Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-06

New YORK, Sept. "A st. Augustine. Fla
dispatch says, the painful surmise regardins
the fate Of the steamer Vera Cruz has been fol
ly confirmed, for a few survivors have happily
escaped death and are now safely on shore
The i'll fated steamer foundered at half past
o'clock Sunday in the midst Of the hurricane
having labored painfully for some hours in
the heavy sea. OF seventy persons who were
on bard when the stesmer left New York
thirteen are known TO have been saved, sc
that
FIFTY SEVEN SOULS PERIsHED.
There is very little hope that any addition
will be made to ,he 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 d. ,ster prevented all chance of succor
FROM N.r vessels. On Saturday afternoon
the steamer encountered strong gale which
soon increased in fury. The sea was very
high and the City of Vera Cruz labored very
heavily but sturdily for some
time. Every effort was mado to keep
her before the wind but it was found neces.
sary at o clock Sunday morning to throw
out drag to keep her head about. This Sc
cured the desired effect for the time being, for
the gale had now grown to hurricane.
IMMENSE WAVES
began breaking over the steamer. Each sue.
ceeding wave tore away pieces of her upper
works, and her deck was finally swept clean,
even her rigging being torn and shattered.
Then the drag ceased to fulfill its functions,
aud as the sea swept over
her and swept her decks they soon reached the
furnaces and extipguished the fire. her matches
having been torn from their fastenings
H. b. lofv nrk
put stop to working of the engines and the
City of Vera Cruz lay at the
MERCY OF THE WAVES.
Not even donkey pump could be worked
to relieve the vessel of the water she was
rapidly making in the hold. In this ex-
tremity, Capt. Van Tice ordered his men
to throw overheard the deck load. task that
was begun about midnight, but the sea
waI too heavy to permit the crew carrying out
the captains orders, for while thus engaged
several of the men were co,ried off their feet
by the increasing meas, and many of them
washed overheard. Capt. Van lice and his
officers acted oourageou.ly in the performance
of their several duties but we're one by one
WASHED OVERHEARD
from their stations as the steamer labored
through the trough of the sea. As near as
can ascertain the captain persisted fully an
hour before the vessel fully succumbed, and
as nearly all hands were lost, the few remain
ing alive on board now saw that there was no
hope, took to their life-preservers, the life
boats having already disappeared. The sailors
and passengers then seized fragments of spars,
sateroom doors, or any movable article that
would float. The surviving sailors state that
the vessel was about thirty miles off thu shore
at the time TIE hurricane began. 1t was one
= H. 81 l1,l
men and women had equipped themselves with
their improptu buuys the
FINAL CATASTROPHE OCCURRED,
it being then about $50 A. NJ. With one awful
and tremendous lurch the steamer sank
into the ocean. Several were carried
down, many of the living. OF the seventy
souls on board before the storm began only
thirteen have reached land alive. These thir-
teen were all men. three of them passenger,
eight deck hands, one engineer and one oiler.
These were all in the water and buffited by the
tempestous Sea for from twenty to twenty-six
hours, and there is no doubt but for this ordeal
many more would have been saved, for there
can be bnt little doubt that several
persisted after the laundering OF the steamer
through exhaustion. Bodies of victims came
on shore sixty miles south of this place.
Among them were those of Gen. Torbert. and
bis body was placed in a cask and buried Wed
nesday on the grounds of Mr.. j. Fl. >Bothe-
fuper, near Clayton, a settlement opposite
Mosq tito inlet. The bodies of two of the
steerage passengers have also been fonnd. At
least that is their classification by the surviv
urs. The bodies Of three females were recov-
cred from The waves along shore, and four
other men, probably sailors. These. like the
others, have been duly buried.
New YORK, Sept. A telegram to the board
of underwriters from Jacksonville announcing
the loss of the ste amer City of Vera Cruz, says
the survivors of the crews are there in distress
awaiting assistance from the owners.
sAFE.
CHESTER Pa, Sept. A. Owen, of this
city, a passenger on the Vera Cruz, telegraphs
from St. Augustine that he is safe.
GEN. FoRBERr.
NEW YORK, sept. 4.-The steamship company
to which the lost Vera Cruz belonged, tele-
graphed to st. Augustine this Afternoon, ORDER
i"g their agent to forward the survivors TO
New York without delay. The friends of the
late Gen. Forbert have been telegraphed to
make arrangements for bringing his remains
to Milford, Delaware, for interment. A dis
patch just received says he was temporarily
buried at Dayton by his companion, Mr.. Owen.
MIR. Owen says in the dispatch that he has made
arrangements to send the remains. Mrs. For
bert Is frantic with grief.
THE STORY OF SEAMAN TALBOT.
New YORK, Sept. 4.-Seamau Talbot tells
the following story of the wreck of the steamer
Vera Cruz about thirty miles off the shore
He says: We began to ship heavy seas and the
water poured in the hold as fast as we could
clear her. She filled again by another sea.
Everything uas in panic. The life boats
were cut loose and ready for action and all
ts1I F.
At daylight Sunday the boats
were lowered. They no sooner
got their cargos than they were overturned
and smashed to atoms against the steamer, ali
hands being swept away or their lives dashed
out against the sides of the vessel. Boat af err
boat was dashed to pieces in some man.
ner until few of the passengers would venture
tn leave the steamer. The captain and officers
lost their lives in one of the bua g. Everything
was perfect bedlam. people nerea ming and
shrieking wildly for help on all sides. The
steamer was broken in two and
after few surges it found
cred and went down, carrying down With
her all who were ON board. When I arose to
the surface, could see now and then pieces of
drift stuff. mother and daughter were
clasped in each others arms during the gale,
aud they came ashore that way drowned. From
taat time until 4 P. N 1, / could see occasionally
~ &AASAs
wave. 1t was useless to try and bold on to any
thing, asDthe sea wou tear 1t from your
grasp and drive you two or three fathoms I'M
der the surface, and when you regained the
surface 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 we're hit by them. After ]
saw no one. The last time saw General Tor
bert alive he was off with Mr.. Owen whe was
saved with Us. I saw Gen. Torbert dead
at Port Orange, where he came
ashore insensible. A boy found him and
dragged him as far as he could and ran for as.
sistance When they got back he was dead
Bruises on his head indicate he was struck BY
drift stuff and stunned. One of our number
swaLl from the wreck without the aid of lite
preserver. He was entirely nude and came
ashore first. We are all more or less bruised
Fl ON striking and buffeting with the seas ano
drift wood.
The body of young man has come ashore Al
Matsnzas. 1t had only shirt and drawers on
A few miles further sauth the body of an old