Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-16
SHIPWRECK.
A Terrible story of Peril and Suffer
ing.


ads special says: "On the goth of De-
tober, at 10 P. M. the steamship Varuna
foundered in the gulf stream, 80 miles
from Jupiter inlet on the Florida coast.
during one of the most terrible hurricanes
ever witnessed in that latitude. The
steamer was thrown on her beam ends
and went down. only allowing time for
TWO LIFE BOATS
TO put off. One of these, containing
Captain Spencer, the engineers and fire
men ten in all, was carried down with
the vessel, while the other, containing
several of the crew, Was finally beached
on Jupiter inlet, two of the men Samuel
/ Mccormick, fireman, and James Flynn,
seaman, losing their lives in the breakers
The remaining five, w. Kirkland, second
mate, William Wallace, quartermaster.
Thomas GlenuCx, James Burns and
George Watson, seamen, arrived to day
from Florida, and left tor New York.
THE STORY OF SURVIVOR.
Wallace account SAYS: We left for
New Yo,k Saturday night at o'clock.
|
of Oct 20, when the wind sprung up
from the south. At noon there was II
moderate gale. As the sun went down,
it was blowing perfect hurricane. All
went well until o'clock, when the wind
shifted suddenly TO the southwest, when
the ship became unmanageable, and,
heaving IL list to port, the sea commenced
rushing on board on the lee side of the
ship, staving in her bulwarks and the
cabin door, We tried to get her off be-
/ fore the wind aud put on all the steam
we could, but ii was no use. | was at
the wheel, and we brought her up and
tried TO fix the cabin door, but the sea
was rushing on board to such an extent
that the men could not work. We then
twisted her jib to pay her head of, but
t was blown into ribbons as if it had
been snugIy furled. BY this time the sea
had stove in the engine house, and was
rushing down into the fire and engine
room at the rate of many tons per min
ute, and the ship was listing over still
more She was fast filling. | dashed the
wheel after felt the engines stopped, and
went ait to get some water. l was very
thirsty. then managed to get on the
hurricane deck, when found tho two
lifeboats we've gone from the ship, and
the men were getting the other boats
ready. ] was still so thirsty that | cam
hack to the captains room and got a
drink there, and opened the weather cab
IN door to see how the passengers were
behaving. but did not see a soul, as they
were all in their staterooms, unable to
come out on account of the ships lying
on her beam ends. l then camo on the
hurricane deck and got into the after boat
with the SIX others then in it. 1t was
lying on the deck waiting for the ship to
60 down, she then being nearly on her
beam ends. The captain, mate and en-
gineers, ten in all, were in the boat, and
in less than five minutes the boats were
fJat, but in such heavy sea that | was
afraid we would get foul of the ships
rigging while sho was sinking. The 9th
err boat halted and aske,! us if we were
all right, aud after this the steamer got
foul of their boat and took her down with
the ship. The boats were IngersolPs mo-
taiic life boats, and the captains boat got
clear aud came up again, ms boat bot
tom up was seon two hours after, but 10
person was in it. After the ships mast
head was out of sight, we thought our
selves all right, as the ship was clear Of
us: but we counted without our host, for
a heavy sea c,tpsized the boat, but all
managed, with great ext'tions, to right
her and get in again. The ship went
down at P NJ, and a; midnight the
weather moderated aud was still.
TERRIBLE sUFFERINGS.
The hard>hips encountered by the five
men were horrible, while Drawing the flu
ry of the elements. Sixty hours in an
open boat, without food or water, except
small onion, which served to moisten
the parched and aching lips. After be
ing cast ashore By the waves, in view Of
the lighthouse at Jupiter inlet, only the
second mate aud a seaman were strong
enough to feebly drag themselves to tho
building for assistance. The resi- lay ex
| udustcu uutit tuO hOOpSi SSob % OOos W
take them away.
THE PASSENGERS,
thirty six in number. without doubt all
! persisted in the staterooms. When the
steamer suddenly lurched over on her
beam ends, the water poured into her
cabin where they were secured y fastened,
| TO die
/ HORRIBLE DEATH,
without even battling for existence. 1t
would have been madness, the survivors
state, to have attempted TO rescue them,
as the cebin was a trap into which it was
certain death 10 venture Horrible rs
the thought, smoothing could be done by
the officers and crew but 10 save them
selves.
Jenny Lind has been singing in her
| husbands Oratorio of Ruth, at Dresden.
| The critics say: Madame Lind Gold
schmidt's singing was simply wonderful,
the perfection of phraslng; and the same
earnest, heartfelt expression as OF yore,
the voice very little impaired by the long
j rest, with the thrush like huskiness (al
ways in her voice,) only little more
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