The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-11
THE Loss OF TIE ONEIDA.
Thrilling Account of tho Disaster.-
How the Survivors Escaped.
A Terrible Scene.
CBy Mall.[
PHILADELPHIA, March 9.


PHILADELPHIA, March 9.
The following are interesting extracts
Of q privute letter from Surgeon James
SuddardS, of the Oneida, to his father; the
Rev. William Suddards, D. D., ofthis city,
dated Yokohama, january 9lst: -
awe left Yokohama Mt 5P. NJ. on the
Path, At G:45 we were run into by the
Bombay on the starboard quarter, the
whole Of which was carried away. She
struck us full, with her sharp non, and
cut everything as with d Chisel. The
wheel, steering gear, spanker.bOOm, and
gaff and poop cabin were all carried away,
and in fifteen minutes she sank in fourteen
fathOms of water, and out Of personnel
oftwenty-five officers and one hundred
and fiily men, nine officers and tiny.fOnr
men are lel to tell the tale. The ward
room dinner was just finished at tho mo-
ment Of the collision. Il seemed TO
me Us If the whole side Of the
ship was coming bodily in on the
dinner table. We all rushed on
deck Immediately and everything was in
the greatest confusion. AS | stepped over
the hatch combing saw large steamer
lust clearing US. She was hailed by our
executive officer and requested to stay by
lis, but as far as could Judge they steam
ed away as fast as they could go, I:walk-
ed aft on the quarter deck and saw that
everything was smashed to pieces. then
looked over the quarter and saw the cx-
tent OF the damage. | believed then that
the ship would so down in two minutes,
and rapidly concluded that every one
must look out Tor himself As / noticed
TINT the wardroOm boat, which hung ut
the part quarter, was manned by twelve
or fourteen men. jumped on the ail
and asked il an officer was In the boat
The men said no, and seeing who | was
they said: Jump in doctor, and selling
hold Of me, two or three Of them dragged
me into the boat. at once took Charge,
ordering n man at each fall TO lower when
ordered. Having first cut all the iasten.
ings with knives, we staid thus till within
three OF four minutes Of the ships going
down. During this time the boatswain
and two or three men got into. the
boNt, making the whole number
seventeen. We were still hanging
at the davits when the ship began to
roll in that peculiar way which precedes
laundering, and the boat was dashed
against the side Of the ship, threatening TO
dash her in pieces. Hooked on deck, and
saw no ono abait the mainmast, and gave
orders 10 lower away and hang by the
falls. Afterwards her full got jammcd,
and had 10 be cut with knife. Had we
been three minutes longer at the davits, II
would have been too late, as she went
down like shot after starting, and the
suction would have carried our boat down
with the wreck. l may mention here
that when she was brought up TO the
Idaho she nearly sank alongside, and on
examination 1t was found that seven
pieces were broken on the starboard side,
and one of the planks was knocked an
inch out OF place. This must have been
done by Llcsidc orthe ship, and convinces
me that we could not have saved any
more In our boat rs she would have
filled and gone down with heavier load.
AS tho cOXswain cut the fall junk
was seen close by, under said. We
started for her. intending to bring
her along side, IL possible, and save life.
Being under sail, however, and going free,
she rapidly left us, and in about two or
three minutes we gave 1t up; and turning
to 60 back to tho ship found that she had
disappeared. We pulled TO where
we thought sue had been; but seeing
or hearing nothing, finally headed for
the shore, and landed about $50. l
ut once went up to a japanese
house, engaged three guides, and start
cd Oft for Yokohama, twenty-five or
thirty miles distant We crossed five
mountains on the way, and had the most
fAtigueing tramp you can imagine. We
arrived all safe. at lOur o'clock on the
morning Of the 25th, when / spread the
news and sent down assistance to the
wreck. The vessel was found yesterday,
but no bodies US yet. The English con.
sular court Is investigating the matter
All the officers Of the Bombay have been
on examination. Our turn will come to-
morrow. Mr.. Dc Long, the American Min
lister, Is conducting the proceedings on our
behalf You will know the result by the
next Pacific mail, due in San francisco
March 18th. landed OH shore In undrGss
uniform, without a cap, and only saved
my watch by having It on. ] have been
very much shattered by the occurrence
and subsequent fatigue, but am now much
better and begin to feel like myself. All
Yokohama has been extremely kind to
the survivors. Tho feeling against the
Captain of the Bombay for not stopping Is
intense, and iftlie court attempts to white
wash him, violence may be attempted,
No Vessel that has ever been In Eastern
waters was so popular rs the Oneida,
Even the English officers say they would
much rather the misfortune had happened
TO their own vessels OF twelve officers
eating dinner at the time Of the collision,
l am the only ono lett" ral.r
By Telegraph ''
New York, March 10,
. The Tribune publishes o YokOhoma cor.
rcsDondencG on the Oneida disaster. The
writer says the whistle Of the Oneida was
blown and guns fired, still the Captain
of the Bombay, says he neither saw nor
heard o signal, yet the Steward Of the
Bombay on her arrival at YokOhomA as
serted TINT tho Oneida had been run into
and cut to the waters edge. But the worst
Of the story Is the evidence Of the British
Lieutenant, that Captain Eyre told
him he had cut tho whole quarter
of a damned Yankee frigate, and served
her bloody well right. Captain Eyrc's
own evidence Is 10 the effect that
the collision was too slight to be much
regarded, and his pilot told him u split Of
land was near and there was no danger,
and that he was good tii(cen minutes
looking ai(cr the Inflated ship, Thcstatc.
ment Of the. Clerk, CrowntnshiGld, and
Master Yates, agree, that tho OnCida's
whistle was blown fiCrcely, and that If the