Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-03-18
Loss OF THE sTEABEEEs ONEIDA.
Betails d the saoellng MI disaster. :


The ship Benefactress brings to Sa1
| Francisco full particulars of the loss q
the United States steamer Oneida, which
left Yokohama on the z3d Of January
i lhomeward bound. The steamer left he
anchorage about s. o'clock IN the after
noop5 and the accidentoceuFred at ?, the
same evening. The United States Min.
I lister visited her IN the forenoon and fc.
/ ceiFsd the usual salute, and the guns
were reloaded witakhe expectation Of re.
/ plying to a salute from Russian gun
boat to Mr.. Delong, The salute, how
| ever was not given. and the guns re-
4 naained loaded. As the Oneida steamed
out ofatbe harb0r, the crews eof the kaa-
Tious vessels and men at work in the peri
| gave cheers and wished her a happy
voyage. On passing out of the harbof
/ her flres we're banked and steam blown
off While the officers were AZ dinner, al
z O'Clock. the lookout man shouted
Steamer lights ahead, and midship-
man gave the order to port helm. Every
thing seemed quiet on board the other
steamer.
.This leads 10 the belief that she had
not observed the Oneida, although her
lights were burning steadily The
steamer, which proved to be the Bonn
| bay, of the Peninsular & Oriental Line,
came right on and struck the Oneida on
the starboard side, 8abaft the gangRay,
about halfway between the main and
naizzeh rigging A hole vas cut through
which the WhoIe--5leriOr Of the ship was
visible. The Binnacle, wheel and rld-
der were carried away, and two men,
Standing at the wheel, were instantly
killed. The Bombay did not stop after
crashing through the Oneida. fhough
the guns of the latter which happened
to be loaded, were almost instantly fired
to attract her attention and bring her
back. Orders were given to lower the
boats, but only one hfe-boat was avail
able, the others having been crushed. -
The Hfelboat WAS manned By DR.. Stod-
dart the B6atsWzairl, and fifteen of the
crew. Five guns were fred, but before
the sixth could be discharged, the 0nei4
da sunk-witllia ten minutes after She
was struck None Of those saved saw
a man or heard a voice on board the
Bombay They report that when II be-
came evident that there was no. hope Of
saving the ship, the officers gathered
around Captain Williams, and he was
heard to say if the ship went down he
would go with her. The life-boat was
obliged to leave the sinking ship to
avoid being swanped. ''5i A1l 1a
After pulling about for awhile. the
crew Of the 1ife-boat, seeing none of the
crew flo oating- not one of the 100 who
went down unWillingly bent their boats
head land3ard, about five miles distant.
On landing, the natives kindly treated
them, and they obtained the assistance
Of a guide, and started to walk to Yo-
kohama. which they reached at daylight
next morning, g, he bombay was imme-
diately ordered to the scene Of the dis
aster, and succeeded in saving thirty
nine, men who had got into a cutter
which foated when the ship went down
Several other vessels, one with Minister
Delong on board, proceededte the scene
of the wreck during the day, but no
lives were saved. The japanese. Coy
ernment sent boats and apparatus 10
search for the wreck, and if necessary,
to buoy the spot. The passengers on
board the. Bombay were quite surprised
when they heard Of the calamity which
had befalIen thu. vessel they had struck,
but declare they neither heard any re-
quest from the. Oneida TO stand by them,
or minute guns fired. A Naval Court
has been demanded BY the Captain of
the Bombay. I he officers and men Of
the Oneida numbered 10, only 56 of
whom, including DR.. Stoddart and two
Junior officers, survive the disaster.