The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-06
THE NUEVO PAJ.iRO DEL OCEANO.
a Graphic Description of the Adventures
and Horrible Sufrerings of those of tho
Crew and Passengers who Escaped from
the Burning Steamship.

| Il Ctrnphic description OF the Adventures
and Horrible Sufrerings of those of tho
Crew and Passengers who Escaped from
the Burning Steamship.
All that Byron paints of what Vas
borne by the shipwrecked Spaniards in
"Don Juan" was suffered by their un-
happy countrymen who survived from
the destruction Of the Nucro Pqjaro del
Occaao. The latter, indeed, Gid not
reach the horror of cannibalism, but they
were subjected to what in mid-ocean Is
scarcely less dreadful in the scourge of
| Gre.
The Nuero Pojaro was an old fashion.
ed side-wheel steamer and had been used
as transport for troops. She WAS for
merly the Niaqnrn, and piled between
Havana and New York. She left Ha-
vana on the 18th OF Octyber On the
18th, being only two days nm hrr passage
to Nuevitas, an alarm of fire WAS given.
There were either iilty-seven or sixty-two
persnns, for the accounts differ, all told,
in the ships company. OF these seven
teen or twenty were passengers, the others
CONSTITUTING the crew. The alarm took
place at o'clock in the morning, and all
save the watch on deck were in their
bcrths below. Now, the cargo of the
steamship consisted largely Of petroleum
and gunpowder, beside other inRnmma-
bic stores, destined for the Spanish army,
and many persons on board kncw the
fact 1t will easily be imagined, then,
ltha. the fright and confusion that ensucd
we're rx,rr!nc. The survivors say that
ma*t "f those on hoard jumped directly
into the sea. $rme had clothes and
others nom; hM rqnipped rs they were
nearly ri! made the leap. Is WIS better,
they doubtless thought, to trust even the
treacheruus waves than the more cruel
flames behind them
Some perished misearably by drowning
ut once. Others managed, as we infer
from The reports, to drag together mate
rials for rough raft and to scramble
upon it; and still others chung to hen
coops and fragments of spars. While
there they saw the steamship burn to the
waters edge, while those who remained
on board were consumed with her. But
the condition of their shipmates on the
raft was not much better. The raft was
very low in The water, and now and again
the sen made clean breach over it.
When this happened the paor wretchcs
had to cling TO the frail structure with all
their strength; and as this strength with
many was slcnder-what with fright, cx-
posurc and the unwonted situation they
would be swept ut times off into the sea,
whence some emerged and fought their
way back to the raft, and some did not.
Their frail refuge was almost constantly
surrounded by sharks, and no doubt
many unhappy persons were pulled by
these savage creatures below the surface
and deyoured. There was ore woman.
the stcwardess-and she held on with the
help of her companions for some time.
But she became completely exhausted,
and the Others could no longer aid her,
and so at last she pitched hc..diong into
the sea.
TO Judge from the state or those who
contrived TO live through The vasuing
days and nights of agony it wnlid be
scarcely possible to exagg"ratc tie tor
lures they suffered. Dragged up and
down the raft by the pittile4I waves their
flesh is described as having ren in some
cases entirely torn from their bodies"
They were nearly destitute too; the little
food and water secured at the outset hav
ing been chiefly washed away. To hold
on where they were was to undergo the
martyrdom of hunger and thirst as we'll
as the desperate buffets of the sea-; to let
60 was to be drowned-as the easiest fate
or to be inundated by the sharks. The
boats had been dropped by the run from
the davits But all save one of those had
been dashed to pieces. Five men es-
capped in this exception, tie captains
gig; but they have not been heard of
since.
Seventeen only of the ships company
were saved, and they were saved, as often
appears to happen, as if by miracle.
The English steamship Louise II. was on
her way from AlgicrS to New Orleans.
At 9 o'clock last Saturday evening she
was passing through what is known as
the Old Bahama Channel, when the look
out on the forecastle heard hail. The
engine was stopped, and the watch on
deck tried to find out whencs the voice
came. 1t was very dark, and the matter
was in a great degree one of chance.
Captain Voss was called, and he de-
termined to 60 back on the track his ship
had~just described. In doing this the
Louise II. providentially went a triRe to
leeward Of the place where the ship
wrecked mariners were. Had the
steamship gone as much to windward,
Captain Voss says that their cries would
not have been heard and they could not
have been seen. BY this lappy circum-
stance the seventeen survivors were
picked up and their doleful history was
made known. The rescue occurred off
Puento de Catheran, which is about 120
miles east of Cardenas, on the coast of
Cuba; and the fire must have burst forth
in the Bahama Straits, between the Pase-
don and Lobus Lights.
The manly action of Capt. Voss de-
serves especial recognition and praise.
He was not content with picking up the
five persons whom he first found. He
cruiscd about until the afternoon Of the
19.h, and was rewarded by discovering
twelve more There is some slight d.
versity in the accounts-bui in substance
the story as we have told it is probably
accurate. Many shipmas.ers-proverb
ally impatient as is their case ut being
delayed on their way would not have
gone back when their answer to the first
hail elected no audible response; most
cap aims who did SO 90 back wculd have
taken the five mariners on hoard, and
have forthwith resumed their course and
steamed away for New Orleans; but very
few would have kept pers;stently on in
the work Of mercy as this worthy gentle
man did, especially when the chance was
SO slight that his time and labor would
find a recompcnse of any kind soever.
Capt. Voss consequently merits hand
some testimonial from the Spanish gov
ernment, which will douhticss be award
ed him after the customary !nrm in such
eases, and he also merits what man OF
his stamp will not value less the thanks