Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-10-28
sHIpWRECK.
Particulars OF the Loss Of the Steam
ship Cambria.

sHIPwRECK.
Particulars OF the Loss Of the Steam
ship Cambria.
Narrative Of the Only Surviving Pas
senger.
LONDON, October %. Late on
Wednesday evening word reached
Londonderry, that the steamship
Cambria, Of the Anchor Line, had
been wrecked off the coast of
Donegal. The information was
brought to that city by the only
survivor John Mcfarland, a steer
age passenger. The intelligence
was at first disbelieved, bnt has
since been confirmed. The tele-
graph lines have been disarranged
by the recent storms, and the follow
ing summary of McGartland's narra-
tive has just gotten through from
Londonderry:
The voyage from New York was
generally fortunate, Notwithstanding
the unpleasant weather which pre-
vailed most of the time, until the
night of Wednesday, October 80,
between 10 and IL o'clock. The
Cambria was then under sail, and
steaming rapidly. Suddenly, when
all was apparently going well, she
struck on Mistralinc Island, a small
island ten miles west Of Donegal,
Ireland, and thirty miles west of
Londonderry. The vessel instantly
began to fill through large holes
stove in her bottom, and her fires
were soon extinguished. 1t became
evident that the steamer was hope
less. Efforts were directed to save
the lives of the passengers who were
massed upon the deck. -Four boats
crowded with passengers were
launched and put off from the sink
ing steamer. Mcfarland entered
one of these and he saw no more of
the ship or other boats. He thinks
there is no doubt that all the boats
were swamped, and that he is the
only survivor. Almost instantly
upon getting into the boat, it cap
sized, and he lost his consciousness.
Upon reviving, he found himself in
the sea, but, grasping the gunwale
of the boat, which had righted, he
succeeded in getting in the boat a
second time, and found the dead
/ body of lady dressed in black silk.
Mr.. Mcfarland was tossed about
many hours when he was picked up
by the steamer Enterprise, Captain
Gillespie, who cruiscd about the
scene of the disaster for long time
in the hope of saving life and pro-
perty. Mcfarland says at almost
the very time of the disaster the
passengers and crew were congratu-
lating themselves on the tempestu-
Gus voyage being nearly finished,
and rejoicing in fact that in one
short hour more they would land
at Neville. There were certainly
one hundred and eighty souls on
board, and perhaps more.
.
LONDONDERRY, October 2l-Mid-
night.-EesScls Just returning from
the scene of the Cambria disaster,
in the North Channel, report that
they discovered only Il lot of broken
spars and few barrels of flour
which formed part of her cargo.
Nothing has yet been heard of the
three small boats which put off from
the Cambria when she struck. The
hope for their safety has not been
entirely abandoned, but Mcfarland
reports that wind a little short OF
= hurricane prevailed at the time,
which it would be miraculous for
such Il small craft to weather.
THE Loss OF THE CAMBRIA.
New YORK, October %. = The
total loss of the steamship Cambria,
which was yesterday rumored, is
fully confirmed by later dispatches,
and there is little to give hope that
the passengers who had taken to
boats have cscarcd. The coast is
very dangerous one, a"h 1t IS
evident, from the upsetting OF the
one boat from which Il single sur
vivor Of the wreck was picked up,
that the sea was very rough at the
time of the disaster. Nevertheless,
those who had friends aboard need
not be in haste to imagine the worst.
The coast is admirably guarded by
expert and adventurous men, and it
is not impossible that if the boats
were driven ashore some of the pas
sengers were saved. The Cambria
was considered in a sound condition,
and has even been regarded as the
finest vessel on any of the ocean
lines. She was but recently rebuilt
thoroughly of iron, and was in every
way prepared for the scvcrcst con-
tests with wind and wave. Captain
Carnaghan, the commander of the
Cambria during this Inflated voy-
age, was one of the most expert
enced and skillful naval officers
visiting this port. He has been
commander of vessels of the Anchor
line for several years, and was
thoroughly conversant with the
navigation of the transatlantic
route to Glasgow.
OTHER DISASTERS.
Other less fatal but still serious
marine losses are reported this
morning, many of them on our own
coasts. The late gales were every
where dangerous, and we may ex-
pcct to hear for several days of
serious wrecks along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts.
BALLC ON BATTLE.