Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-17
THE LOSS OF The ONEIDA.
ThriItlno Account Of the Disaster by One
whs went Down with the ShiP-.-A
HlraculOus Escape.


From the Boston Transcript, March H.
We are permitted to copy the fol
lowing interesting extracts from let
fer written to his sister by Mr.. w. W.
Crowninshield, the clerk of Captain
Williams. of the United States steamer
Oneida. The letter was written with
ont any view to publication, but the
deem interest in the subject makes II
of special importance and Ya!Ie:
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN, January %.
The Oneida is no more! but, thank
heaven, I am one OF the survivors OF
an awful catastrophe. We sLarted
two days ago with our ship f9r Hobg
Kong, and in two hours our good YES
sci was 81 the bottom, having Deen run
into 1y an English steamer belonging
to the Peninsula and Oriental Com
panv. All are drowned but DR.. Sud
dsrjs. Mr.. Yates, the bOatsW&ln, nifty
two men and myself Ny escape was
most miraculous. At the time Of the
collision ] was asleep in the cabin, on
the trsnsoIn, &C about ten minutes TO
seven in the evening. The steamer
struck US near the fore part OF the
cabin, / found myself on the doof,
inst coming, from being stunned,
aud on opening nay eyes
/ saw the whole stern was cut on
and all exposed to the starlight.
had sense enough to climb out OF the
stern over to the spar deck, and to
look down into the cabin TO see u
Cant. Williams was there, but could
mol sae him. ] seized a cap within
reach and put it on with the strap
under my chin. l had on a thick SUIT
oye-coat and boots. l went TO the
quarterback, met Paymaster IuIiock,
and inquired how the disaster nap
pened. I met Captain Williams ana
fold him how serious the damage was
He was going on the bridge. spoke
to one or two more officers, and hnu-
ing the ship was sinking, l went INTO
the main rigging, and IN i've minutes
ogsr good ship commenced to sink rap
idly, was ten feet above the rail,
When she. had sunk so as to have the
water reach me, L pushed myself as
tar away from the ship as l could, but
the vortex carried me down, and 1t
was a long time ere I came to the sur
face. When l did l saw nothing
of the ship, but many heads
above water. saw one OF our
boats near by me, and had just
strength enough to reach her. ! was
pulled on board exhausted, ana IO0ld
MIR. Yates, with thirty-seVen OF the
crew, on board. We steered Tor the
nearest land, four miles away as near
as l could judge. was nearly IroItH,
and soon had a chill, but after WnlIe
] we came near the beach, and maze
/ landing in the surf, where L was
4 lust able to get ashore, being very
/ stiff with the cold. We reached
! Japanese village and found shelter
and rest for the night, tweDty-elgnt
miles from Yokohama. Ny heart Is
| too full to tell you more Of myself,
although all had went down in the
shin. Captain Williams acted as
| brayeIy as he has always done. he
would not leave his post on the bfiage,
although he was almost pulled away,
and when urged by Mr.. Yates, re.
Dlied - 90 down with my snip.
a pettv officer urging him to go,
he grasped the iron rail, ana said,
" No, this is my place and here 1
remain.O God bless him! the coun-
trv and the world have lost noble
officer. who aied rather than leave
what he considered his post OF duty.
This heroic conduct was followed by
Ieverv officer and man on board the
shin: not a soul who had a station
left il. but faced death in such man.
/ uer that makes me feel proud; we
were Americans, and were it not Tor
you al at home, could wish i was
locked in their arms. Through ali
that have passed during my llfer
nothing has made such an impression
uDon me. 1 can see each and every
! face of those who have gone, and they
all loved each other so much! Ihey
were proud of their country and took
such interest in its prosperity! In
that devoted band there were many
thoughts, but only one heart. Inc
Oneida was the favOrite ship OF the
| station. Could you see what the pop
ular feeling was here from every one
Won would think that all loved tht
shin and her officers better than did
We left the port under the most favor
able auspices, the ship homeWarL
hound. All the men-Of-war cheereC
ms. the merchant ships dipped theN
Hags. telling US Of their good wishe
for a safe and pleasant passage home
Rut in one hour We were facing deatf
as only Americans can 90, ior not
2 murmur, not cry was heard Whei
: the good ship Oneida (Whlcn hau uoI'
Y her duty through the war; was SINK
f; ing, and every one knew that mean
e death. Through all my experlehc
e during the war, l saw nothing 10 com
u pare with it. But ! cannot WrlU
more-my heart is too full. Shall
/, ever get over ii? is what ask myself
:, January %. - Nothing has beel
= heard from the ship or of the crew; n
: doubt the rest have gone down TO IN
D deptI;s of the sea. Some pieces OF IN
e wreck have been seen along the shore
; and among them an empty trunk
y mine. which was slowed away. Boat
a have been looking out and are stil
, doing so, for any bodies which ma
a come to the surface.
o The ships name that ran into Us
> the Bombay. The captain is havln
3, an Investigation, both as regards th
, collision and his conduct in leayin
u ms lit will 90 hard with him, for ha
Y he stOpped and lowered his boats h
T eould have saved nearly all on bOarC
+ Our Minister is conducting the cas-
e on behalf of the living and the deaC
, and the case is strong against N
e British.
? January 81. The investigatiO
e drags slowly along. Last evenln
e they found the ship, and have marke
b the spot. The ends Of the masts al
u visible some foot or two at low waite
L No bodies have been found yet; DI
d il is hardly time for any to appear, q
n water and weather being 50 cold.
n a day or two we shall have the me
I, anehOly duty of identifying them,
( ali japanese fishermen have order
s. under penalty Of death, TO bring 9
r effects saved to Yokohama.
= William T. DOwdall, the editor
n the Peoria (Ill.) National DeDl0crC
4 Is out fiat-foOted for woman suffrag
h Thus he concludes an ably reason'
o. article upon the subject; "Then, y
a sav. let the demand Of woman for Z
~ riSbt to vote and be the equal pol
er icallv of her father, her husband, b,
r. brother, or her son, be accorded"