New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-15
TIE WRECKED STEAMER.

passenger Oh Uodiu eno "Ao
steamer City of Washington. of tie lnman
line. furnishes the following details to the
New York Herald of the tenth instant:
The first day out from Queenstown we
fa! stiff head wind, and on Friday we
had regular gale, with a heavy sea. dur
ing which the Washington proved Aersei1
very good sea boat, hardly taking IN any
water worth mentioning, and we were an
delighted with her. On Sunday We had q
fog. and fvom that day till the day she
struck the fog whistle was never silent,
except for very occasional and short inter-
walls. and no "sight' was taken except one
about Wednesday, at ten O'Clock, anu that
was taken with no horizon. during the
seven days frequently asked the offcers
whether they knew where we were, and the
invariable answer was. "Oh. we Know GER
taillly within three or five miles or so.'
During the last three days the ship was
kept west by north, and the respective latl-
tudes were 41o 50, 4l- 81. Az u, speaking
from memory. On Saturday. at half'past one
o'clock, the saloon passengers were mostly
in the cabin, chatting and playing cards;
when the ship went full speed on tue Gull
Book shoal. She gave two shght Dumps
sided bit, then tremendous tremor ran
through the ship. and there she was. hard
and fast. There was not much sea on at
the time, only q heavy swell and dense
heavy fog ali round us. No one had the
smallest idea where we we're. one oftcer
saying we were on the Georges Sands.
| another on the Nantucket shoal, and another
| made the only sensible observation on the
| subject which was that he hadn't the
| the slightest idea where we were. Com
| Portable that. Every effort was made to
back her of. which most fortunately proved
| Intellectual, and then the fog horns were
| blown and cannon fired oil.
| When the situation fairly dawned upon
| us that fearful wailing of women COM
menced. For full half an hour nothing was
| done-a state Of total inactiOn. Passengers
were crowding the decks. crying, praying
| hanging to the necks OF mothers, sisters,
lovers, husbands, until sailor cries out
from the foyecastle, Il hear q human
| voice.
Every ear is strained to catch the vel
come sound. 1t appears to come again, but
melts away, and a man cries out, Its Oply
the sea birds crying Out.'
| Again we load the cannon and, and again
the whistle is blown, just on the chance OF
shouts out, ''Silence. every one OF you;
| that's hail!'
A pin could have dropped into the sea
and been distinctly heard for full minute
"Ship ahoy"
Another half minnie Of agony and sus'
pense. when through the tog comes faint
response. ''Ship ahoy"
A minute after apd q small boat is dlscov'
| cred making it's way cautiously toward US.
!! and what a cheer broke forth:
! "Are we safe!' ''Is it a big vessel =
"Can she carry us all = resounded on all
sides.
"Come alongside shouts the second
officer.
"Where are we!'
'Oti the coast Of Nova Scotia is the
reply.
"Half a mile"'
''Is there good landing".
"A good harbor. with shelving beach,"
The occupants of the boat, Cornelius
Swanburg and William Ferguson, climbed
up the side, and we felt comparatively safe
How easy it is for me to write this latter
sentence; but how impossible to describe in
the very faintest degree the gallantry OF
these noble fellows!
At the time when we struck Ferguson was
lying i'll on his bed. but at the sound OF our
guns this brave man got out of his bed, al
though he was splitting blood at the time,
and he and Swanburg went to the brow OF
the hill and shouted out to us at the top OF
their voices that they were coming and put
off in boat which providentially was on
the shore. The work Of disembarking was
1 1nUeuidtCIN pEOCCCuCO "lOAs tAAOO SAAR
boats being dispatched with the boa. under
the guidance Of Swanburg and Ferguson
| When they returned others were loaded uI
az fast as possible and dispatched TO the
shore. The second officer behaved splen
didly. Standing at the gangway Of the
ladder, with hatcbet in his hand, ht
threatened to cut any man down who
tried 70 get into the boats before the
women. 70 his exertion we owe that there
| ,aAo ~ r,1c1, Tho SfGaro o.
gers were admirably quiet. n single man at
tempting to get at the boats. They have
their own consciences to thank for this, al
no attemp: was made to discipline them
nor was any attempt made to keep order
Colonel Parnell went with me to the cap
tain, who was on the bridge. and asked
him whether he should offer his services t.
keep the passengers quiet IN case OF lush
| OF to organize them IN some way. his ser
vices were quietly declined. During al
this time the humping and scraping Of thu
sternpost and rudder continued. making III
afraid that she would break in two: bu
| still The women. and especially the young
girls, cried very little. and bore up wonder
,uily. Two young girls in the saloon, iron
Rhode Island and Massachusetts. respec
| lively, with their mother and aunt. on m.
assuring them that they would get to lant
| all safe. sat quietly down and never move'
| a muscle until their names were called ou
| to embark.
4 Young Irish girl in the steerage, namet
| Winifred, came and asked me whether sh
would see Castle Garden at all. OF cours
told her yes. She gave me kiss. and
wrapped an Ulster coat around Ter as sh
went down the ladder. Neither nor Win
| fred are any the worse for it yet, hope
As soon as we got on shore the Irish emf
| grants kept mostly to themselves, and tn
| Fins and Germans by themselves. Their
were several deserted barns and clubhouse
on the beach, in which the passengers wer
housed, Fences and railings we're torn up
fires built, and tea kettles and blrcult wer
served out as quickly as possible. kortu
nately the weather, though damp and fog
! gy. was endurable, else the .suherlng OF Ia
| poor creatures must have been dreadful
and the babies must have died. The cabll
ladies were taken up to the house of MI
Harding. and taken good care OF D.
Mrs. Harding and her excellent daugt
ters. saw Winifred Coot and all
and three other young Irish girls SAT
under the protection of the angel
in The shape of the Misses Lewis, and man.
others found home and shelter under tn
roof of another Mrs. Lewis.
The kindness OF these people was suc|
| that no money could ever repay them, evel
| if the Inman agent was to give them mil
| lions of dollars. But what was to be don
with the hundreds of poor Irish women ly
ing on the beach under the banks and bi!
rocks!
Here was an opportunity for Colonel Par
nell, of the United States cavalry. iron
Camp Harney,. Oregon. to come forward
calm and polite in peace as he is gallant ii
var went round and induced several VIC
men men to 60 up to the back barns and eattl
sheds, and dispatched whole gangs Of then
under me to house them and build tires to
! them.