The New York herald., 1870-11-06
PERILS OF THE DEEP.
The Wreck Of the Steamer
Varuna.
FORTY EIGHT LIVES LOST.
Horrible Fate OF the Pas
sengers.
Thirty-Six Persons Drowned
in Their Staterooms.
TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS or THE SURVIVORS
-~~~~e~-~.>-->~~>~,~~~.
Sixty Hours in Storm at Sea in
an Open Boat.
--~>~~>>~>~,~~>~>~-,~-~-~-~~ ef
Thrilling Account OF the
Disaster.
Horrible Fate OF the Pas.
sengers.
Thirty-Six Persons Drowned
in Their Stater0oms.
TERRIBLE SuFFERINGS OF THE SURVIVORS
Sixty Hours In q Storm at Sea in
an Open Boat.
SAVANNAH. Nov. s. 1870.

SAVANNAH. Nov. 8, 1870.
On the Goth or October at ten p. NJ, the steamship
varuna foundered In the CUR Stream, thirty miles
IRON Jupiter Inlet, on che Florida coast, during
OF the most terrible hurricanes witnessed In that
latitude. The steamer was thrown ON her beam
ends and went down, only allowing time for two
lifeboats to put or One OF these, containing Cap
tain Spencer, the engineers and fremen. ten In ALL
was carried down with the vessel, while the other
one, containing seven or the crew, was finally
beached Oh Jupiter Inlet, two Of the men, Samuel
Mccormack, fireman, and James Flynn. seaman,
losing their lives In tho breakers. Tne remaining
nve w. Kirkland, second mate; VIM. Wallace,
quartermaster; Thomas Gennon James Burns ana
George Watson, seamen, arrived here to-day on tho
Nick King, from Florida, and left for New York ON
the Magnolia Wallace's account says.--
We left New York Saturday night at sevep
O'Clock, and had fine weather up TO the morning OF
October 20, when wind sprung up from the south.
At noon tnere was moderate gale. Az the sun
went down 1t was blowing perfect hurricane. All
went well until eight O'Clock when the wind shifted
suddenly to the southwest. when the ship
became unmanageable, and, having list TO port the
sea comrpenced rushing on board the lee side OF
the sniY stavlng In bulwarks ana the cabin door
We tried TO get her on before the wind and put ON
all the steam we could, but 1t no use. was At
the wheel and we brought her up to the wind again
and tried to fx the cabin door, but the sea was
rushing on board to such q degree that the men
could not work. We then twisted her jib to
pay her head or, but. II was blown into
ribbons a. though 1t had been snugiy furled.
BY this time the sea had stove In the engine house
an0 was rushing down into the nre and engine room
at rate Of many tons per minute and. the ship lut
ing over more she was fast filling. lashed the
wheel after felt the engines stop ana went art to
get some water-I was very thirsty-and then
managed to get on the hurricane deck, when I
found the two Ice boats were gone from
the ship and the men wete getting tina
other boats ready. l was still 30 thirsty that
came back TO the Captains room and got drink
there ana opened the weather cabin door to sea
now the passengers were behaving but did not sea
soul, they were all in their staterooms unabis
70 come out on account Of the snips lying on hef
beam ends. then came on the hurricane Geek and
got into the after boat with six others then In. II
was lying on the deck. waiting for the ship to 20
down, she then being nearly on her beam ends
The captain, mate and engineers, ten IN all, wers
In the boat aHffn less than Ave minutes the boats
were anoat, but in such o heavy sea as that was
afraid we would get foul OF the ship's rigging.
While he vessel was sinking the other boat hailed
and asked us II we were all right, and after this the
Steamer kot foul OF their boat ana took her down
with the ship. The boats were Ingersolls
metallic lfeboafs, and l think the captain'a
boat got clear and came up again. as boat bottom
up WAS seen two hours after, but no person was
init. After the ships masthead was out OF sight We
thought ourselves all right the ship clear OF
US; but we counted without host, for heavy seq
capszed the boat, but all managed after great exer
tOns to r. gnt her and get In again.
The ship went down ut two r. ", and az
midnight the weather moderated and was still.
We baed the boat out after remaining In her sun
nf nfnrr hnn fhA MIA
pose the rudder and shoes on board, our mats and
everything else having been lost We then went
ten O'Clock we got on the Bahama banks, and
30 intended TO steer south for Aoacoa.
About three O'Clock we saw snip aud pulled Tor
We began to feel pretty thirsty by this time, still
had hopes Tor the morrow; 80 we let the boat drift
and went to sleep. Next morning the wind was
springiDg up from northeast when we saw brig ac
anchor on the banks and pulled for her, but the
wind Increased 80 that we could not reach her.
We then squared away for the Flsrlda coast, with
an oar for mast and two shirts and pillow
case for . sail we made Jupiter lighthouse
goth were near the beach, and took
down sail and put our shirts on our backs and then
prepared to beach ner. The first breaker passed.
winch did no harm. The next breaker which
struck us was Q most dreadful one, aud swept Nc
could not reach It again, being so much exhausted,
The remaining five camdered Into the boat again,
the boat that night he beach and got to the light.
house next morning after being sixty hours without
food or water.
The hardships encountered by the five men were
terrible, and tongue fails to express the suffering
endured by them while Drawing the fury Of the ele-
ments for sixty hours la An open boat without food
or water except small onion served to mosten
parcned, aching lips. After being the beaci,
inlet only the second mate and q seaman
were strong enough to feebly drag themselves
TO the building for assistance. The rest lay
exhausted until the keeper sent boat TO take them
away. The party remained at the lighthouse until
Tuesday, when they were carried up to Indian river
party was kindly sent on BY mall hy the agent to En-,
ferpfise and then transported to JacKsonv NE,
Here their Condition Is generously looked
arer by the Collector Of Customs After
Savannah yesterday The passengers, tnirty-six
in number, without doubt, all persisted IN their
state rooms. When the steamer suddenly lurched
over on her beam ends the water poured into the
cabin, where they were securely fastened to die
horrible death without even battling for existence
1t would have been madness, the sRr-
vivors state, 70 have attempted to rescue
| them, as the cabin was o trap into which
II was certain death TO venture. Horrible
a. the thought is, nothing could be done by tho
apprehension and uneasiness seems to have existed
among the passengers, according 10 the statemsns
OF the SURVIVORS; for one or two days previous to the
disaster while during the tnnut OF the hurricane,
when ~ was ut its nerces, their demeanor was the
extreme OF FEAR and terror and many were PAIN
| fully apprehensive OF their coming fate.
This IL one OF the most terrible disasters that has
occurred on the Atlantic coast since tue loss Of tho
Evening Star though the FURY OF the hurricane In
this instance is said to have been surpassed
by any Witnessed In this latitude OF the Gulf
Stream Captain Spencer WAS injured while stand
lng on the deck Just before the steamer went down.
MAR UNIQUE