Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-06-17
LOSS OF STEAMSHIP vlcgsBURa.

NEW I DIRK, June lO.-Capt. cooper
of steamer State Of Georgia, which ar
rived here this morning, makes the
following statement: June 5, lat. 46 "a
N, Ion. AT So W., had light hreezes
from northwest and hazy weather.
There were numerous icebergs and
large quantities of foe ice in sight.
At Ii. 80 A. NJ discovered ships
boat with sails set on port bow. Made
Immediately for her and she proved
to be boat No. ! of steamer Vicksburg,
of Liverpool, belonging to the Domin.
ion line, and commanded by Capt.
Bennett There were five men in her.
in a very exhausted state; their feet
and legs were much swollen, so much
so that their boots had to be cut from
their feet: ] at once took them, with
their boat, and put them in hospital,
under the surgeons charge. They are
still suffering from their great expos
ure to wet and cold, but are recover
ing as fast as could be expected. Their
| names are James Crowley, OF London,
Boatswaine's mate, aged IS; Thos
OBrien, of Liverpool, seaman, aged
IS; Patrick Grogan, John Williams
and Jonas Wilkinson.
Crowley makes the following state
ment: We left Quebec May 81, with
ships crew of sixty men, all told, and
eight saloon passengers-fve gentle
men and three lades-and about
twenty in the storage, of whom four
were females. The weather was fine
until nine o'clock Sunday evening,
May 80, when we fell In with field of
ice and was soon surrounded by it.
The ship was stopped till daylight,
when we proceeded again with but
little ice in sight. AT P. NJ Monday
all hands We're called to shorten sail.
The ship was stopped among heavy
ice and headed to south, when We
proceeded at full speed TO get clear of
the ice. At II clock, at half speed.
we struck the ice. The engines were
Immediately reversed. The shil
struck heavily eft, on port quarter,
carrying away the fans of the propeli
er, and hole was knocked through
the plates on that quarter, through
which came great deal Of water
got sail over and stopped the hole up
so that but little water came in. Al
hands were employed in heaving cargo
overheard The second officer an(
myself were taken from the cargo L
clear away the boats. This was abou
6 o'clock 4. H. Tuesday, June l
The captain ordered the forward well;
| to be sounded, and six inches of water
was found, the after steerage thel
being full of water The main hole
wells were then sounded and five fee
and half of water found The cap.
tain called me on the bridge and tolc
me not to mind the boats, and ther
called everybody aft and told them t.
have DO fears, as he could take the shil
to ST Johns, n. f. 1t was then dis
covered that the engine.room fires
| were drowned out.
The captain then gave orders tc
launch the boats with their respective
crews and told them to mind that tht
distance from St. Johns was 1870 mile,
northwest. proceeded to launch No
|, which was my boat, and it wa.
capsized in lowering, losing chrome
meter, watch, charts, rudder, and par
Of the provisions. She was full Of
water. OBrien and baled her partly
out, when Grogan, Wilkinson, and
Williams jumped in. We could not
hang on to the ship, owing to the Sc;
and ice about her. O'Brien saw the
captain on the bridge, reckoning thu
boat back, we having drifted about Isl
yards from the ship We saw th'
second officers boat lowered all clea
with niue hands and himself in her,
! She came round the bow and pulled t.
windward about sixty yards. The
ship sunk about ten o'clock, floating
boat No, 2 from her chocks, with til,
chief officer and about thirty people ii
her. She got clear and pulled to wind
ward O'Brien, after the ship wen,
down, saw the captain and some per,
son floating on a bale Of hay amongst
the wreckage.
We tried all we could to pick then
up,but owing to the boat being half full
OF water and the ice were not able tc
do so. We shipped our mast; KEEP
company with the other boats abou
two hours, and then lost sight of then
to the westward. We decided then tc
steer clear Of ice;heave boat to with an
oar and bucket as drag till daylight
on Wednesday morning.. We had OF
the boat about three gallons Of water
40 pounds raw. beef, "A pounds o
bread, wet with salt water, and a com
pass, which did not fall out when tn,
boat capsized. Again we put sail il
the boat and steered south, wind blow
| ing from northward and westward al
throughout the scene, and bitterly cold
About 4 2. NJ. hauled the boats heart
to northeast till Thursday morning
7 then tackled to west till about P. NJ
and again laid~to with drag till in The
evening, when he took in the drag anG
made sail and stood to the northeas
till Friday morning.
| At daylight tackled to southwest til
midday; tackled again to northeast til
Saturday morning, when about half
past 10 we sighted the State of Georges
and we got out oars and pulled away
dead to windward till she picked US up.
think that forty odd people, with the
captain, went down with the ship. We
/ l. -