Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-10-31
A Disaster at Sea.
NV ORLEANs.

NbN OhLEhNHs OtNs ~
The steamer Louise H., from Algiers,
Africa, has arrived. The Captain re-
ports that on the night of the 18th he
picked up in Bahama Channel seven
teen survivors of the burning steamer
Nuevo Pajaro Del 0cenno, including
Captain Diaz and two mates. The
steamer had forty-two of a crew and
about twenty passengers aboard when
the calamity occurred. They we're res
cued in terrible state of exhaustion,
having been clinging tothe floating de-
bris eighteen hours.
Captain Voss reports that about nine
o'clock on the evening of the 18th,
while passing through Bahama Chan
mel he heard hail coming up appar-
emily from the sea. He stopped the
engines, lowered the boat, and picked
up five men clinging to a frail craft
Learning from the rescued the nature
of the disaster that had occurred, the
Louise II. cruised in the vicinity until
far into the forenoon of the 10Th, and
succeeded in picking up in all seven
teen men.
From Captain Diaz, of the Pajaro,
the following particulars are obtained:
The steamer left Havena October 10th
for Neuveitas with general cargo, in
cluding large lot of grain, provisions,
and ammunition for the Spanish army.
Everything was all right until about
four o'clock Saturday morning, Octo-
Der 18th, when the vessel was in the
Bahama Straits between the Paredon
and Lobas lights, when an alarm of fire
was sounded. When the Captain, pas
sengers, and crew, who were in their
beds at the time, aroused to ascertain
the cause of the alarm it was found
that the vessel had taken fire amidships
and was then in a sheet of flames.
General confusion ensued, some of the
passengers and crew running to the
stern of the vessel and jumping over
board in their night clothes with what
ever small objectsthey could lay hands
on to serve as life buoys, while others
were trying to lower the boats The
vessel burnt to the water's edge and
sunk in less than four hours. There
were on board forty-two of the crew
and some seventeen or twenty passen-
gers, including about six officers and
soldiers of the Spanish army. The
Louise H. picked up seventeen of the
unfortunates, including the Captain,
two mates, and one soldier. Of this
number the Captain and five or six of
the crew were badly burnt and other
wise injured. These parties, when
picked up, had been floating for eight
cen hours on pieces of planks and were
almost naked. Five of the crew took a
small boat and are supposed to have
been picked up. One boat was lower
ed, and some twenty persons, passen-
gers and crew, took to it, but are sup
posed to have been lost. Those who
were picked up were in fearful state
from their long exposure to sun and
water. Their flesh is torn and chafed
from contact with the rough boards to
which they chung, and against which
the swell of the sea caused their unpro-
tected limbs to grind and rub until
| great patches of skin were worn away,
while the salt water and fierce sun
shine combined to finish the work.
Besides they are stiff and sore in every
limb and in their destitute condition
present on the whole pitiable sight.
| There was one woman, the stewardess,
on the Paiaro. One of the survivors
relates his efforts to save her. He had
her at his side for some hours until he
could no longer hold her up, and she
sunk exhausted. Doubtless many were
eaten by sharks, for the second mate
and companion who were floating with
a plank to support them, saw shark
approaching and managed by climbing
on top to avoid him moment, when
he turned and went away.
The Pajaro was owned by R. Her
rera, of Havana, and was formerly
known as the Niagara, and run between
New York and Havana. The Captain
and men speak in the highest terms o.
the officers and crew of the steamer
Louise H. for the manner in which they
were treated. The Englishmen fur
nished clothing for their nakedness anc
attended to those who were hurt
Thirty-three of the passengers ant
crew are still missing.