Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-06
DOMESTIC NEWS.

DOMESTIC NEWS.
The Loss of the steamer Vera Cruz
Certainty.
NEW YORK, September 4th.-The loss of
the steamship City of Vera Cruz is confirmed
by the report of seven survivors who were
washed ashore near St. Augustine. The ves-
sci became unmanageable, and the captain
and many of the crew were washed over
board. and then at $50 o'clock on Sunday
morning the vessel suddenly went down.
Life boats and RATS had been rendered use
less by the storm, and the men saved foated
ashore on whatever they could grasp. There
were 70 persons on board, including the crew.
Thus far only thirteen of seventy people who
left port on board are accounted for and the
details of the terrible hurricane in which the
CITY of Vera Cruz went down leave but small
hopes of any more being heard from. The
steamship company to which the lost Vera
Cruz belonged telegraphed to ST. Augustine
this evening, ordering their agent to forward
the survivors to New York without delay.
The friends of the late General Torbert have
been telegraphed to make arrangements for
bringing his remains to Melford, Del, for
intermeLt.
The Tribune has from seaman named
Talbot the following story of the wreck of the
steamer City of Vera Cruz: "Abeut 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 filed by another sea.
Everything was in panic. The life'boats
were cut loose, ready for action. and all hands
were supplied with Hfe-preservers. At day
light on Sunday the boats were lowered and
manned. They no sooner got their cargo than
they were overturned and 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 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 a perfect bedlam. People were
screaming and shrieking for help
broken in two, and after few surges she
foundered and went down, carrying with her
all who were on board. When l 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 them
selves and were drowned in my sight. A
mother and her daughter were clasped in each
others arms during the gale, and came ashore
that way drowned. From that time till in
the afternoon / could see occasionally one or
two men as they rose upon the crest Of the
waves. 1t was useless to try to hold to any
| thing. A sea would tear it from your grasp
| and drive you to and fro fathoms under the
| surface, and when coming up you would have
to grasp something else. | was compelled to
| dive or dodge away from pieces of drift stuff,
which would have killed me if | were hit by
| them. After o'clock I saw no one. The last
| time / saw General Torbert alive he was ait
with Mr.. Owen, who was saved with us. |
saw General Torbert again, dead, at Port
nro ,hara ha ochn A
| boy found him and dragged him up as far as he
could and ran for assistance. When they got
back he was dead. The bruises on his head
indicate that he was struck by drift stuff and
stunned. One of our number SWAN from the
wreck without the aid of life preserver. He
was entirely nude and came ashore first. We
are more or less bruised from the striking and
buffeting of seas and driftwood." The body
of young man has come ashore at Matan-
zas. 1t had only shirt and drawers. A
few miles further south the body of an old
gentleman who appears to have been about
So or 60 years old, was washed ashore,
together with those OF an elderly lady and
young girl and child. 1t will crafty the
friends of the drowned passengers and crew
to know that letters have been found and
will be retained until further inquiry is made
respecting them. Many trunks have come
ashore and have been rifed. 1t is deemed
unfortunate that there is no life saving
station on this coast to protect wrecked
lost or stolen. No portion of the
wreck has come ashore except sofa, covered
with red plush, and some pieces of furniture.
The saved passengers, as far can be learned,
are a. K. Owen of Chester, Pennsylvania,
civil engineer employed by the authorities
of Mexico; j. a. Garcia, Cuban of Ha-
vana, q years of age; two passengers, whose
names could not be learned, who were to ar
rive at st. Augustine to-day. Besides these
passengers there was a young lady, an old
lady and three men, whose names could not
be learned. The officers and crew saved as
far as known are: Charles Brandenburg,
Quartermaster, aged So Thomas Drurgald,
Fourth Assistant Engineer, aged %, who re-
sides in New York city; J Ohm Greenfield,
boatswain James II. Kelly, seamen of New
York, aged %; Charles Smith, Second As
sistant Engineer, of Baltimore, aged about
40. Three sailors rescued give their names
as Mason, Talbot and Seaman. 1t is believed
that the latter is one of the seamen who at
first refused to give his name.
General Garfield is Called Upon by In.
diana Commercial Men.
MENTOR (O.), September 4th.-At half
past II o'clock to-day, party of commercial
travellers from Indiana with their wives, num-
bering in all 50 persons, came on special cars
to Mentor, and called at General Garfelds
house to pay their respects. 1t was a very
intelligent company, representing every lead
ing branch of commercial business. They
assembled on the lawn in front OF the house.
when the General appeared at the door, and
G. G. Webster was introduced, and delivered
in behalf of his associates, the following ad-
dress General Garfield have been dele
gated by these friends who have journeyed
so far to see you, to say a word in explana-
ton of our presence here. Let me express |
hope that you will not consider us trespassers.
We do not come here as followers of any par
ticular political party, nor do we come to |
testify to your services to the country we |
call our own, as that would be both presump-
tious and needless, for we believe that not |
only the living nation, but nations yet un-
known, will testify to these things but we |
come as commercial men, representing many |
business interests in the State of Indiana. |
Many of us are young men, having but barely |
begun the great battle of life, and we are |
here to-day to pay our respects to you as one |
who by his own efforts has raised himseN |
from poor and lowly boy to position the |
proudest in the land, and one in the history |
of whose life we recognize many grand les /
sons for ourselves and constant source of |
encouragement to thousands of young men |
in the land who, beset by adverse circum-
stances, are struggling against those circum.
stances up out of the depths of poverty
toward better manhood. AS Americans, |
we believe and know that men are born who
take their destiny in the hollow of their own
hands, and. with Gods aid, pursue the right
and shape their destiny TO great ends; and as
such one we greet you to-day. And now,
with your permission, I will introduce the
commercial travellers of Indianapolis, and
their wives and their sweethearts."
General Garfield responded as follows
"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen =
l can hardly say that you have taken me by
surprise for [ was informed some days ago
that party of commercial gentlemen from
Indiana would call upon me to-day. But l
am very pleasantly surprised at the large
number of ladies and gentlemen who have
honored me by this visit. We have listened
with deep interest to the address of your
Chairman, and l give you, one and all, my
thanks for the compliment which this visit
implies. Your Chairman informs me that
you represent nearly all the leading branches
of commercial industry in the State of In.
diana, and some of the neighboring States.
Few of our people understand how vast are
the enterprises represented by our Internal
trade, to which almost every form of human