New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-04
WHOLE NUMBER 1887.

Some of the passengers got in the LIFE
boats, the da,it falls being cut away to al
low the boats TO float clear of the davits,
IN expectation of getting clear of the vessel
| by that means, but the sea broke on board
| and washed the greater portion of the pas
sengers who were IN the boats out. The
! boats were stove. and those who yentured
| in them perished.
The third officer tMr. Brady and quarter.
| master swan ashore with u small line
which enabled great number of the pas
| sengers and crew to get on shore | cot on
the rock soon afterward and also Robert
| Herring, second, John HOdgson. third, VIII
| liam Patterson. fourth. Samuel Davis, sixth.
and Robert McFarlau, seventh engineers,
and we and others OF the crew and passen-
gers assisted others to proceed from the
vessel to the rock. A great many people
were drowned while coming from the vessel
by the rope to the rock.
The cold was SO intense that some of
them, being benumbed. were unable to hold
on to the rope. and they let go and we were
unable 10 render them any assistance. The
rock that we were on was covered with sea
weed. which made II very dangerous to
stand upon. and its edges were round. All
on the rock being soaking wet and cold.
we were unable to render any assistance to
those who were il the greatest peril. A
number of them were washed OFT the wreck
anu uEOWutI, anu d nuiIUt VINO were
ing to get from the rock to the island by
the line were also washed from it and
drowned. We could perceive people falling
from the ships side and rigging.
The three boats which were carried across
the island rendered assistance in carrying
the passengers and crew from the vessel
and the rock to the shore. Several persons
who became completely exhausted, laid
down on the rock and died. Some of the
hpP9IOn naDiaps
mouth, and tOttered about like children.
We were very kindly received and treated
by the people on the shore.
At eleven o'clock the same morning the
ship was breaking up and the cargo wash
ing ashore. COrpses were also washed
within reach. We started at two o'clock
Yesterday afternoon for Halifax and ar
rived in town at II p M, where we were
we'll cared for The fifth engineer Thomas
Grant Urquhart. belonging to Dumfries,
Scotland, is among the drowned.
Incidents of most heartrending character
occurred. little fellow, the only child
saved from the wrecked vessel, rushed
upon deck with the stream of passengers
when the first alarm was given, his parents
and the other members of his family were
still below. They perished when the ship
filled and fell over on her side. Hustled
about along with that struggling mass of
excited humanity, the piteOus screams of
the poor little fellow went to the st0utest
heart. He leaped upon the back Of one of
the men, in the hope of being saved by him,
but the man shook OFF the wailing boy. His
cries at last attracted the captain, who
perceiving the tenacious manner in which
he was struggling for life, called out to the
men who were surrounding the lines that
led to the rock and to safety to endeaVOr,
if possible, to save the boy. The poor little
fellow was immediately passed over the
heads of the struggling mass Of beings and
placed in boat. The kindly men who
were trying to save life almost wept fOF
sympathy as they put the lad on shore safe
in body, though sadly afflicted By his pas
rents loss
Mr.. kOxley. who remained on the rOcR
for several hours assisting the passengers
to land from the ship, says it was extreme
ly narrowing to behold the sutferng3 of the
unfortunate creatures even after they were
rescued. Many Oi them became insane,
frothed at the mouth and toppled Oft the
rock into the water and were drowned.
Others were so chilled and exhausted with
cold that they laid down and died. Some
died after they had been taken to the maine
land. All the passengers speak in the higha
est terms of the gallant conduct of the third
officer, Mr. Brady, and first engineer in pare
tIcuar, who remained on the wreck fOF
hours assisting the p@ssGngeT% 20 ge%cb sh9
rock.
Two lady cabin passengers came "n eieCR
in the excitement, and stood ne&r the wheeS
house. Ihey hcsitateS d moment, as #
panic stricken, and returned to the compass
iOnway as if looking for something. Pres
emily they came out aud endeaV0red to reach
'he forward part of the ship, from where
the passengers were being sent ashore Sa
lines. AT that moment huge wave sweDs
over the ships quarter. The men clin9inR
,e the .igging heard two heart rendnS
shriehs and when they dooLc@ again the
women had disappeared.
These are only few Of SFle Terrible i9lCts
dents of that fearful wreck. &oung men
as well as old became paralyzed and, 90
they clung to the rigging or to the sides OG
the vessel. they seemed bereft of all YeasOu.
and when told by the others 60 make SONS
effort to reach the boat and s&vs chem.
selves. they would roll their eyes. then stare
fixedly at the speakers, and ask In q whip.
ing tone. ''what boat Many. again, srhW
were reused out of their bertI,s, had scarce.
~ time TO put their elOthe. on and yusb eB
deck ere they ?erished.
One cabin passenger, a Young man, GainS
up without a vest on. He olung 10 tho
ships side for sometime. and finally TOlled
! off into the sea and was lost.
One man had just secured q flour barrel
on deck whe1 he was washed overheard.
but not before he had obtained hold,
grasping the other end. the bottom being
out: from it. build it would be precipitatea
by the sea some distance above the waves
and then fall back. one more than usually
heavy sea sent the barrel and man at least
six feet high. He had lost his hold before no
came down, falling into the trough o! tho
sea, but though on top of the ware
which rose little :urthet on. Che barrel
rode buOyantly. the man did not como
TO light. We saw very little y! the wQlaeD
and children.
Says another informant: Everything
happened so quickly, and even before those
who were strongest had got out OF the
chOked passage way. Females were either
so bewildered, or the water had so i'm.
peded their progress. that very few Gam9
| on deck. Those that did come were swept
away before they could :asten themselves
| or be secured By the others. | saw ono
woman in the water with three children,
| just as they were washed overheard. tw0
| in her arms. one an infant with its arms
about hex neck. They went down almost
| instantly.
William Hogan. of Waterford, tells sha
| following: Was on deck at three A. NJ. heard
| the sailor on duty cry out, ''alls we'll three
| O'clock After hearing the sailor saving
''al!s well. went 70 the forward steer
| age and got into bed. About five or ten
minutes afterwards heard the watchmaR
| cry out ''breaker's ahead and almost in.
| stantly J heard q tremendous crash. and
! the air rushed in and blew out the lights.
II was my impression that the boiler had
| bursted. called up some boys that were
! sleeping near me. told them to 5ush on
! deck. and that the boilers had exploded.
| Some Of them refused 10 90, and said that
! i mattered little thinking the steamer
| was out at sea J-~tha: it was iust as well 20
! meet death below as on deck. But / and
Pat Leahy. my .hum. determined to save
our lives if possible, and as all was sonfu-
| sion below | really car. not reII how v-o,