The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-28
AN AWFUL DISASTER.
SINKING OF Il STEAMER IN THE 81
TANNAH RIVER.

The Light Draft Steamer Charles g..
Hardee and her Cargo a Total Loss
Erive Men Washed Overheard and
Drowned.
Savannah, just OF this time, seems to be
passing through an epidemic OF disaster. Her
papers have for a week past been filled with
accounts OF disastrous coDaagratlons with loss
of lie and serious personal Injury, suicides,
robberles and cutting affrays, and now, to
swell the list, we have to add the loss OF the
steamer Charles 8. Hardee and the drowning
of five of her crew. The following are the
facts of the catastrophe:
The steamer Charles 8. Hardee, commanded
BY Captain Miller, left her wharf In Savannah
on Tuesday night, with large cargo of as
sorted merchandise, for Hawklnsvllle and the
intermediate landings; she proceeded down
the river abont three miles when the denee
fog prevented her going any further, and che
anchored some distance below Fig Island.
The heavy freshet caused big rise In the
river, and the steamer drifted some distance
from her anchorage. This was not noticed by
the officers, and In about an hour after se
laid TO the fog cleared away, and The com.
mand was given to proceed. Anderson New
some, colored pilot OF long experience,
was at the wheel, and he states that just
below Fort Jackson, about quarter OF mile,
while making for st. Augustine Creek, the
steamer moving at speed OF perhaps i've
or six miles per hour, struck some unknown
obstruction under wafer. This sDag or wreck
was out OF the regular channel, but the steam
er had sheered In ehore slightly. Intending to
pass the schooner Odd Fellow, anchored be-
low. The bow OF the Hardee was stove 10
below the water line by The COLLISION, ana,
hardly before the officers or crew could realize
1t, she had sunk 80 rapidly that the water was
rushlrg over the lower deck. Every one
made grand rush tor the upper decks, as IL
was found Impossible 10 get out boat. 10
less than three minutes from the lime she
struck, The H ,r,iee rested on The bolton;
The captain managed 10 save The books, and
The crew good portion OF clothing and
bedding. As lhe steamer settled down
ln her walery grave, The of1cer', crew
and one passenger gathered on the up
per deck, which broke away from the
stanCheOns which held 1t. 1t was up
lifted aud torn away by the pressure OF The
water underneath, aud 10 this TACT may be al
tributed the salvation Of those who sought
refuge on 1t. The stampede 10 the upper
works was 80 general, and the laundering oil
the steamer so awfully sudden, that five men
never reached The deck and are still missing.
They went down with the steamer. beyond
DOUBT. Their names are Peter Dunn, second
engineer, white; Vim. Pardup, walchman,
white; Henry Jackson, fireman, colored; Mel
son Frail. oller, coored; Henry Love, deck
hand. colored. The crew and officers mum.
ber-d twenty men. Of whom all were saved
except The above. Tue first forr men resided
In Savannah aod the latter In Hawkinsvile.
Neither of Inc white men had families. Pardue
brinY brother OF The engineer, & chard Pardue.
The latter had narrow escape. He remained
at his post until waist deep, aud haalIy
reach ID The upper deck in such an exhausted
condition that he had to be pulled up oy those
above. The upper deck, torn away, driited
down with The Tide, bearing its living irelgnt,
and touled the schooner Odd Fellow, tearing
away her anchor, and chain, which we're lost
The schooner and deck nung together, and
both driiIed down the river at the mercy OF
The tide. Lines were thrown out 10 the men
on the deck, and they scrambled on board Inc
schooner, which finally brought up again-t the
crlo.raising machines at the obstruction, q
mile Or more below. Here she was maoe iss.,
and ae SOON as possible the parties on board
of her were brought 10 Savannah. The Har-
dee now lies entirely under waller,
ouly the staDcheons which held the
upper works remaining In sight large
amount OF lhe cargo drlited away, ana
the men 10 that neighborhood were Dn8y
picking 1t up In all directions yesterday. The
understand none OF 1t was Insured. This Will
fail mostly upon those TO whom 1t was con-
slgued The agent, Mr.. RlberL Erwin, rough
ly estimated the value OF the cargo at $2O, 600.
The Hardee YVES owned and run by The Oc-
mulzee Steamboat Company, made up almost
entirely OF Savannah merchants. upon whom
her loss falls. She Ia valued al $4,000, aud Is
uninsured. She is seven years old. and was
built by Pusey, Jones & Co., OF Wilmington,
Delaware, Tor the coast business, 10 which She
has been engaged since her arrival here from
the North. The boat has been doing f1ue busl-
ness this season, and, like the Nick King, her
loss Ia particularly disastrous one just al
this period. 1t Ia thought that she can be
raised II the proper efforts are made, and pro-
posals are invited for this work. The pre-
sence OF the large cargo will operate seriously
against the effJrls made TO false her. The
loss of liie Ia greatly to be regretted. 1t may
be- that some OF these missing men may have
1oated away and landed in the marshes or
islands below, though We can readily under
sland how they could have been caught In the
trap below when the steamer went down 30
suddenly. An efrJrt will be made to recover
the bodies. We are told that no blame at
taches 10 The captain or pilots. The hight was
a dark and foggy one, and the slight shrerlng
out OF the main channel could mol be avoided.