Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-09-04
THE VERA CRUZ.
FifIy-seVen Lives LOst-Thirteen
Persons Saved.

NEW YORK, September A St. Au-
gustine (Florida) dispatch says; "The
painful surmise regarding the loss OF the
steamer Vera Cruz has been fully con-
frmed, for few survivors have happily
escaped death and are now safely on shore.
The ill-fated steamer foundered at half
past FIVE o'clock Sunday morning while
in the midst of a hurricane, having labored
painfully for some hours in heavy sea.
Of the seventy persons who were on board
when the steamer lett New York, only
thirteen are known TO have been saved,
so that flfty-seven souls persisted. There
is very little hope that any addition viii
be made TO the list of survivors, for so
long q time has elapsed since the steamer
went down that it seems impossible for
any more be found alive. The hurricane
that occasioned the disaster precluded the
assistance or succor from other vessels. On
Saturday evening the steamer encoun-
tered strong gale which sooR increased
in fury. The sea ran very high and the
City Of Vera Cruz labored heavily but stur-
Oily for some time. Every effort was
made to keep her before Che wind, but it
was found necessary at one o'clock on
Sunday morning to throw out a drag to
keep her head above, This secured the
desired effect for time being Cor the gale
had now grown to hurricane and inl-
mense waves began breaking over the
steamer. Each succeeding wave tore
away pieces of her upper works until
her deck was finally swept clear, even
the rigging being torn away. The shat
tered drag ceased to fulfill its functions
and as the seas rose oyer her bows and
deluged her decks, they soon rosched her
furnaces and e1tinguishea her areS the
matches being torn from their fastenings
By tAe blllows. The fire being out soon
put stop 10 TIE engines, and the City Of
Vera Cruz lsy at the mcFcy Of the waves
| Not even the donkey-pamps could BE-
worked to relieve the vessel of the yatel
she was rapidly taking in her hold. In
this extremity Captain Van Sice ordered
his men to throw oYertoard the decl
load. This task was begun about mid
night, but the sea was too heavy e
permit the crew 10 carry out the cap
tain's orders, for while thus engaged
several of the men were carried OF
their feet by the incoming seas, and many
of them we're washed overheard. Captain
Van Sice and his officers acted courage
ously In the performance Of their seyera
duties, but were one by one washed over
board from their stations as the steame
labored in the trough of the sea. a,
near as l can ascertain, the captain, lashec
to his post for nearly an hour, finally sue
eumbed, as nearly all the hands were lost
The few remaining alive on board nov
saw that there was no hope, so they tool
the life preservers, the iife-boats hayin
already disappeared. The sailors an
passengers then seized fragment
Of state-Fooms and doors, or an,
other movable articles that would foat
and awaited the end that all knew 70 b
at hand. The surviving sailors state tba
the vessel was about thirty miles off shor
! at this time, the hurricane being one q
terrible fury, By the time the shir
wrecked men and women had prepare
themselves with their impromptg buoy,
the final catastrophe occurred, it bein
then about half-past five o'clock, whe
with one awful lurch, the steamer sudden
: ly sank into the ocean, the swirl carryin
down many Of the living. OF the sevent
souls on board before the storm begar
only thirteen have reached land alivl
These thirteen were all mel
three of them being passenger
eight deck hands, one engineer and on
oiler. They were all in the water, bu
I feted by the tempestuous sea for fror
twenty-four to twenty-six hours, an
there is no doubt that but for this ordea
many more would have been saved; fC
0 there can be but little doubt that sever
|. perished after the laundering of Il
steamer through exhaustion. The bodi
i of the victims came on shore thirty mil
" south of this place. Among them vi
g that of General Torbert, and his bod
:. was placed in caskot and buri'
r. Wednesday, in the grounds Of Mr., j.