trials and Death.


The past week has been prolific with the record Of
disasters at sea. Hardly day OF that period has
passed without some intelligence Of vessels wrecked
or lost but rescued from shattered
huIs when death was near-until 1t seemed that the
news from the deep was laden only with the story
of suffering. The latest known disaster that oc-
CURED during the recent furious storms the Atlan-
tic was the wreck OF the British bark Ondara, Of
Milford, England, on her passage from Tabasco
Gun Mexico, to Queenstown or Falmouth. 10
such an extent did the angry seas beat ner ABOUT
and tear away her decks masts, rigging ana
b0as that the portion OF the crew living
arter the terrible ordeal were compelled
70 abandon her on the 10Th OF September. On the
l7th inst. the sea that threw her upon her Dcam
ends washed overheard and drowned the captains
nrst ofncer steward and cabin boy In nall an hour
after she vessel rghted when the men VINO were lcit
dashed themselves to the mizzen rigging, where,
without food water, they remained fory-eight
hours until rescued, providentlally BY passing
vessel This proved to be the bark M. E. Corning
spf Yarmouth, n ST. Captain Il. @. Roach, from New
York bound TO Trieste. The treatment Of the snip
wrecked crew by their rescuers and the determlna-
ton of Captain Roach when the story OF suffering
and death had been told hun OF turning back and
landing them In New York, Is worthy OF the highest
cOmmendation and bright spot In his seafarlng
Me. With the object In view Of placing the
crew OF the Ondara where they could
soonest communicate with their homes. the
n. u. Corning was put back, and y esterday, at
three O'Clock. the Blk sailors were safely put on
board Of the lightship on sandy HOOK, from which
they were soon after taken by Captain william A.
smith, Of the steamtug Edgar Baxter, and brought
20 the CITY. The NJ. Z. Corning At resumed her
voyage.
The story of the trials sufYerings and death that
were the lot Of those on board the unfortunate bark
o. best told In the subsequent statements
srATEMENT OF THE ABANDONED yEssEL's NATE.
The British bark Undara, Captain Watkin Thomas.
Mexico, July 81, bound for Queenstown or Falmouth
with cargo OF mahogany, Tor orders. There were
tember II, we had experienced far easterly
winds. but on that day It began TO blow
On o tSs starbosra s TACK SANDING IN shore the
wind due east; at SIX O'Clock Z. M. 1t had become
gale, and We took In the spanker, mainsai ano Jio;
~ halpast SIX r. N. wore ship to the southeast ut
eight p Nj. took in upper sails; At eleven p. H. took
IN foresal at midnight the gale was still increasing
In intensity, with squalls aud rain; at hafpast one
A. M sunday, 1sth succeeded in taking IN ioretop-
sail ana hauling down foretopmast staysall. Tne
gale YET continued 70 grow worse aad ~ ~ th .ares
tODsai, ana then lald TO undei bare poles Shortly
alter put about fathom OF cloth IN the mizzen rg-
gng, the vessel then laborng very heavily: At hi.
past three A. NJ. Captain Thomas gave orders to cut
away the t0pgallantmasts, and, while endeavorlng
to obey his oroers the bark was slruck by terrific
sQuall, winch Knocked her on her beam-ends, with
the lower masts under water and huge sea boarding
her al the same time; washed overheard the captain
first officer, steward and boy, noae OF whom were
seen afterwards; the boats were washed away by
this sea, as 1t swept the deck OF every movable
minutes. when the masts gave way and the bark
righted, but was waterlOgged and helpless. Six or
M s e sna we as m s
directions. In this terrible ana almost hopeless
state without food or water-eyerything Of this
nature having been destroyed-we continued until
Two O'Clock T.. NJ. Of Monday, September 10, nearly
forty eight hours, when deliverance from what
seemed to he certain death came at last-for
before this no hope had been felt-by seeing o
vessel apparently bearing toward US, but, proving
TO be almost as complete wreck as ourselves we're
ns from the wreck was the bark NJ. L. Corning,
Captain Roach, bound from New York to Trieste.
When we were rescued the sea was running fright
fuzzy but we lowered ourselves from the end OF The
spankcr boom.
dry clothes and plenty OF good iOod. When we fuzzy
explained 10 Captain Roach who we were he con-
GUIDED TO- put ms vessel oask % aha Iand Us IN New
was IN latitude 80 degrees north, Longitude 20 de-
grees west Her decks were then torn up and the
planks from the quarterback swept clean. No pro-
Visions were Oh board, and nothing but starvation
seemed to be our lot. In my Opini0n, she would not
hold together much longer. Inc first officer at the
time was IN the cabin sick, and must have been
drowned in his berth.
THE REsCUER's STATEMENT.
Captain E. G. Roach. master Of the bark NJ. E.
Corning the vessel which rescued the crew Of the
abandoned bark, makes the following statement:-
The bark NJ. e. Corning, Captain Roach, sailed
The following Two days experienced heavy gale
from the eastward, losing sails and being compelled
10 carry canvas TO gam an ong ~ s was nUs more
eleven O'Clock A. NJ, saw q bark bearing south with
fore, main, mizzen-topmasts and ji6Doom gone.
under jurymasts. AT two O'CLOCK +. M. same
day made q bark TO the east-nOrtheast showing
Q nag of distress; beat up alongside; found her
10 be waterlOgged and six persons in the mlzzen
rigging. Her maintopmast, foretopmast, head Of
lower mast, head OF bowsprit and all at
tached thereto gone; buIwarks and stanchions
and two planks out Of her quarter. Tne
sea was going over her as 1t would over ledge. We
Guilty. In saving the men-all that were lett OF crew
o. ten When On board gave tnsM cry Try clothes ana
that they might reach New York.
LOST AND SAVED.
The following is correct list OF the lost and
saved Of the abandoned vessel
watkin Thomas, captain, Of Newport Pembroke
shire.
Jenkin James, first onicer, of Aberayron.
Thomas Hodges, steward, OF Bristol
william loves cabin boy OF swansea.
John Thomas second onicer.
Joseph Lamphere, Edward Hughes Thomas Bed
cow, Frederick Kune Peter Stuart, seamen.
These unfortunate men were last night taken care
Of by the superintendent Of the Saiers' Home in
this city. To-day they will visit the British Consul
to apprise him ofically Of the loss OF their vessel
The Ondara was owned by John Rowands ship.
broker, Of Cardiff, England.
THE LATEST BOSTON NOTION
Neeti0g OF the Creditors Of Francis skinner
& Co.
From Boston papers of Sept oil
meeting Of the creditors Of tho nrm VI Francis
skinner q Co. was held yesterday forenoon IN the
nrm's counting room, at so Franklin street. About
forty gentlemen were present, and Mr. William
Thomas was chosen president Mr.. Josiah Bardwell
addressed the meeting asking the fullest investiga
ton into the affairs Of the firm.