South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-11-12
n A r / N E DISAS TER
LOss efAe Pde.se-Anetier Ocssn Horror- Tao
Hundrsd People Los, Thrilling Stsry Of tie
Sole Suyrieor

Sole SurrieoS
San FRANCISCO. Nov S.-A dispatch
from Port Townsend this evening says !:
Henry r. Jelly, the supposed sole sur
vivor OF the steamship Pacific disaster.
who was brought here yesterday BIZ the
ship Messenger. is in wretched condi.
ton, having been on a raft thirty.six
hours before he was pickedup. lie says
the Pacific collided with some other vos
sci, whose light lie saw. but in his inter-
view with Captain Giekey, the master
OF the Messenger. he made no mention
of the lights OF "A vessel. and some per.
sons think he is !aboring under a hallu-
citation as to that. Experienced navi-
gators here think IL is more likely that
she struck sunlSen rock.
Jelly makes a statement to the follow
ing effect: took a cabin passage on
the Pacific from Victoria, leaving about
% quarter past . O'clock Thursday morn
ing. the. 4th inst, with about 200 lie >ple
on board, steamed all day against a
southeastern gale. The crew were con-
stantly pumping water into the boats to
trim the ship. The boats abart the pad
die boxes had no oars in them. The
other boats had oars. Between 8 and .
o'clock in the evening, while in bed,
heard
CRASH,
and felt shock, % il we had struck a
rock. heard something fall. rs it rocks
had fallen on the .tarboard bow. The
bell struck to stop" "back," and "go
ahead went on deck; heard voices
say: ''All right" and 1--WE have struck
vessel;" saw several lights ut dis.
lance; they we're colored, but / paid but
little attention to them; returned to the
cabin; noticed that the ship took q
heavy list TO port; went on deck to the
pilot house and heard some one say:
Isle Is MAKING WATER VERY FAST"
The captain coming out Of his room,
l asked him iftherc were any blue-lights
or guns. He said the bluc.lights were
in the pilot house; got them and burned
five; noticed the engines still working.
but no one was at the wheel; went to
the starboard side, forward of the pad
dle-poX, where q number of men were
trying TO get a long boat launched. but
could not; went to the port boat for ward
and helped five or six women into il ::
tried to get the boat off. but could not
move it; there were about twenty wo-
men III 1t; heard that the boats abaft
tic paddles had been got off, but did
not see them; think it was about an honr
alter the steamer struck when she listed
so much; the port-boat was in the wa.
ter; | was in that boat and cut it loose
from the davis; the boat filed and turn.
ell over; | got on her bottom and help
ed several up with me. Immediately
after
THE STEAMER SEEMED TO BREAK N TWO.
fore und nit. The smokestack fell and
ruc!l the boat, and the steamer sunk.
| think ABOUT all the women were in tie
boat. and | fear they were all drowned
when the boat upset. This was about
10 O'Clock in the evening The night
was not dark nor the sea very rouyh,
but there was fresh breeze afterwards.
( left the bottom Of the boat and with
another man climbed
OK TOR or TIE PILOT HOUSE,
floating near. Next morning got some
lifc-preservers floating near the house,
and with their ropes dashed myself and
companion to- the house; saw three RATS.
the first had one man on it; the next
hat three men and woman could not
make ont the third raft owing to the dis
lance, except that there were people on
it think we were thirty or forty miles
south Of Cape Flattcry when the vessel
sunk; passed the light on Tattoosh Is
land between and o'clock in the even
ing. | and my companion were on the
pilot house all OF Friday until abont 4
=. ~, when he died ; cut him loose the
sea was running very high all dav. the
waves washing over US. | sighted q YES.
sci and called TO her, and heard persons
/ on the other RATS calling but the vessel
did not come near u.s. Friday night
there was but little wind until morning,
when the wind and sea rose. was then
within mile OF the shore onVancouver's
Island. | sighted two vessels OH the A.
mcrican shore, which passed me. About
10 o'clock Saturday morning, the Mes.
senger picked ire up.
llENEY +. JELLY.
q About two weeks since. Rev. G..
/ +. Fry. missionary colporteur Of Angus
to county, preached TO an unusual con.
gregation in Bath county. An old hun.
ter named Wm. Deeds. who has chill.
drcn and Is grandchildren, requested
Mr.. Fry tocome and preach at the SET
] Element. lie went and though n heavy
rain was falling. there was a full conrrc.
CATION, all hunters. the old man and lis
descendants forming large portion of
D II q.