The daily gazette., 1880-09-04
THE SAVED.

cant.
THE SAVED.
AS will be seen by our dispatches the
names of only two Of tie survivors are as
yet known; as follows:
Kelley, James seaman, New York,
Talbot, Mason, seaman, England,
KNOWN TO RE LOST.
Van Size, Edward, captain.
Haines, Frank NJ, first mate.
Whitney, s. E., second mate.
Torbert, General A. I. A., passenger
Ames, Mrs. s., passenger.
Burns, Miss E., passenger
Clark, Miss A., passenger.
Fay, Miss Sadie, passenger.
Garcia, Mrs j. A passenger.
Hernandez, Mrs. F.. passenger.
w, lsh, Mrs. NJ. passenger.
Welsh,-child, passenger.
DETAILS OF THE LOSS OF THE CITY OF
VERA CRUZ-TERRIBLE SCENES.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, Sept.3, 1880.
The painful surmise regarding the fate
of the steamer City OF Vera Cruz, which
| telegraphed you last night, has been
fully confirmed, for few survivors have
happily escaped dea'h and are now safe
ly on shore. The il-fated steamer
founderei at half-past five o'clock on
Sunday morning, i'll the mdso of a
hurricane, having labored painfully for
some hours in heavy SEA. Ofthe seven
ty persons who were on board when the
steamer left New York only thirteen are
known to have been saved, so that fifty
seven souls perished There is very little
hope that any addition will be made to
the list of survivors, for so long time
has elapsed since the steamer went down
that it seems impossible for any more to
be found alive. The hurricane that
occasioned the disaster precluded all
chance of suco o. from other vessels.
TIE STORY OF THE WRECK.
On Saturday afternoon the steamer
encountered strong gale, which soon
increased in fury. 1t was then about
two bells Give p. m } Then the steam
er was running on her course, being in
about 80 deg. west longitude, and 80.
deg. 40 min. north latitude. The sea
ran very high and the City of Vera
Cruz labored heavily but sturdily for
some hours.
Every effort was made to keep her
before the wind, but it was found ne
cessary at o'clock on Sunday morn
ing to throw out drag to keep her
head about. This secured the desired
result for the time being, but the gale
had now grown to hurricane and i'm
mense waves began breaking over the
doomed steamer.
Each succeeding wave tore away
pieces of her upper works until her
deck was finally swept clear, even the
rigging being torn and shattered. The
drag ceased to fulfill its functions, and
as the seas rose over her bows and del
uged her decks they soon reached the
furnaces and extinguished the fires,
the matches having been torn from
their fastenings by the pillows.
AT THE MERCY OF THE STORM.
The fires being out soon put a stop
to the engines, and the City of Vera
Cruz lay at the mercy Of the waves
and storm. Not even the donkey
pump could be worked to relieve the
vessel of the water she was rapidly
making in her hold. In this eXtremi-
ty Captain Van Sice ordered his men
to throw overheard the deck loId,
task that had been begun about mid
night. But the sea was too heavy to
permit the crew carrying out their
captains ord BIS, for while thus engag
ed several of the men were carried off
their feet by incoming seas and many
of them washed overheard.
THE OFFICERS LOST.
Captain Van Sice and his officers
acted courageously in the performance
of their several duties, but were one
by one washed overheard from their
stations as the steamer labored in the
trough of the sea. AS near as can
ascertain the Captain perished fully
an hour before the vessel finally sue
cumbed, and as nearly all the hands
were lost
The fews remaining alive on board
now saw that there was no hope, so they
Look to the life preseryers, the llteboats
having already disappeared; in fact,every
boat and life raft was stove in when the
top hamper went by the board. The
sailors and the passengers then seized
fragments of spars, stateroom doors or
! any other movable Article that would