New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13
THE FLORIDA WRECKERs,

A correspondent Of the New York Su,,
has been travelling along the Florida coast
at the place where the steamship Ladopa
was wrecked some time ago. This vessel
was engaged in the New Orleans trade, and
was commanded by Captain Hovey, one OF
the most accomplished, genial and whole
souled gentlemen that ever trod quarter
deck. The captain lost his life when his
good ship was wrecked:
The steamship Ladona drove ashore
during the terrible gale Of August II,
1871. She struck the beach in blight
twelve miles north of Carnavera. light.
| Every soul on board, twenty-three in num-
| ber perished The Ladona was freighted
with dry goods and Yankee notions. She
| was bound from New York to New Or
leans. She struck the beach at night.
Not a star was visible. The wind was
| blowing hurricane. For hundreds of feet
above the ocean the air was filled with
binding spray. The mist was so thick that
| the powerful light at Cape Carnaveral
coulG not be seen 800 feet from the lens.
| All the trees We're stripped of leaves, and
! the ragged palmetto scrub was whipped
| into strings. Orange groves were pros
trated and houses were blown down. Bears
and wildcats ran about the clearings, crazy
/ WIFI 1uc UlliS "a lEt dIT NdtuiV
| sought shelter in the forests. They could
not live in the wind, and many Of them
| were killed in the branches Of the trees.
| Pelicans, cranes and ducks were so fright
| ened that they were picked up by scores.
| Even the sea gulls were unable to breast
the tempest The man-of-war hawk or
frigate pelican alone sailed upon the wings
of the hurricane. 1t has been known to cut
through the air for hours without Tapping
ifs II lnS hnIv ahout frn sizo of
a turtle-dOve, and wings measuring from
seven to nine feet from tip to tip.
Daybreak revealed the situation of the
Ladona. The first wrecker reached her
before noon. She lay fifty feet from shore,
and had dragged halt mile in the sand.
The wind had gone down. but the waves
were dashing high over her stern. The
beach was covered with dead bodies and
merchandise. Before night there were
hiaf dozen eager men at the wreck. They
worked like beavers. There was such
variety of articles dashing upon the beach
that the first corners were rather dainty in
the selection of their booty. They pre-
ferred gold watches, and silks and laces, to
bolts of muslin or Kentucky jeans. They
made blazing fires upon the sandhills from
the sittings of the wreck. ana continued
their work through the darkness. Through
out the night there were fresh arrivals. All
merchandise and fresh boxes Of dry goods
were heaved upon the shore. The wreck
ers waded and swan 70 the ship. Overhauled
whatever they could reach and pitched it
overheard Men stood II the breakers, and
drew the floating treasure to the beach.
The news reached New Smyrna on the
following day. In half hour the place
was deserted. One man swan his horse
over MOSQUITO lagoon TO the beach, and
then swooped down upon the wreck like
pelican al a muliet. He went to work with
a vii. and soon had a stack of plunder
awaitr; the arrival of his partner. who
cane IL boat 10y way Of Banana creek.
BY the evening of the second day there
were nearly seventy-tve persons at the
wreck. All mad LETT home at minutes
notice, without provisions and without
water. They began TO suffer through want
of TODD. 1t was a struggle between ali
mentiveness and acQuisitiveness. Captain
Frank Sans and DR.. Fox, of Smyrna, told
me that they saw some acqualutances fry
ing onions on the beach. They were in
vlted to the feast.
II asked them where they got the onions"
sala DIR. Fox, land they said that they had
pieke4 them up on the beach. l noticed
tust thefe was peculiar taste about the
onions, and l told Sans that 1 thought it
was the salt water. Then Sans asked them
where they got the grease in which to fry
tne onions ana they said that it came from
the wrecS-that they had found it all nice
~ y pacAeu away IN sound wooden boxes.
Then Sans asked them to show him the
boxes and ~ be hang if it wasn't WAGON.
crease -
The majority of The wreckers stood IL ont.
Some of them went three DAYS and niohts
without food, and worked all the time like
steam engines. When they were totally ex-.
hausted they would drop upon the sand in