Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-06
loss OF THE VERA CRUZ.
lSnecial Telegram to the Globe.


ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla Sept. 5.-SeVen survivors
of the steamship Vera Cruz reached this place
last night from Halifax river, where they were
all washed ashore. They were Ovens pas.
senger, one engineer, one oiler and four sea.
men. Talbot, one of the sesmen, says: 'On
Saturday night about thirty miles off shore
we began to ship heavy seas, and water
was found in the hold. As fast as we could
clear her she was filled again by another sea
The state Of things soon made the FIRE burn
low and we could not make sream enough to
make hea6way in the wind. We then put out
a heavy drag forward, and managed for a
while to keep her in the wind. Everything
WAS in panic. The life-boats were cut loose,
ready for action, and ali hands were supplied
with life preserVcrs. At daylight Sunday,
the boats were put over and man
ned. They no sooner got their cargo
and were put oRt than they were smashed to
atoms against the steamer, all hands being
swept away or their lives dashed out against
the vessels side. Boat after boat was dashed
to pieces in this manner, until q few passeu-
gers concluded not 10 leave the steamer. The
captain and officers lost their lives in one Of
the boats.
At $50 heavy sea struck the steamer for
ward and crushed her fore and aft. ALI fires
and lights were put ont and everything was IN
the
Widest CONFUSION.
Men and women were screaming for help oHt
all sides. The steamer was broken in two and
after few surges she foun dered and wen
down, earring all on board. Invent down with
the ship. When l rose to the surface could
see now and then pieces of drift stuff, and
sometimes one or two men. The women made
no effort to save themselves. A mother and
daughter were o!asped in each others arms
and came ashore that way drowned. From
time to time, until o'clock NJ, could oc-
oasionally see one or two men as they rode upon
the crest of wave. 1t was useless to try to
hold on TO anything, as the sea would
tear it from your grasp and drive You two or
three fathoms under the surface. l was COM
pelled to dive or dodge from pieces of drift
which would have killed had / been struck by
them. After this time I saw no one and came
ashore on the Florida coast about 1880 o'clock
Monday morning, having been about twenty
six hours in the water. soon found ruy other
companions, as we came ashore at about the
same time, although some distance apart. No
idea can be formed of the appearance of the
immense quantity of freight dashiug together
with
WOMEN, CHILDREN AND HORSES
swimming or sinking through the surgipg
mass, and with the waves fifty feet high, not
in swells Or ridges, but in peaks breaking like
surf toward each other. When we rose on one
it was not to go down on the other but to be
whirled over the top and rolling or flying
through the air to the opposite wave, and so
backward and forward. This lasted two or
three hours. Thene the waves began to come
in swelling ridges and we rolled lI
GEN ToRBERT
was picked up by Chas. Smith, second assist
ant engineer, fifteen minutes after the vessel
sank. He WAS then weak and required assist
ance to get on fragments Of the wreck. When
these frasmen turned over few miuutes af-
ter Gen. Tnrbert disappeared and l saw him no
more alive. The wiad was SO terrific that
panks were lifted by 1t, dropping among the
living and dying people. All were bleeding
from wounds and half were dead and dying in
fifteen minutes.
TIE SCENE WAS APPALLING.
passed Mr.. Atrridge and his Sun ten minutes
after the ship sank. They were ten yards
apart, clinging to different fragments. 1 and
Thomas Dungoole, fourth assistant engineer.
got on piece of the dining saloon, twenty-five
by ten feet across. We were in the water twen-
ty-two hours. We both went blind at night
from salt water in our eyes. When we struck
the breakers at 4 o'clock Monday morning our
craft went to pieces. We were whirled through
the breakers to a beach twelve miles
north of Mi>quito inlet. l think We had drift
cd fifty miles; Smith, Kelly and Talbot got
ashore little later within three miles of me.
Brandenburg and Greenfield came in eight miles
south. Two passengers and two seamen got in
south of the inlet. These three passengers
and eight seamen are all who are known to be-
saved on the coast for a hundred miles north
j l. - la~l Id
came ashore near New Britain. six miles above
me. His body was discovered in the surf at
o'clock on Monday morning. he still had on
his life-preserver. When MIR. Pitts caught him
his heart was still beating and warm. Fresh
blood was running from a wound over his right
eye. Everything was done to restore him with
out avail He was probably hurt among the
he WAS clinging. brought the body to Hall
fax river and buried 1t in a palmetto grove.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE,
NOZZLE, Sept. 5.-This afternoon fire WAS
discovered in the wholesale dry goods store Of
D. Runlot, 25, 27 and 29 North Water street.
The fire extended and both the banking house
of Thos. P. Miller & 90. and the law Office of
Averill & Bester were entirely destroyed. The
wind changed from the southwest, driving the
fire to the northeast, taking Ira W. Porter &
Co.'S hardware store, No. 81 North Water
street. Next destroyed the hardware store of
Moore & Co., produce merchants, cor
ner ST.. Michael and Water streets.
Ascending St. Michael street, the fire
attacked and destroyed the large tinware
factory of Gorney. ALI the buildings de-
stroyed were large three story bricks and all
we'll filled with merchandise OF various kinds.
The stocks of T. 8. Bigood Il Co., stationers,
r Foe ind 3
Co., printers, Thompson d Powers, printers, W.
s. Goodell & Coproduce merchants, Who occu-
pied the row of brick buildings on the opposite
side of Water street, were considerably dam.
aged by water. An estimate of loss foots up
$350,000; insurance $3.50 600.
BOND FRAUDS.
New YORK, Sept. 5.-Col Chas. Bouehton
has been arrested, charged with completely in
alleged bond frauds.
REPUBLICAN ASSASSINATION,
CINCINNATI. Sept. 5.-The Gazettss Hseers.
town special says: Some unknown person
fired into the Democratic procession at WASH
ington last night, and instantly killed Perry
Wilson, spectator. No arrest was made.''
DIsTILLERY AND FLOUR MILL BURNED.
LOUISVILLE, Sept. 5.-Osensboro special to
the Courier. Journal: N. NJ. Lancaster & Co. %
large distillery, one mile west of here, burned
to the ground at O'Clock this morning. The
building is total loss. A corn crib with S5,-
0U0 bushels OF corn was also destroyed. Some
insurance on both but the amount is not known
now.
Phillip Eyman's Touring mill at Rockport
Ind, ten miles above OW snsboro, burned last
night. Total loss.
The uperA House ro. Nioht
The amusement season will be opened this
evening by Miss Matte Vickers and Charles
S. Rogers. the renowned mimics. in their
specially, ''The Players" 1t is medley in
which various features all of them entertain.
ing, are introduced. The Boston Herald
speaks of their performance 10 that city in the
following complimentary terms:
The American Mimics, Charles 8. Rogers