New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-12
THE LOSS OF THE LoDoNA
ARRIVAL OF SURVIVORS
Interesting Particulars Of the Wreck
CFrom the New York Commercial Advertiser.l

Among the passengers of the steamer
Ashland, which arrived at this port from
Fernandina, Florida, yesterday, was Fran
els Farrar, chief cook of the illrfated steamer
Lodona, and four seamen, one fireman and
the second mate. Mr.. Farrar, who was for
some three years chief cook of the wrecked
steamer, kindly furnished our reporter with
the following particulars:
On the night of the seventeenth of
August a perfect hurricane came up at
about ten o'clock and increased in violence
until six o'clock the following morning
when, although the vessel carried steam all
the time, she became unmanageable owing
to the fury of the gale, and soon after struck
on the beach on the coast of Florida, about
seven miles north of Cape Carnival. All on
board had been called on deck at twelve
o'clock the previous night, and being made
aware of the dangerous position in which
they were placed, and instructed in their
various duties by the captain, they used
every exertion to save the ship, but without
avail, as she could not be kept to the wind.
Captain Hovey remained gallantly on deck
during the tempest. When the Lodona
struck she turned on her beam ends and
commenced breaking, up. Captain Hovey,
who was in the pilot house, was carried
overheard by the receding wavesof the sea,
which boarded the vessel in every direc-
ton. Such was the furious character of the
gale that every movable article of the ships
furniture and fittings was swept away, and
ton that any of the crew could save them
selves from being washed away by hanging
= on to various parts of the rigging.
Mr.. Farrar was the last person who ever
spoke to Captain Hovey, who said to him,
TRY and help secure those matches y
meaning the forward and amidship matches,
which had started. Farrar, noticing that
IL y Al
tain If he did not fear going on the lee
shore" Captain Hovey replied, 1--WE must
try and get her ON the other tack" and
told Farrar to see if Mr. Stevens, the mate,
was at the relieving tackle. These were
the last words the gallant captain ever
spoke. Immediately after the ship struck,
and the captain disappeared beneath the
fearful waves, which fairly engulphed the
ship. All hands now mustered on the main
house, and clung for life to the rigging
Mr.. Stevens, the mate, attempted to save
himself and shipmates in one of the ships
boats, in which he lashed himself, but be-
fore he could hold on long enough for his
shipmates the boat filed with water, and
the mate, lashed firmly to it, was hurriedly
driven away from the wreck by the furious
waters.
Some fourteen of the crew, including the
captains son, Mr.. Morgan, the purser, Mr..
Farrar and the second cook, succeeded in
ascending the mainmast and despairingly
clung to the rigging. In this perilous po-
sitiOn they remained for two hours, being
constantly washed by the waves which were
thrown TO a great height by the fury of the
storm, when, to their horror, the mast was
unshipped, and, with its living freight, was
cast into the ocean. All on the mast per-
ished with the exception of Mr.. Farrar, the
cook, and the captains son, who, in a semi
conscious condition. after great suffering,
finally reached the shore, which was an un-
inhabited beach. Here to their joy, they
found the chief engineer, mate, and second
mate A temporary camp was made of
trunks, boards, and such other articles as
came ashore from the wreck.
After consultation on the following day.
Mr.. Farrar, cook, Chief Engineer ScOfield
and young Hovey started for Cape Carni-
nal lighthouse, which they reached after a
severe march, and were assisted by the
keeper with food, etc. They then attempt
ed to reach point twenty-eight miles dis
tant, but failed from exhaustion. They
finally reached Colonel Titus house, twenty
miles from Fernandina, and were through
the kindness of that gentlemen, enabled to
reach Fernandina in safety. From thence
they came to this port on the steamer Ash
land. Captain Hovey's body was not re-
covered, although Mr.. Farrar examined
fourteen bodies which had been washed
ashore. We give herewith a complete list
of the Lodona's crew, as far as ascertained:
4Saued.-Young Hovey; Mr.. Stevens, mate;
Isaac w Sides, second mate; L. A. Scofeld,
chief engineer; r. Gillespie. first assistant
engineer; Frank Farrar, cook; Louis Wolf,
mess boy; five seamen and one fireman,
names as yet unknown.
Supposed to be LOSt-Five seamen; A.
Keraback, second assistant engineer; John
H. Wells, third assistant engineer; three
firemen, names not yet known; four coal
passers. names not yet known; w. A. Payne,
steward: Alfred Windust, second cook; NJ.
Keetigan, waiter; H. S. Morgan, purser;
Charles Cahill, mess man, and Captain H.
R. Hovev.