Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-10

tfpHi loTiliiiu, itst Hignt. says:
Harvey w. Jelly, supposed to be
the only survivor Of the Pacific, was
brought here yesterday by the ship
Messenger, in a wretched condition,
having been 36 hours on q raft. Jelly
makes a statement to the following
effect:
took cabin passage on the Pacific
from Victoria, leaving Thursday
morning, the fourth inst. About 200
people were on board the steamer:
was alEday working against a south
easter and the crew were constantly
pumping.
\ Tho boat abait tho paddle boxes had
no oars in them, the others had be-
tween s or9. In the evening, while
in bed, | heard crash, felt shock as
if she had struck a rock, heard some.
thing fall as IL rocks had fallen on the
starboard bow. The bell struck to
stop, back, and go ahead. / went on
deck. | heard some one say, at is all
right, wo have struck vessel Saw
several lights at a distance, but do not
think they were colored, but paid lit
T tic attention. Returned to tho cabin !;
noticed that the ship took, heavy list
ITO port; went on deck to the pilot
house; heard some one say "she is
making water very fastV The captain
! coming out Of his room asked II there
were any 'blne lights or, guns. He
said blue lights we're on the pilot
house. Got them and burned five.
Noticed that the engines were still
working, but no ono at tho wheel /;
4 went 10 the star-board side forward
of the paddle box, where number of
! men were trying to get out the long
boat, but conld not. Went to the port
boat forward aud helped number Of
women into il; conld't move the boat !;
/ there were about twenty women 10
IL; heard a boat abaft of the paddle
box had got of, but did not see It.
\ Think it WAS abont an hour after the
steamer struck when she listed so
much that the port boat was in water ;
was in that boat when it was
j cut loose from the davits /; the boat
\ filed and turned over. got on her
bottom and helped several up with
mo- immediately after the steamer
] seemed to break in two; the smoke
I stack fell and struck our boat and the
steamer sunk think about all the
I women were in our boat and think
they were all drowned when the boat
upset,
4 This was about 10 O'Clock in the
I evening. The night was not very
dark and there was fresh breeze.
( Afterwards | left the bottom of the
I boat with another man and climbed on
- he top Of the plot house, which
.sas floating near. Next morning we
I got some life prcservers floating near,
Z the pilot house, and with them and ropes
i iashed myself and companion to the
/ pilot house. Saw three RATS. the first
had one man on II, the next had three
/ men and a woman: could not make
I out the other from the distance, ex-
cept that there were people on it.
Think we were 30 or 40 miles south
/ of Cape Flattery when the vessel sunk.
Passed a light on Tatterersh Island.
between four on five in the evening.
i ] and my companion were on the
pilot house all Of Friday till about
! p. M, when lie died and ] cut him
4 loose. The sea was running very
I high all day, the waves washing over
/ ,ls. Soon after he died ! sighted a
vessel, called, aud heard the people
I on other RATS calling, but the vessel
did no, come near us.
/ On Friday night there was bnt little
wind until moning, when tho wind
and sea rose. was then within a
3 mile of tho shore ofF ancouver Island /;
! sighted two vessels on the American
shore which passed on About 10
o'clock n. m, on Saturday the Messen-
ger picked me up. [Signed.
HENRY f. JELLY.
There was great excitement Ia this
city on hearing tho news by telegraph
and newspaper offices, and the Mer.
chants Exchange was beseiged BY
people who had friends and relations
on board the i'll fated vessel.
II No one seems to know the names OF
the Ilurlbnt Rockwell troupe, but ii IL
supposed that Fannie Marston, was
one Of them, and thai others were per-
formers picked up in that part of the
4 country. Tho steamer Los Angeles
4 will be dispatched on her arrival to-
morrow TO save the survivors IL there
are any. jelly stated informally that
there was no terror or confusion on
j the part OF the passengers, and that il
i the boats could have been launched and
/ properly manned and the sailing had
been comparatively smooth all would
. have been saved