Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-07-17

TIE wRnCKED STEAMSHIP.
startling Developemenfs 81 Careless
ness ON the Fart Of the Stesmer'a OF.
nSera and Grew. !.
NEW YORK, July l0.-A five COLI
umn statement of A CITY of Washing.
ton passenger, charges that the loss Of
the Steamer was due to the criminal
careiessness of the officers and crew,
and all just barely escaped being en-
CURED. An ocean Captain, q passen-
ger, frequently warned the chief officer
that ne was running too far northward
and advised running hundred miles
furthersouth, but his advice was dis
regarded, though the second officer
conceded in It, No sight was taken
for seven days, Notwithstanding the
vessel was going through heavy fog
at the rate oftwelve or thirteen knots
an hour. Had she struck at night she
would have gone down.. or had she
gone to the right or left 200 yards she
would have struck Green Island or
the reefs, and fearful loss of life en-
sued. The saloon passengers were
mostly chatting or playing cardswhen
at half-past in the afternoon on Sat-
urday, the ship went at full speed on
Gull Rock shoal. She gave two slight
bumps and tremendous tremor ran
through her. No one had the smallest
idea where the ship was. After the
lapse Of half an hour of terrible con-
fusion, the cannon firing, the fog-horn
blowing, and the women and children
shrieking, sailor cried: 81 hear
a human voice" A death-like silence
followed. and soon two brave men,
Cornelius Swanbnrg and William
Ferguson, who had put out from the
shore in a small boat, climbed up the
side of the ship. The latter had risen
from sick bed. The work Of disem.
barking Immediately commenced nn.
der their guidance in three of ships
boats. The second officer stood at the
gangway Of the ladder, with hatche,
in hand. threatening to cut down an,
man who tried to get into the boat
before the women. Meanwhile tn,
humping and scraping of the stern
posts and ruddpr continued. arousinf
fears that she would break in two. Thl
steerage passengers, however, remain
ed remarkably quiet, and no sttemp
TO rush was made. Some of the wo
men displayed great presence of min(
and heroism, sitting quietly unit
called upon to disembark. A younf
Irish girl came and asked the narrato
whether she should ever see Castl,
Garden at all. She wrapped an UIste
coat around her, gave him kiss ant
descended t. the email boat. Ono,
all on shore, the Germans and Fin
gathered in one group, and the Irisl
emigrants in another. All the neigh
boring barns and out-houses were sooI
occupied, the adjoining fences soor
stripped of rails, fires built, biscui
distributed and coffee served, and al
felt happy under q sense Of grea
danger escaped. The cabin ladies wer,
received into the houses Of q Mrs
Harding and Mrs. Lewis, who, will
their daughters, cared for them likt
ministering angels. Soon many of tn,
poor emigrants were fast asleep, lyinl
about the barns, and on the beach un
der the big rocks. Colonel Parnell, o
the United States army, was yer,
prominent in affording assistance tt
the latter, and conducting them Il
places of shelter. The ship doctor wa
also very efficient in erecting tents
distributing cordials. etc. The cabil
passeng rs raised a subscription O
800 for the heros Swanburg and Fer
gus0n, and more will probably b,
forthcoming. Stores, blankets, beef
biscuit ETC., were landed all day Sun
day and Monday from the ship. Or
Monday the ship was found to be il
fifteen feet of water, apparently q
solid as the rock she rested on. Hat
she backed of on first striking sh,
would probably have sunk in fiv,
minutes. Tea minutes after striking
she began to FIJI, and on Monday hat
fifteen feet of water in her. When
the narrator left, the neighboring PEG
pie were showering every attention
upon the rescued passengers, and Their
were plenty of provisions for all TO
! DAYS to come. He closed his nara
tive by comparing the navigation o
the City Of Washington to man gal
Looping at break-neck pace through
darkness upon . turnpike, and indif
| ferent whether any gates are ahead OF
not. Fortunately Tor us, we go
through one gate, the "Little Hop
Rock, but Gull Rock shoal-gate wa
unfortunately closed.