National Republican., 1880-09-06
THE SUNKEN STEAMER.
Six More Persons From the Vera Cruz
Reach tho Land.
Additional Details of the Wrock-Relentless
Fury OF the Storm--Its Force
Absolutely Irresistible
Fearful Details of the wreck.


ST. AUGUSTINE FLA, Sept. ALI doubt Is
now dispellcd that the City of Vera Cruz has
become total wreck. Seven men came to
this city tonight from Halifax river, whore
they had been washed ashore. One of them
is A. X. Owen, a passenger. The others arc
the engineer an oilor and four scameu. Tai.
bot, one Of tho seamen, gives the following
narratives:
about thirty miles Off shore we began to
ship heavy seas, and water was found in the
hold. As fnst as We could clear her she filled
again by another sea. This steie of things
soon made the fires burn low, and we could
not make steam enough to keep head on the
wind, We then put ont heavy drag forward
and managed for while to keep her into tho
wind. Everything was III panic. Life-boats
were cut loose ready for action, and all hands
were supplied with life.prcservers. At day
light on Sunday boats wcro lowered and
manned. They no sooner got their
cargo than they were overturned and
smashed to atoms against tue steamer,
oil hands being swept away and their
lives dashed out against tho vessels sides
Boat after boat was dashed to pieces in tho
same manner until ouly few of the passcn.
gers would venture 10 leave tho steamer
The captain and officers lost their lives in one
of the boats. At $50 in the morning heavy
sea struck the steamer forward aud crushed
her fore and nft. All tho fires and lights
were put out, and everything was in perfect
bedlam, people screaming aud shrieking for
help on all sides The steamer was broken in
two. After few klIrgcs she foundered and
went down, carrying with her all who were
oil board.
The women made no effort to save them.
selves and were drowned in my sight. A
mother aud her daughter were claspod to each
other during the gale, and they came ashore
that way drowned. From that time until 4
O'Clock in the afternoon could SEQ occasion.
ally one or two men as they rode upon the crest
OF a wave. 1t was useless 10 try to hold on to
anything, as the sea would tear 1t from your
grasp and drive you Two or three fathoms
uuder the surface, and when regaining it you
would have to grasp something else. l was
compelled to dive or dodge away from pieces of
drift stuff which would have killed mo if |
were hit by them.
After o'clock I saw no one. I came ashore
on the Florida coast about 7:3O on Monday
morning, having been about twonty.sx hours
In the water l soon found my other com
panions, as we all came ashore about the same
time, although some distance apart"
Following are the saved passengers MS far as
can be learned; A. X. Owens Of Chester, Pa,
civil engineer, employed by authorities OF
Mexico; j. A. Garcia. u Cuban of Havana,
twenty'seven years Of age; two passengers
~,
arrive ut ST. Augustine to-day.
ohccrs and crew saved so far as known are
Chailes Brandenburg, quartermaster. aged
thirty-iive; Thomas Drumgold, fourth assist.
ant engineer, aged twent y-eight, who resides
an New York city; John Greenfield, boa,swain;
James ii. Kelly, seaman, OF New York, aged
twcnty.three; Charles Smith, second assistant
engineer, of Baltimore aged about forty; three
sailors were saved, but refused to give tlcir
names,
six More Survivors Reported.
SAVANNAH, GA, Sept. "a special to the
Morning Netcs from Jacksonville states that
SIX seainen and passengers from the wreck ed
steamer Vera Cruz reached that place from st.
Augustine yesterday afternoon. They with
four others, two seamen aud two passe ngers,
are supposed to be the only survi vvrs. They
report that the cyclone struck the steamer
Saturday, forty miles this side of Cape Cana
Verat, thirty miles OF shore at y. N. Tho
deck'oad was thrown overheard and the sea
swept the decks clean. At q. IN. on Sunday
the water reached tho engine rooms and oxtin.
guished the fires. At o. m. the captain
was washed overheard, aud the first and second
mates were killed while lowering boats, aud
by o'clock the vessel foundered Passengers
and crow were provided with life preservers
but many were killed aud crushed in tho
wreck. The survivors were washed ashore at
Daytona and Port Orange. Several bodies
have beon buried.
TWELVE WRECKS ARE REPORTED,
two steamers and ten sail. Among them the
schooner Ada j. Simonton, from Pensacola tc
Boston, lumber laden, all saved. Twelve OF
the crow of q Norwegian bark got ashore YES
terday near ST. Johns bar. The coast for one
hundred miles is sirewn with wrecks aud
goods Of all descriptions. the survivors o
the Vera Cruz leave for Savannah en- ronte tc
New York. Three ladies and two scamer
were buried at MGtanza's inlet. Yesterday {
large schooner, coppcr-bottomed, was seer
floating off Matanzas inlet. The SURVIVORS OF
the Vera Cruz are expected at Savannah on
the City Point tomorrow.