Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-04-27
THE ONEIDA.
Arrival Of FOrty-Nine of Her Crew at San
Francisco.
Interesting Statements Of the Survivors Of
the Disaster.
Eyris's rOtest--Admlral Portsr's Decision.

From the San Francisco Bulletin, April
The steamship America arrived at
this port yesterday, from China and
Japan, and among her passengers
were f%orty-nine of the survivors of
the terrible disaster by which the
United States steamer Oneida was
lost.
Very full and somewhat conflicting
accounts have been published about
this affair. Soon after the arrival of
the America n of our reporters had
an interview with one Of the sur
vivors, who was a principal witness
in the Investigations which were held
soon after the catastrophe occurred.
He gave the following account Of
what he witnessed. He was on the
deck when the Bombay was first
deserted coming on the starbOard bow
of the Oneida:
The night was clear and starlit, and
only a moderate. sea running. The
Bombay was coming broad on the
Oneida's starboard bow with helm
ported, when it should have been, to
avoid a collision, put TO larbOard.
The Bombay kept her helm a port
until within 100 yards of the other
vessel, when she must have star
boarded, for she paid off a little, but
not enough to clear, and struck the
Oneida almost full on her starboard
quarter, just forward OF the mizzen-
rigging. The shock was terrific, but
the Roadway of the Bombay was
hardly checked for an instant. As
she cleared, the startled officers and
crew of the Oneida took in at a glance
the fearful extent of the injury to their
ship. Nearly the whole of her star
board quarter was shivered and swept
away, and a broad opening cut into
her hull clear to the waters edge.
That she must fill and go down in a
few minutes at farthest was terribly
evident, and as the Bombay was still
on her course, and the shore was dis
tant some two or three miles from
them, the case looked desperate.
However, after the collisian, Mr..
Steward, executive officer of the Onei-
da, hailed the Bombay and received
a response.
Then her steam whistle sounded,
and the order was givent to bring pow
der from the magazine to gun No. /,
starbOard-as it was rightly judged
that one would be the last one above
water. The men responded with
alacrity, and while the Bombay was
still in full view, and within plain
hearing distance, three guns were
fired in rapid succession.
There was no response from the
other ship-no check or change in her
course. The Inflated Oneida was set
Ting rapidly by the stern; and while
the brave gunners were trying to
charge their pieces for the fourth time
they stood over their knees in water,
and could only load the gun without
firing it.
Instantly on the occurrence of the
COLLISION the order was given to clew
SAILS, and get out head-sails to steer
by, as the steering apparatus was
gone. The men obeyed this order
also as if they were not confronted by
the prospect of instant death.
LONDON, April 26.-Midnight. adj
vices from Hong Kong state that Cap
tain Eyre, late of the Peninsula and
Oriental Company's steamer Bombay,
has submitted to the Board of Trade
a memorial, numerOusly signed, to
the effect that the evidence of his con-
duct in connection with the sinking of
the United States corvette Oneida
does not warrant the decision of the
court, whereby his certificate OF Office
is suspended for six months, and
praying that a reconsideration of the
sentence may be had. No action by
the Board has been taken as yet, and
in all probability his request will be
Indignantly refused as a presumptuous
and unprecedented demand.
The Navy Department has received
all the papers pertaining to the Onei-
da-Bombay affair. Admiral Porter
says that after a thorough investiga-
ton of all the facts of the case, the
Department is led to the belief that
the Bombay was wholly and solely
to blame for the accident; repels the
charge that the officers of the Oneida
were drunk and carousing in the
cabin at the time, leaving the deck in
charge of a midshipman; and also
says that the Oneida had a full COM
plement of boats, as the letter of Ad-
miral Rowan, now on file at the Navy
Department, shows.