New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-15
WHOLE NUMBERl
THE oneida DISASTER
THE CAPTAIN OF THE BOMBAY
His Cruel and Heartless Conduct
Captain Eyre's Profanity
The Cincinnati Gazette has the following

The Cincinnati Gazette has the following
special dispatch:
New YORK, March 10.-The Tibune's
letter from Yokohama contains particulars
of the sinking of the Oneida, and the te5tf-
mony before the court. Captain Eyre, in
his testimony, says:
s'After the collision stopped the engines,
as nearly as l can tell, about ten minutes
The chief officer came to me aud reported
the ship making water forward. l then
said can see no signals of distress, and mo-
thing can be wanted. and then steamed
ahead for Yokohama, as the ship was making
water, and l had mails and passengers on
board, but while standing and looking
astern I asked the pilot if, supposing the
ship was hurt or that l should require it,
where could go for safety; the answer was,
there is not the slightest fear, the spit is SO
near at hand ship cannot 60 down. then
came up to Yokohama. Even after we got
here l thought very little of the collision.
| had not the slightest idea of the
consequences, except that might merely
have but his quarter gallery Qf, and
nothing else. l do no know what ship she
was. I remarked as shepassed that she was
an auxiliary screw. could not see, to dis
tinguish from another object. man ships
width off. Could see an object, but could
not distinguish it. She was about one mile
off when 1 saw the side lights. can hardly
say the time. The other vessel evidently
starboarded her helm, crossing our bows.
She by so doing brought the wind more on
her quarter. When first saw the lights,
posted the helm and kept it so until | shut
her lights in, and she seeing my lights,
starboarded her helm and crossed my bows.
did not hail the other ship, as | was too
busy watching my own, and trying
to ease the collision as much as I
mi ~ I, vnclra
was told by my second officer that we
hailed out steamer ahoy; and were not an
swered by the other vessel. The collision
was slight, 80 much so that the lady passen-
gers did not feel it. I expected to be flung
off the bridge; eased the collision by star
boarding the helm and getting my bow Off
little. The Oneida's gaff and spanker boom
were entangled with our bowsprit. l am
not aware that it is customary to take any
steps to ascertain the damage caused by the
collision of two vessels, and done by one to
the other in the open sea; it may be, but
near land, as in case OF this sort, the mode
of signaling is decided rocket and blue
light at night, and guns are danger signals.
There is no regular law laid down that / am
aware of. I did not send up q rocket as it
was not necessary. I was not in want OF
help"
The Tftbune's correspondent writes that
the steward of the Bombay, on arrival at
Yokohama, went to the International Hotel,
and there asserted that the Oneida had
been run into and holescut in her to the
waters edge, SO that he could see the men
carving some person on the deck, and that
she must have gone down. Thus it will be
seen that it was known on that ship that the
Oneida was seriously damaged, and it leaves
no room to doubt that Captain Eyre has
either been guilty of gross cowardice or
| grosser inhumanity, learn the following
IAf<.r tIra
courts:
sIieutenant Clemens of Fl. B. M. ship
Ocean. sworn. Upon the arrival of the Bonn
| bay, went on board for our locked mail,
| and in conversation with Captain Arthur
| Wellesley Eyre, ne said: ST have tonight
| cut the whole quarter off a id Yankee
| frigate, and served her bloody we'll right,
| for met her as ] came up running out with
| her helm starboard." Either the doctor
| in the presence of the captain, or Captain
Eyre, in the presence of the doctor, said her
| sides were so badly stove that as she drifted
| past US, one could see into the officers cabin.
| AS soon as the disaster was known at
Yokohama, Minister Del0ng applied to the
| agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
| condition to proceed to sea at once. He
made application to the American house of
| Walsh, Hall d Co. Messrs. Thomas and
| Henry Walsh dressed with haste, went on
board Captain Batchelder's steamer Yanktze,
routed the sailing master, Captain Stern.
| Oergher, made known his errand. and re-
| ceived prompt and hearty Yes" to re-
| quest for the Yanktze to sail at once. In
| forty minutes from the time the alarm was
| first given at the American Legation, the
| furnace fires were burning fierceiy beneath
| the boilers of the American steamer YanktZe.
| A private letter from Surgeon James Sud-
dard, from Yokohama, to friend in Phila-
delphia, says:
The feeling against the Captain of the
Bombay for not stopping. is intense. and if
| the court attempts TO whitewash him vio-
lence may be attempted. No vessel has ever
been in eastern waters so popular as the
Oneida. Even English officers say they
| would rather the misfortune had happened
to one of their own vessels. OF twelve Off
Icers eating dinner at the time of the collis-
ion, am the only one left"
An associated press dispatch from New
York says:
The statements of Captains Clerk Crown
inshield and Master Yates, were that the
| whistle of the Oneida was blown fercely,
boats, nearly every man would have been
saved. Yates says as the ship was fast sink
ing, Captain Williams, who was on the
| bridge, was asked to get on board the boat,
but refused, saying: ''No; 1 shall stay on my
ship il she goes down."
Lieutenant Commander Muldaur walked
| up and said: ''Sir, the ship is going down.
81 know it," said the Captain ''but what
can l do? have repeatedly asked for boats,
but could not get them.n
At this moment the ship settled, the smoke
| stack came over and forced the cutter from
the ships side, and she went down stern first.
hauled the Captains Clerk, William T.
Crowninshield, ON board, and made great
effort to save Lieutenant Commander Stew
art. but he sunk just before reached him,
SAYING, as he went down: "For Gods sake
save me-" He was quite i'll at the time.