The daily gazette., 1877-11-27
The Wreck of the Huron.
THE SURVIVORS AT NORFOLK
THEIR STATEMENTS OF THE
DISASTER.
Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.

, NORFOLK, Va, Nov. 26.-Abou
half-past eight o'clock this morning
the steamer Bonita arrived at the
navy-yard, containing the surviv-
ing officers and men of the Huron;
also the dead bodies recovered, eigh,
in number, as follows Thos. Nc. Far.
land, Alex. Cameron, VIM. Greer
Jas. Carrick, Barrett and Balcf
white seamen, and George Miller and
Matthew Hayes, colored.
| The officers Master W. p. Conway
Assistant Engineer Denig, Ensign
Lucien Young and Cadet Engineer
E. T. Warburton were taken alb bard
the Ossipe at the yard, and supplied
with necessary clothing. The thirty
surviving seamen were sent aboard
the receiving ship Franklin, where
their wants were supplied. The
eight dead bodies were taken to the
Naval Hospital, where they were
buried with appropriate honors.
STATEMENTS OF THE SURVIVORS.
The representative of the Balti :
more Sun conversed with the surviving
officers, and all make the same state
ment, the substance of which is as
follows: A heavy gale was blowing
Friday night, but nothing serious
was apprehended, and the officers not
on duty had retired as usual. When
the danger was imminent all hands
were aroused and began to prepare
for the worst. The Ship struck as
about two hundred yards from shore,
the engines being at work in good or
der at the time. Captain Ryan at
once ordered the foremast to be cut
way, and while his orders were be-
ing obeyed he and Lieut.. Palmer
were washed from the deck and were
never seen again by their comrades.
The great excitement and indescrib-
able scene commenced to demoralize
some of the men and they at once
began to look out for themselves as
best they could. Some lashed them
selves to the masts and to the rig
ging aloft, while others stripped and
plunged into the raging sea to swim
ashore. Shouts of agony were heard
from those who could not swim, and
choking prayers and wild exclama-
tions were uttered by those in the
very jaws of certain death. Such
a scene may be better imagined than
described.
Cadet Engineer Warburton and
Paymaster Saunders stripped them
selves to jump overheard, and as the
former came on deck head of Pay
master Saunders to take his leap for
life a heavy sea rolled over the ship
and carried him, with many others,
into the briny deep. Being a good
swimmer and a strong man he reached
the shore in safety, but never saw
poor Saunders again. Ensign Young
also jumped overheard and swan for
life, although he had a very hard
time and was very much bruised when
he reached the shore. Officers Con-
way and Denig and all the other
survivors of the sad calamity were
saved only by swimming. Two of
the rescued dead were found lashed
to a spar. The surviving officers
cannot account for the real cause of
the accident.
They seem to have no idea as to
how such disaster could have occur
red. Those who saw Captain RYAN
just before and Immediately after the
the ship struck, all unite in saving
that he was perfectly cool and collect
ed and gave his orders in clear and
distinct tone. He ordered The fore
mast to be cut away in order that the
ship might be swung around and face
The wind, and just as the mast was
falling heavy sea swept away the
captain ana most of the men on deck,
Chief Engineer Olson was heard to
say, GOD preserve my wife and chill
dreai" when he pulled off his coat and
rushed towards the ships bow and
"oS oSth ho ulOIt' I1C ulQ not leave
ais post of duty until the ship began to
go to pieces. His almost heart-broken
wife is now in Norfolk at the residence
of her uncle. Col. Thomas Fl. Webb.
Lieut.. Simons perished nobly at his
post. In attempting with Ensign
oung to carry line to the shore he
was twice washed overheard while
paying it out. The second time he
was pulled aboard by the sailors in the
chains in an almost exhausted condi-
ton. He was the officer in command
after the captain persisted. Not one
OF the drowned officers has yet been
found.
Many of the seamen were killed on
board the ship by the awful crash, and
others so disabled as to be powerless
to save themselves. All the officers
who knew the real causes of the dIsas-
ter perisned on duty, those saved be-
ing OFF duty when the ship struck /
consequently nothing definite can be
known, although many navy officers
and old seamen have their theories as
to the responsibility.
All the flags in the harbor and at the |
nm n l..