The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-16

dred and thirty-seven passengers, forty
six cabin and nineey-one steerage, and
one hundred and fifty officers and crew.
The value of her cargo was three-quar-
tiers of a million, consisting of silks, vel
vets, laces, etc. On Wednesday morn
ing, May l6, the day bright, the atmos-
phere clear, at 9:18, peculiar, indescrib-
able tremor was felt, the ship having
struck against an unknown danger, cut
ting into the hull the length of sixty feet,
the water rushing in with fearful veloc-
ity. The ship wa, then six miles south
west from Tartar Shoals, and thirteen
miles from shore. The captain having
known by observation her position at
8 o'clock, the danger upon which she
struck is not on any chart, but docu-
ment sworn to before the United States
Consul at Acapulco by one Perez, and
s,itnessed by William Lund, of the gun
boat Mexico, deposes that said Perer is
perfectly conversant with rocks extend
ing from Point Maldonadocia in south
westerly direction, sharp-pointed, COW
cred with four or five fathoms of water,
extending in nearly aline southwest to
distance of twelve to fourteen miles
from land, and that he fished for turtles
frequently there. The ship was at once
turned toward shore; gradually sink
ing. She had full steam on when she
grounded on sandbank at 1910 a. m.
Fortunately three compartments were
not burst. The captain and his officers
were cool calm and clear-headed. As
soon as the ship struck, orders were
given to get the boats ready and
life-preservers on, as the danger of sink
ing was most imminent. Sounding be-
tween the reef and sandbank showed
five and half, twenty and twenty-five
fathoms and no bottom. During this
fearful interval, while gradually sinking,
not cry was heard from the passengers.
There was little confusion, but silent,
anxious waiting, although there were
one hundred and thirty-seven passengers,
twenty of them small children, and
many young men never before at sea.
The boat started for shore three miles
away. Not d passenger was allowed
pound of baggage of any kind, and when
reaching shore each boat was overturned,
throwing the passengers in the surf the
scene was one never to be forgotten. A
kind providence preserved every life,
and all were safe on the Next
can shore. Fortunately stream
of fresh water was found between
the mountains, where, the stars
for covering, and roots and branches of
trees for mattresses, all slept. The cap
tain at once sent one of the officers to
] Acapulco, eighty miles distant, but
fortunately the boat fell in with the
gunboat Mexican, Captain Lolor COM
handing, and although under orders to
get provision for the besieged city, the
inhabitants starving for food. the captain
at once steamed off to relief of the ship.
wrecked passengers. They were all
taken off safely, crowding the deck of
the gunboat, and next day were trans
ferred to the Pacific Mail steamer Costa
Rica, Captain Whitbury commanding.
The officers and crew of the United
States ships Lackawanna and Pensacola
acted most nobly, supplying the passen-
gers with clothing from their private
wardrobes, the United States ship taking
up subscriptions to a large amount for
distribution among the women and chill
dren, who were entirely destitute. Cap
tain Waddell and officers behaved spen-
didly-brave, humane, unselfsh. Cap
tain Waddell says the steam pumps OF
one hundred and sixty barrels per min.
ute were absolutely useless. The whole
bottom was out of the steamer. He had
run the steamer over the spot repeatedly
The only conjecture is that the late earth.
quake, which was made manifest on the
coast by tidal wave, may have upheaved
submarine rock. In one hour and
twenty minutes the ship was under the
waves. She was going at eleven knots
when she struck. The captain was or
the bridge an hour before the steamer
struck. He estimated everything by his
watch. Twenty minutes after she struck
the fires were drowned out. Ia that
twenty minutes she was running in shore
under full head of steam, making the
distance of nine or ten miles, and there
grounded in thirty feet of water on a
SAND bottom. Next morning the foot oil
the stern was seen out of the water. The
whole body of the ship was submerged.
The mizzen mast was gone. The baggage
of the passengers, furniture, etc, were
constantly floating ashore during the
day. The money of the passengers was in
the bands of the ships purser. The ships
money and all baggage was totally lost.
1t was run for life with many passengers.
There is unanimous sentiment of the
warmest feeling toward the commander
and officers. Every man says emphatic
ally that the officers could have done no
more. They did all that men could do.
The captain declares his officers and men
stood to their duty nobly. He had none
but heroes on board. On the best drilled
man-of-war the men could not have acted
with better discipline and responded to
every order with more fidelity.
The Latest Bait for Comntryn.en.