New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-29
OF THE STEAMSHIP
ct. LOUIS.
Arrival of the Captain, Officers and PAS
aenRers in New YOrk-stOry OF Her
Loss-The Ships Log. -


Loss-The Ships Log.
We copy the subjoined narrative Of the
disaster to the steamship St. Louis from
the New York Herald Of Monday:
The steamer George Cromwell arrived al
! this port d an early hour yesterday morn
| ing, bringing from Key West the captain,
| officers and passengers of the well known
| steamer st. Louis, making in all about
forty souls, which recently foupdeTed OF
! New Orleans while on her passage from
that port to New York. In spite of the bit
| ter blasts of the northern wind consider
| able number of relatives and friends gath
| cred at pier No. s East river, to welcome
| back to the land Of the living the ship
| wrecked mariners.
| Among the first to descend the ships side
was Captain Whitehead. the late comman-
| der of the Inflated st. Louis, and whose
| cool brayerT and admirable conduct caused
| the saving of every life entrusted to his
| care. After the captain followed officers,
| crew end passengers who soon separated
to their various destinations. Mr.. Seaman,
one of the owners Of the Cromwell line, to
which the lost steamer belonged after well
coming the captain and officers back, re-
qnested that they would come to the office
of the company, at No. Sc West street
Seated around 2 stove, in a snug
Office. they told the story of the vessels
laundering to Mr. Seaman. AS a repre-
sentative narrative the following graphic
description from the captains lips tells the
tale of the loss Of the noble craft with her
valuable cargo. The statement of Captain
Whitehead was fully confirmed by the first
mate. first and assistant engineers and
several others Of the officers.
THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT,
Z left New Orleans in command of the
St Louis at a quarter past eight o'clock on
Saturday morning, the seventh of DeCem-
Der. After unmooring from the levee we
touched on what was supposed to be the
wreck of the steamer General Grant, which
was burned and sunk some years ago; we
came off, however, without any apparent
damage and proceeded down the river,
crossed Southwest bar and went to sea at
1925 P. NJ, with very light wind.
Everything went we'll until Sunday even
ing, at twenty minutes PAST eight, when the
first assistant engineer, in making the usual
examination of the machinery, discovered
leak IN the upper compartment, near the
stern. He found at first his feet were wet
and then waited a few seconds to see if the
water rose, before making his report to the
chief engineer, but it increased with great
rapidly, and was Immediately reported to
the chief engineer and myself. So rapidly
did the leak gain on US, that on returning
Immediately to the compartment it was
found nearly filed with water, which sub
sequently by its force broke the adjoining
buikhead down. SO that it was also filled
with water.
The terrible pressure of water also filed
and pushed through the second bulkhead
and caused the water to rush into the fire
and engine rooms. The two steam pumps
were started, also the deck pumps for each
compartment, upon the receipt Of the first
rf ~ tho nnlr in ha aftap orf-
ment and all being i'll first rate repair
worked well.
The water steadily gained on us at the
rate of nearly d foot an hour, and soon put
out the fires IN the main boilers, and after
this the two donkey pumps continued to
work until the water rose to the donkey
boiler, which was on the between decks. |
The deck pumps we're also worked by the
crew until the time when We found tneces-
sary to abandon the ship. | can honestly |
assure you that there was no excitement on |
board, and things were as quiet as they are
at the present moment in this Office. The |
moon sh0no out glOriOusly over our sinking |
craft, and every soul tried to do his best to
save the ship. However, by midnight we |
had all come to the conclusion that we must |
soon f0rsake her and take to the boats.
MANNING THE FIVE LIFEBOATs.
Meanwhile our five boats were lowered |
and t0WCd asterD, ready to be drawn along |
side as required. All the boats were in ey-
oelent order and well found with oars, etc.
Eight men we're told off into each boat and |
waser, bread, biscuits, cheese, meat, and |
blue lights for signalling purposes were
placed IN each, accompanied by lamp.
no attempt was made at CrOWding the
BOATS, and, as before stated, there was no
excitement, while the discipline, am
proud to say, was perfect. had provided
myself with pistol, and would have shot
he first man who had corgmenced any mn
inous conduct; but this grecaution of mine
vas entirely unnecessary. , At two o'clock |
Il the morning we abandoned the ship, the
water being above tho between decks, and
Ter laundering being then merely a ques-
ion ot time. We laid by the sinking
teamcT till we saw her eGgulted in the
water, which happened al halfpast feJe
'clJck IN the morning, just as the moon
vent down. Having rugged up temporary
ais in the five life boats, we set sail for
-Ortugas According to my calculations.
he St. Louis sank iE0 miles from Southwest
,ar. The boat in which | was contained
ady passenger, Mrs Iirsth of New York,
Who had two children, one in arms and the
Their of about two years, who, after we
lad been out for some hours, suffered con
from exposure to the weather
he second boat was commanded by the
ineer, the fourth by the second mate, and
he fifth by the quartermaster and steward
The BOA-3 WE'RE ALL WELL sTEERED
nd kept close in company: but, said the cap
an, interrupting himself, here is an ex-
cact of the log, which tells it's own story of
ur life in the boats, to which will only
I'd that the Record, formerly the John Ii.
.igserson, bore down on our little hotilla.
ttracted by the FIVE lamps burning in each
oat and which PIE ,ented an unusual sight
] those waters. We had found the lamps
great Use in the dark hours of the night
Y signalling to each other, one wave of |
ne lamp meaning aumber one boat and so
Extracts FROM THE LOG.
On Monday, having rugged temporary
ails, we ran for Tortugas, the breeze in
reasing, with a rough sea, all the boats
ell managed and behaving well; all in
ne, making ak knots an hour; got a good
observation at noon.
Tuesday, Decemberol0.-Tbis day opens
18th gloomy aspect; no sail in sight save
10 little feet of five boats scuddipg in close
2mpany before a strong gale and rough !
"a, wetting everything, but were kept well '
allied out.
THE HORRORS OF THE NIGHT.
At $50 P b. night closed Gin with
0om Of horror, but the clouds broke away I
Id the moon enabled the boats to keep
'gether, with the help of signals from
sch other All went well under the cir
instances. ]
a SAIL IN 5IGHT-THEY ARE RESCUED.
At half past eleven o'clock the good ship
ec0rd hove in sight, and attracted by the i
Ihts in the different boats, hove to and :
ok all safe on board, where we received q