The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-09-11
LOSS OF THE VERA CRUZ.
THE CYCLONES FEARFUL WORK.
Bravery Of General TorbeFt-A Survivors, Story
Of tie Shipwreck A Fathers Anxiety for
His Little Son Scenes and Incl
dents of tie Great Disaster.


Of Tie Shpwreck "A Fathers Anxiety for
His Little Son-sccnes and Incl
dents of the Great Disaster.
The morning papers of Saturday last
gave the first authentic information of
the sinking Of the steamer Vera Cruz,
than which. probably, Il more heart-rend
ing marine disaster has rarely occurred.
The blow was doubly severe to the friends
of General Torbert in this town, they
not being aware that he WAS Il passenger
on the Inflated steamer. He had, how
ever, taken passage on her en- route to
Mexico as Il representative of certain
American capitalists interested in the
construction Of :: railroad there, he be
ing accompanied by Mr.. a. X. Owen. a
civil engineer of Chester, Pa, one of the
few survivors of the wreck, and whose
interesting narrative we publish below.
The City Of Vera Cruz was built in 1874
by j. English & Son, at Greenpoint l.. |,
for the F. Alexandra & Sons Line, and
was employed in the trade between New
York and Havana and Mexico. She was
Il wooden vessel. 2S1 feet in length, 81
feet beam, 2G deep and had draught of
10 feet of water. Her tonnage was !, SI4
tons. She was brigantinc rugged. had
two masts. one smoke stack, and was
propelled by screw 10 feet inches in
diameter with pitch of % feet. She
had three decks: her timbers were of
white oak, chestnut and hickory. Two
cylinders engines supplied the motive
| power. The vessel was strengthened by
iron strips and was considered one of the
staunchest in the line. The cabins of the
vessel were finely finished and comtorta-
bly, furnished: electric bells were provid-
ed for communication between the differ
ent departments. The mail-room was
next to that of the purser, near the cen
tire of the ship. There were eight life
boats in all--tour on the port side and
| four on the starboard side. The place
where the baggage was stored was about
midships. The steamer sailed from New
| York Wednesday, August p, bound for
| Havana, and thence for Vera Cruz. Up
to Saturday the voyage was unevcntful.
| For several days. however, the wind had
been blowing from the no. 'theaSt-an un-
usual thing at this time of the year-and
on Saturday leaden colored clouds began
to appear in the horizon, and there were
other indications of a coming storm. Late
in the afternoon the wind began to blow
Il gale. and still no alarm was felt. At
this time the Vera Cruz was between
eighty and ninety miles from the Florida
coast little north by east from st.
Augustine, Fla. She was headed south,
of course, and was running comparative
ly near the land in order TO avoid the cur
rent of the Gulf Stream.
Up to this time no danger had been felt
as to the ability of the vessel to weather
the gale. She was an unusually strong
wooden steamer, and had passed through
some severe storms on her trips to and
from Havana. Moreover, she was in the |
hands Of old and experienced officers in
whom the greatest confidence was placed |
and no one conceived of the terrors of
the night that was before them. AS the |
GALE INCREASED IN FURY,
piIing the angry waves higher and high |
er the officers and crew began to realize
that the storm would be one of terrible |
severity An unusual fall in the barome-
ter during the prccedin. twcnty-four
hours had almost made them apprehen-
Sive. Everything was done to prepare
the vessel for the cyclone which, it was
evident. was about to burst upon them.
Fierccr and tiercer grew the gale. The
waves dashed the sides of the ship furi-
ously: and the thought that the control
of her might be lost blanched the cheeks
of the stoutcSt man. The darkness of
the night increased the terror which had
seized the passengers. 1t was impossible
to hear the orders Of the officers. The
waves were overpowering. and shook the
huge vessel like Il leaf. Again and again
they swept the men from their feet, and
angrily churned the sea into foam that
could be only dimly seen. To add to the
horrors Of the night dense fog arose
and enveloped the ship, giving everything
Il death-like, clammy touch. Stronger
yet blew the hurricane until the waves
seemed about to swallow up the doomed
vessel. One after another the boats We're
shattered to splinters or torn from fast
ening and carried off into the darkness.
Huge waves battered off pieces of the
bulwarks, and the wind howled through
the rigging like Il thousand demons.
Finally. at about midnight a drag was
thrown out to keep the steamer before
the wind, and for time this served its
purpose. But soon the hurricane be-
came wilder, and the great waves, appar-
emily as high as the masts, began to
break over the steamer, tearing off pieces
of the hurricane deck and tossing the
steamer about in the trough of the sea
like Il cocllle-shcll. At last the deck was
swept clean. The rigging and sails were
torn to pieces. The drag ceased to keep
the steamer before the cyclone that was
raging tiercelv. The matches were torn
from their iron fastenings. and were
swept overheard. AS the pillows rolled
rcsistlcSsly the length of the ship, the
water poured in flood into the hold. All
hope was lost. Soon the engines stopped.
The water had put out the fires. and the
ship was at the mercy of the winds and
waves. The terrible cry was raised that
the vessel would founder soon. But there
was no relief. The donkey-engine would
not work. An attempt was made to re-
lieve the steamer by throwing some of
the cargo overheard. But several of the
men were swept from the deck into the
seething sea, and this was abandoned.
Bravely and maniully the officers and
crew worked for the safety of themselves
and their passengers, but one by one
they were carried away and lost. Cheer
ed by the light in the east, and hoping
that with daybrcak the storm would lull
the men still left on board did all that
could be done to save the ship. Finally
between , and 4. NJ, Captain Van Size
was swept from his post, and it was evil
dent that the vessel would founder in 4
short time. Lite-preservers and in fact
everything that wouldnahoat, were seized,
and the crew and passengers awaited the
terrible fate that seemed to stare them
in the face. The vessel had been driven
in Il northwest direction, and was even
yet score and half miles from the
FLORIDA coast. There was little hope Of
reaching the land, EVENT. one could man
age to live i'll the awful sea. At last the
end came. Shortly before 6 \. NJ, the
ship gave 4 fearful lurch and plunged
into the sea, carrying many with it.
THE scESEs IN THE WATER
after the steamer went under were terri
bic. Those who had not been carried
down by the suction struggled mantully
against fearful odds. Cries Of agony fill.
ed the air as one by one the unfortunate
men and women became exhausted and
loosed their hold upon the spars, doors,
and pieces Of the cargo and wreck that
had kept them up for !, Drlef dime. The
dashing waves, still high and furious.
separated friends and carried them miles
apart.
Three days later--thcsc scenes occurred
on the morning of Sunday. August %
the attention of some fishermen who
were on the reefs and beaches few miles
below st. Augustine vas drawn to some