Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-09-17
A TERRIBLE TALE.
The Wreck OF the verasCr ns Told by n
survIvOr---ThrInInR Scenes on Board the
Doomed Steamer.

The Wreck Of the Vern Cruz Told by n |
survIvor---ThrIuIng Scenes Board the
Doomed steamer. l
A. r. Owen, Chief Engineer of the |
steamer Vera Cruz, destroyed in hur-
ricane off the coast of Florida, and who |
was one of the few survivors, has made !
a graphic statement of the disaster
which has been published in the N. Y.
Herald, and from which we take the fol-
lowing extracts;
"The real blast Of the cyclone struck us on
the port bow at about twenty-five minutes TO
two p. m. Saturday, and lifted the ship almost
on her beam-ends: From this time 1t became
next to impossible To walk about without
cinHng TO chairs, tables, and other stationary
furniture of the cabin, and as ali moveable
objects in the saloon we're quickly thrown
from port to starboard walking was exceed.
ingly dangerous. The wind was at that time
northeast, and the vessel was steering south by
east
During the evening three sltylights in the
main saloon were carried away, and the waves
poured considerable water into the saloon and
staterooms, setting all adrift. BY midnight
the passengers were generally sitting upon or
lying on the floor of the saloon oonversinR
with and assisting each other yet good cheer
was the rule, and many were the exchanges Of
wit and humor between them ALL The serv-
ants, as they passed around them. added 10 the
good feeling. Major-General Torbert, United
States army, had been washed out of his state
room NO. o., which was the first on the port
bow early saturday evening, He r. then came came
to me in the saoon-room No. p. He had been
thrown against a table in the afternoon and
had cut his right cheek, which troubled him
considerably, as it bled freely, but he was in
his best and kindest humor speaking a cheer
ing word here assisting man there, and at
tending to the women and children every
where. He lay on the saloon floor for a part
of the night, but was flooded out, and then
came and laid with me, bringing his water
proof, which we threw over us to protect us
from the water dripping in from the top and
sides. AT one O'Clock p. m. the englne-room
was dry. The drag was put on, but 1t reversed
and was useless. 1t was not gotten ready un-
| til this time and was too small for service,
even If in proper order. At two p. m. the
| ship took heavy sea and the water put the
| fires out, Immediately stopping the engines.
1.-THE dOnkey-engiue then started, and was
| going when the ship sank. The Purser came
! hurriedly below, calling for General Torbert,
and said that the Captain had sent him to tell
! the passengers to come and assist the crew or
! the vessel would go down. We Immediately
| got up. went to the deck and 70 the hoor or
| the engine-room. where l assisted to pass tho
! buckets for an hour. Captain Van Sice. was in
line near the top passing water while was
| there. 1t was of no use. The sea was con-
! tinually breaking over the vessel and coming
! down in large quantities between decks. The
| donkey-engne was working, but not to any
| purpose. After this went to the saloon and
! told general Torbert that we were going to
| pieces and fast filing, and nothing remained
but for us TO get life-preservers upon the
women. General Torbert's face hurt him so
that he did not go to pass buckets.
! "There was no such thing as excitement on
board-even the children we're quiet and real
sonable. Each assisted the other in arranging
| life-preservers, and General Torbert was like
| a sunbeam, laughing and joking with all while
he assisted them. The storm at this time was
most terrific. Such waves, wind and rain can
never be described. The ship listed to her
beam-ends at every wave, and it was Just posst-
BILE to crawl from one place to the other. The
storr-l was so thick that we could not see 100
| yards ahead, and the roar of the wind and
beating of the rain was like the rattle of mus
| kerry. General TOrbert and myself were ly-
ing in my berth talking and quietly awaiting
afHauu#
| a. M, sea broke into the engine-room and
through the saloon, making crash like
battery of artillery, and striking terror Tor an
instant into every one, dashing saloon passen-
gers, tables, doors and the loose furniture to-
gather and into water foot deep.
THE General came to me Immediately after
this with Master Wallendge, about nine years
old, and said: Romeo, you and must take
this little boy and care for him between us.
/ allowed that he had but fifteen minutes to
live, and argued that 1t would be mercy to let
the little fellow go down with the ship but the
General kindly insisted and said, i cannot
leave this little fellow behind; you and must
save him. Take him until come back The
next minute the sea came into the saloon more
terrihcally than ever, filling it waist-deep In
water, and smashing the most of the port side.
