The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-03-24
THE SINKING OF THE ONEIDA
The Story OF a Survivor-A Terrible
Observation-Disclosures at the Con-
duct Of the Bombay'S Captain.


duct of the Bombay's Captain.
/ PHILADELPHIA, March g.
The following are interesting extract.
from private letter from Surgeon james
Suddards, of the Oneida, to his father
Rev. VIM. Suddards, I. D., of this city
dated Yokohama, January 81:
'sWe left Yokohama at S p. m., Oh tht
Oath, and at Gas were run into by the
Bombay on the starboard quarter, thu
whole Of which vas carried away. Sh,
lstruck us full with her sharp iron stem
and cut everything off as with chisel
The wheel, steering gear, spanker boom
and gaff and poop cabin were carried
Iaway, and in fifteen minutes she sank il
| fourteen fathoms of water, and out of :
ipcrsonne1 of twenty-five officers and l5(
men, nine officers and fifty four men are
left to tell the tale.
The wardroom dinner was just finish
ling at the moment Of the collision. II
seemed to me as if the whole side of the
ship was coming bodily in on the dinner
table We all rushed on deck immedi-
ately; everything was in the greatest
confusion. As | stepped over the hatch
combing [ saw large steamer just leav-
ing US. She was hailed by our executive
officer, and requested to stay by us; but,
as far as [ could Judge, they steamed
away as fast as they could 60. walked
aft on the quarter deck and saw that
everything was smashed to pieces.
| then looked over the quarter and saw the
extent of the damage [ believed then
that the ship would 20 down in two min
utes, and rapidly concluded that every
one must look out for himself.
As [ realized the position [ noticed
that the wardrooIl boat, which hung at
the port quarter, was manned by twelve
or fourteen men. Jumped on the rail
and asked if an officer was In charge of
the boat The men said "No," and
and seeing who [ was, they said, Jump
in, Doctor" and seizing hold of me two
or three of them dragged me into the
boat. [ at once took charge, ordering
man at each fall to lower when ordered,
having first cut the fastenings with knives.
We stayed thus until within three or
four minutes of the ships going down.
During this time the boatswain and two
or three men got into the boat, making
the whole number seventeen. We were
still hanging at the davits, when the ship
began to roll in that peculiar way which
proceeds laundering, and the boat was
dashed against the side of the ship,
threatening to dash her in pieces. L
looked on the deck and saw no one about
the mainmast, and gave the order to low
er away and hang by the falls. The fall
got iammed. and had to be cut away with
a knife Had we been three minutes
longer at the davits it 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.
may mention here that when the boat
was brought up to the Oneida she nearly
sank alongside, and on examination it
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 striking
the side Of the ship, and convlnces me
that we could not have saved any more
in our boat, as she would have filled and
gone down with heavier load. AS the
coxswain cut the fall junk was seen close
by under sail. We started for her, in
tending to bring her alongside, if posi-
BILE, and save life. Being under sail,
however, and going free, she rapidly left
Us, and in about two or three minutes we
gave it up, and on turning to go back to
the ship, found that she had disappeared.
We pulled to where we thought she had
been, but seeing and hearing nothing,
headed for the shore, and landed at about
81. | az once vent up to Japanese
house, engaged three guides and started
off for Yokohama, twenty-five to thirty
miles distant We crossed mountains on
the way, and had the most fatiguing
tramp you can imagine. We arrived all
safe at o'clock in the morning Of the
18th, when | spread the news, and sent
down assistance to the wreck. The yes
sci was found yesterday, but no bodies as
yet.
The English Consular Court is investi-
eating the matter. Ill the officers of
the Bombay have been examined. Our
turn will come tomorrow. Mr.. Delong,
the American Minister, is conducting the
proceedings on our behalf You will
know the result by the next Pacific mail,
due in San Francisco Marchl7. Handed on
shore in undress uniform. without 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 ex-
tremly kind to the survivors.
The feeling against the Captain of the
Bombay for not stopping is intense, and
if the Court attempts to whitewash him
violence may be attempted. No vessel
that has ever been in the eastern waters
was so popular as the Oneida Even
English officers say they would rather the
misfortune had happened to one of their
own vessels. Of twelve officers eating
dinner at the time of the collision, |
am the only one left"