Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-11-18
THE LOSS OF The STEAMSHIP PACIFIC.

KNOWN SURvIvoR-ABoUr Two
HUNpRED LIVES LOST.
New YonK, Nov. BIT is statet
that Captain Jeff D. Howell of tn,
lost steamship Pacific was a brother
in-law of Jefferson Davis, and wa'
formerly an; officer in the Confederate
navy. He was young man but wa
supposed to be an experienced naviga'
tor.
PoRr TOWNSEND, Nov. 9. -Jelley
the supposed sole survlv,r from III,
Pacific, brought here by the ship Mes,
senger, is in wre,ched condition. II.
says the Pacific collided with some
vessel whose lights he saw. Expcrien
ced navigators here think she struck 5
sunken rock. The following is hi.
statement: IL 5f F.
81 took pafsage on the Pacific from
Victoria, leaving at "a quarter past 8
o'clock last Thursday. There were
about two hundred persons ON board
We steamed all day against AN easter.
ly gale the crew constantly pumping
water into the boats TO trim the ship
The boats abatt the paddle boxes had
no oars in them. The other boats had
oars. Between 9 and 10 o'clock a,
night, while in bed, l heard crash
and felt shock as if the vessel had
struck rock. The bells struck "stop,
shack" ego ahead" l went on deck
and heard voices say, call right, we
have struck vessel" / saw several
lights at distance. They were color
ed. I went to the pilot-house, where
l heard some one say ''she is making
water fast" The captain came from
his room and burned four blue lights
The engines were then still working
but there was no one at the wheel.
aided number of men to launch the
long boat, but We could, not There
were twenty women In the boat
heard that the boats abaft the paddle.
had got off, but did not see them.
s'The steamer listed, about an hour
after she struck, so much that the port
boat was in the water. i was in that
boat, and cut it loose from the davits
1t filled and turned over l got on the
bottom and helped several persons up
Immediately afterwards the ship broke
fore and aft. The smoke stack struck
our boat, aud the steamer sunk.
Il think about all the women were
in our boat, and all were drowned
when the boat was upset. This wat
about 10 o'clock. The light was no,
dark, nor the sea very rough. l left
the bottom OF the boat with another
man and climbed on top of the pilot
house. I saw three the first had three
men on it, the second two men and 6
woman, I couldn't make out the
third My companion diedj Friday
afternoon. | saw vessel, and called
l heard the people on the other RATS
call, but the vessel did not come near
us. saw two other vessels before
was picked up
The Hurlbut & Rockwell Troupe
were on board of the Pacific.
SAN Francisco, November ia
dispatch this afternoon from Townsend
reports the return of the revenue steam
er Walcott from cruise after the sur
vivors of the Pacific. After finding
O'Hanlon, the quartermaster previously
noted, the cutter steamed for Neah
bay. Near Waddan Island she picked
mp the body of an under steward of the
Pacific. On reaching Neah bay Lieu
tenant HARDWOOD, in command of the
Walcott, sent the Indians in canoes,
who searched the coast twenty miles
southwest of Cape Flattery, returning
after two days Unsuccessful. There
was heavy gale all day Tuesday, and
Wednesday the Walcott sailed for Bar
clay Sound, Vancouyer's Island, thirty
five miles from Cape Flattery, and cons
municatcd with the Indians along Van
couvcr shore, but nothing of Importance
was ascertained. Steamlng up Barclay
Sound the first Indian village was
hailed. A canoe came off containing a
white man, who came aboard and in>
troduced himself as first mate of the
ship Orpheus. He stated she had been
run into Thursday night previous by a
steamer, and was wrecked on the fol-
lowing Saturday morning on on island
near by Copper Island. The captain
and crew had got ashore safely and
were encamped further up.
Proceeding in the direction indicated
another canoe approached, in which
was Capt. Sawyer, Of the Orpheus. He
gave the following account of the dis
aster: Thursday evening was approach.
ing the cape, by his reckoning about
twenty miles off; fresh southeast breeze
steering about northwest the E,an al
the vince, first saw a steamer will
head light off port bow immediatel,
after straight ahead; could see neither
of her side lights; could not make out
which direction she was coming, put
his helm a-starboard; the light came
nearer, and he continued to starboare
his helm until his vessel had turnec
around sails fiat a-back. ..--,
q, The steamer by this time had go
very near him, and blew one whistle
In less than halt minute after her bow
struck his ship, glancing the bow JUS
abaft the forechans, crashing in thu
rail and breaking the planking dowr
to near the copper. She surged along
side of her, striking and grating along
the starboard side, carrying away al
the sta, board braces and rigging OF
that side, also the foretopmast.
Captain Sawyer states be hailed the
steamer as she surged past, called tt
them to lay by him and send a boat
as he then supposed his ship to be il
sinking condition, but no one an
swered the hail. Neither did he SCI