The little fellow and myself were rolled over
among the chairs and tables, and lost him,
but he was picked up and brought TO his
father | called to general Torbert to come
TO the deck with me. He said, Il Will go art
and meet you above never saw General
Torbert again alive
Social hall, which was at the top of the saloon
steps. Here they said farewell to each other.
We adjusted their lite-preservers, and extend
ed sympathy one to the other. Never before,
perhaps, was there Il set of passengers so quiet
and unexcited under circumstances so appall-
| ing. Mr.. Alexander Wallendge brought his
little boy to me and said, Mr.. owen, Will give
you Sl90O in gold If you will take my son ana
| get him to land l said no; L did not expect
to tive five minutes after the ship went down.
l told him it would be mercy to hlmseit and
his son to go down as quick us possible. told
him could see nothing to hope for in a storm
like this. L said, Let us look at it as II our
characters on the worlds stage were about
ended
manner to take care of her, but l said TO her
and the others that there was nothing to be
done but to stick to the ship until we wero
washed from her and then to cling TO the trag-
ments ms long AS possible, and this plan was
, carried out by every passenger. The captain
was seen just before the sea smashed in the
port side of the upper decks, at twelve min
!, utes past four a. m, but whether he got eX-
cited and jumped overheard or was swept
away is not known to any of us.
"Mr. Paris, the First Officer, the SeeoRd
! Mate, and one or two more of the crew took
, TO the starboard-bow boat and We're killed be-
! ! fore the boat could be got free Mr.. Miller
= and his engineers stood by the snip TIL she
! sunk. The Quartermaster, William U Neal,
and n sailor, name unknown, stood ut the
wheel until the snip sunk. The Captain never
! came near the passengers during the storm,
nor did he send to inquire into their CONDITION,
and it may be sincerely hoped tnat no other
passengers may be lett 10 so thoughtless and
: Indifferent a man. 1t was six a. m. when the
! ship went down, breaking in the middle, and
filing the sea with fragments OF stores,
. trunks and merchandise.
: ''lro say there were ten million pieces oi
= wrecked stores all clashing together i've min
utes after the ship went to pieces would Dc
gross eXaggeratlon, but even with such
, statement no idea could be conceived as U
!. the state of the case. Men, women, children
y | horses, cats and rats mixed IN ana went IN
= y through and over this mass. The waves wert
u y | fifty feet high not in swells and ridges, bu
/
u ing like surf, tore int each other. When We
a went upon one it was not to go down ON th'
= other side, but to be turned over ut the toE
= | and sent rolling through the air at the op
: | posite one, and 80 back and forth. This last =
a about two or three hours, after which TN
waves took more natural character, an'
came in swelling ridges, and we whirled dow
4 and over them to the opposite side
y General Torbert was picked up by Charlie
y Smith, one of the crew, about fifteen minute
. = after the ship sunk. He was then weak, an.
"a could crawl ON the fragments or the wrecl
? which he was turned over, minute
y later Mr.. Smith came up on anothe
u piece, and never saw the General again 9live
The wind was so terrific that when plank
rait, box or trunk would reach the top OF
wave it was whirled through the air with
force terrible to behold. Among the hVln
and diving | never passed a person who wa
y not bleeding from some wound lnnlcted D.
passing. fragments, and half OF them wer
q dead or dying within fifteen minutes atte
"a they took TO the waves. This was most al
t palling; and sad, indeed, was II TO see thos
: heroic women struggling dBhlnst tilnoer'
- waves and fate. passed Mr.. Wallendge an
J, son ten minutes after he sinking. They wer
e about ten yards apart, cinglng 60 diferen
pieces of the wreck, and the little fello
), looked as calm and handsome as when Playin
u in the saloon two days before; His fathc
q was depressed, but only for his SOM
= thought of himself entered his head. Woul
. to God that could have done something fo
}, them both. Thus could tell something aboL
, each passenger but as | did not know the
:, names cannot enter into details.
u THE stewarCess was jammed in the saloo
d among doors and tables, and sank with th
~ ship She was crying bitterly and appealed
~ me for help, when the water poured IN upo
10 her like IA Niagara. | stood by the malnmM
% till the water rushed in over the hurrlcai
y Twenty-Five feet and was washed on by q
ie waves. An instant after fragments OF Y
"A wreck piled in and over me. l was stunnt
~ by blow across my head, cheek and eyes as
" climbed first upon one thing and then upC
another. For half an hour l rushed up Oh
mountain OF water, then down another, uni
finally caught hold of a piece of the shl