Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-15

a fad Story OF shfp~, eek and Suffering
Lewis Wolf, a mess boy, who was on
board of the steamer Lodona, 730 tons
burden, bound from New York to New
Orleans, which struck on Coral reef, on
the Florida coast, Thursday, August II,
and was totally lost, twenty persons losipG
their lives and thirteen being saved, makes
the following statement
L was on the Lodona one trip before
this one in which the Lodona was lost
was mess boy for the sailors and fire
mems mess. received SIS q mouth and
found. We left New York on Saturday
before the Thursday on which the ship
struck the reef.
We had fair weather until Wednesday
previous ID the disaster, when we eucoun-
tered heavy swell. We had a general
cargo. We had crew and officers of
thirty three men. Captain Hovey com
handed the vessel, aadd~in.ii Dir. Stevens was
the first officer and Mr.. Soofeld was the
engineer. The engines were in good Or
der as far as I know. The Lodona vas
an English ship, and carried supplies dur
ing tho war for the blockade runpers.-
About 8 O'Clock Thursday morning heavy
gale prevailed, and all the fremen were Or
dered below to keep the tires up. The sea
past we struck reef and sh9
SHIFTED OVER ON her BEAM ENDS.
The captain was in the pilot house at
the time she shifted. and he fell out and
stumbled while trying to catch hold of the
main rigging. The sea broke over the
ship and washed him off and carried away
the pilot house. Some of the crew got
into boat, and when about thirty yards
off the ship the Lodona turned over end
capsized. I was anidship on deck hold
ing on to the fore right rigging. It was
very hard to hold on with tho heavy seas
breaking over me- There we're fourteen
of the crew in the main rigging, the main
mast gave away and the sea broke it right
off. All of the fourteen, excepting the
captains son Freddy, fifteen years Of age
and the chief cook, Frank, were washed
overheard, but they swan ashore as we'll
as they could 10 the
tEA WHICH WAS MOUNTAIN HIGH.
The Florida coast was nearly ten miles
off, and L don't know how they reached
the shore. Mr.. Stephen5 the first mate,
got into the only other boat, which was
boat, and O heavy sea broke again and
washed the boat aud himself away. He
reached the shore first OF ALL The crew,
the chief engineer. first assistant engineer,
five sailors, myself and fireman, worked
our way out forward TO the gallant fore
castle. The wreck was washed ashore
gradually, and we remained on her until
Two hours after the mainm ST came down,
when We found ourselves on the breakers,
three or four hundred yards from the bank.
The chief engineer and the fireman swan
ashore first, aud the second mate followed,
and the remaining member OF the crew,
with the exception OF myself, the first
! GO md
On the wreck for two days-until Satur-
lay. The sailor made raft. The first
assistant engineer took the raft to 20
ashore, and he was washed off several
lines by the breakers. The sailor and
myself made It. 1 broke the bulwarks out
IF her to make it, and went Ashore with the
sailor. BY this time the chief engineer,
captains son, the second mate and the
,ook had gone down to the light house,
Xix miles distant, and the keeper told she
party to walk twenty eight miles up the
beach TO the first Custom House station
While living two days on the vessel we
lad
NOTHING TO EAT BUT ONIONS,
'aw potatoes and raw Goldfish. The onions
made us very hIrsty, as We could not get
my water. We stopped on the beach that
hight, and next morning We started and
walked t"enty-eignt miles, aud were two
lays and half making the distance. with
Nothing to eat only We had O little water
% drink. While walking along this beach
We passed fourteen of the bodies that had
,een washed ashore from the wreck. The
lrst one We saw was abOus four miles from
he wreck, the funniest was nearly twenty
i've miles from the iil-fated Lodona. They
Ill looked terrible, were black in the face
nd bloody and dlsfgured, and it was ex-
al 10 Al
most Of the bodies had been stripped
aked by the violence Of the waves. The |
aptaln's body was missing. The chief
ngineer. second mate, head cook. The
aptain's son and one of the sailors gave
at, as their strength was spent, and thew
7alked back to the camp.
SCARCELY ANY oLcTH1Ne
pom us. and our feet, blistered and sore.
'ere torn from the friction of the epars
'hlch had rubbed against our bodies and
ad caused abrasions. The mate. four
ailors, the first assistant engineer and nv
elf walked ahead, thinking that there y as
house where We might get something to
at. We walked about thirty nine
lilies, and walked three or four miles fur
1er that day. When night time came we
st down and rested ourselves about two l
ours. when we again got mp and walked
own further. We then laid down and /
ept on the sand. where we slept heartily. |.
THE MOSQUITOES ALMOST EAT Us UP. Ii
We walked then to daylight. We then
w in the early morning man advancing
, US, whom We recognized as the man
no had left us to travel on his own ac-i
ount, returning in very weak manner.
way back again we walked about three
lies, when we met man with an axe on
Is shoulder. We stopped and asked him
here I'VE was" He told us that we were c
bout fourteen miles from Smyrna. We Il
ked him if he would give us something
eat. He said he would give as some &
ing-whst he had-if we would 90 TO {
s boat. We went to his boat and got {
rcething to eat-some biscuits. coffee G
ID fresh meat, and fresh water. I agreed | s
work for him for my board. got one | q
cal there, that was all. Invent on horse v
ok to the beach again, and left the mate |
his house. There were several persons s
ere then picking mp the goods. One 6
Id us that the engineer had started be- 4
re for Sand Point A email packet came Z
and hailed her, and she put off a LIGHT Z
at to take me Off went to ST. Angus 10
a ~ u