The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-09-05
THE VERA CRUZ.
Particulars of the Wreck and
Storm.
SIckening Details and Terri
BILE Loss of Life

SEcken1nS DftA As aAO 1SFEA-
BILE Loss OF Life
New York, 4-The Tribune has
the following: Seaman Talbot gives
the following story OF the wreck of the
steamer City # Vera Cruz. about
thirty miles ID shore. We began 10
ship heavy seas aud water was found
in the hClJ. As tsst as We could
clear her she was filled by another
sea Every thing was in a panic.
The life boats we're cut loose ready
:or action and al bends supplied
with life preservers. At daylight on
Sunday the boats were lowered and
manned. They DO sooner got their
cargo than they were overturned and
smashed to atoms against the
steamer. All hands being swept away
or their lives dashed cut against the
vessels sides. Boat after boat was
dashed to pieces in the same manner
until few OF the passengers
would venture to leave the steamer.
The captain and officers lost their
lives in one OF the boats. Everything
was in perfect bedlam, people
screaming and shrieking for help on
all sides. The steamer was broken
in two, and after a few surges she
foundered and went down. carrying
with her ell who were on board.
When arose TO the surface l 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 clasped 10 each others arms
during the gale, and they came ashore
that way, drowned. From that time
until in the afternoon / could zee
occasionally one or two men as they
rose upen the crest Of a wave. Ii
was useless to try to hold on
to anything, as the Sea would tear it
from your grasp and drive you two or
three fatnoms under the surface, and
when regaining it you would have to
grasp something else. l was COM
PEELED to dive or dodge away from
pieces of drift stuff which would have
killad me il l were hit by them.
A fter 4 l saw no one. The last time
l saw General Tarbot alive he was al
with Mr.. Oven, who was saved with
US. l saw General Tarbot again dead
at Fort Orange, where he came ashore
usansible. a boy found him and
dragged him up 80 far as he could snc
; ran for assistance. When t5ey
got back he was dead. The bruise;
on his head indicate that he wal
struck by drift stuff and stunned.
One OF cur number swan from tht
? wreck without the aid OF a lie pre-.
server. He was entirely nude, and
came ashore first. We are all more
or lees bruised from the striking RnC
bufetiDg of the seas and drift wood
The body Of young man has come
, ashore at MstaDZas. 1t had only 1
shirt and drawers on. A few mile
further south the body of an old gen
. tlemsn, who appears to have beer
j about So or 60 years old, was WASHED
D ashore, together with those OF al
q elderly lady and young girl anC
child.
1t will crafty the friends OF tht
drowned passengers and crew to knoV
that letters have been found and vii
, be retained until further inquiry j:
made respecting them. Many trunk
have come ashore and been ri1ej. 1t il
deemed unfortunate that thore is nc
: life saving station on this coast tC
} protect wrecked property and pre-
, vent it from being lost or stolen. Nc
portion of the wreck has come ashore
except sofa covered with red plush
and some pieces OF furniture. The
, saved passengers, as far as can be
lssrned, are A. K. Owen, of Chester
Pennsylvania, a civil engineer exc
ployed by the authorities OF Mexico
]. A. Garcia, 8 Cuban, of Havana
q years Of age; and two passenger
whose names could not be learned
who were TO arrive at 81
Augustine to-day. Besides these
passengers were young lady, az
old lady and three men, whose
names could not be learned. The
officers and crew saved. az far a.
known, are Charles Brsndenburg
Guartermaster, aged, IS; Thoe. Drur-
gold, fourth assistant engineer, ageC
| %, who resides 10 New York City
John Greenfield, boatswsin; Jas. II
: Kelly, seaman, OF New York, sgeC
%; Charles Smith, second assistant
engineer, Baltimore, aged about 40
The Mason Talbot, seaman, it is be-
lisved, is the one seaman who st fire.
refused to give his name.