The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-23
SAVED FROM THE VERA CRUZ.
Thrilling Accounts of the Struggle for Life
by the Saved Passengers.


Thrilling Accounts of the Struggle for Life
by the Saved Passengers.
Mr.. Ortavious Pacheo Silva, one of the
rescued passengers of the "Vera Cruz, "
has reached St. Augustine, and furnishes
many additional details of the awful
struggle that preceded and followed the
sinking of the wreck. The Walsh fami.
ly, consisting of the husband, wife and
4 little girl, all perished. The name of
this family has been ascertained to be
Valch, and not Walsh, by the hotel reg
lister at Philadelphia, where they stop.
ped before going to New York to take
the steamer. Mr.. Valch did his utmost
to console the ladies, and gave brandy to
some that were suffering from the cold
anil wet. Mrs. Valch was greatly dis
trc:.cd about her little girl. All the
passengers had life preservers on, and
they appeared calm and collected. Mr..
Silva leaped overheard Just before the
steamer sunk, and was carried down in
the vortex, but on rcgaining the surface
| he says: "The sea was covered with 4
miscellaneous assortment of boxes, bar.
-rels, plnnks, sticks, spars, &C., all beating
among the struggling crowd of men and
women, crushing some out of sight. l
kept changing boards and planks at
each wave for about two hours, when I
at last found a part Of the steamers deck,
about four feet wide by fifteen long.
This had two.large rings and bolts in it.
Before could get on it the ships baker
Joined me, and we took possession of it.
As I was trying to drag myself upon it
1 felt something pulling at my duster,
and looking around saw q lady with no
clothing on her, not even life preserver.
She begged me to save her. II told her
to let 70 of me so that could get Oh the
raft and then l would pull her upon it.
She would not do so, and l was compell-
ed by force to open her hands and tear
my dustcr from her grasp. climbed on
the raft, holding her hand, and, with the
assistance of the baker, we got her on
the raft with us. The lady was very
weak, but We managed to keep her on
the raft with as little exertion to herself
as was possible. The next wave brought
to us Mr.. Rafael Arrue. He had lost his
life preserver and was naked. I noticed
that nearly all the passengers were
nearly or quite naked in the wafer. MIR.
Arrue said that be had lost his wife, and
that to swim with her as long as he did
he found it necessary to tear her clothes
off. The next tremendous sea tore US
all from the raft, and it seemed that |
would never come up. When I did
was near the raft, and swan to it. The
baker soon followed, but Mr.. Arrue was
some distance off. He soon came to us,
and said he saw the lady and she tried to
grasp him, but he, having no life-pre-
server, showed his piece of board to her
and made for US. This was the last OF
the poor lady. In the afternoon we ran
across sailor who was on another
piece of the steamer. We almost struck
one another. He said: "Hello, boys
How are you making out?" We re-
piled: "Pretty we'll under the circum'
stances" The next minute we were
whirling through the air and water, and
as we came up the sailor was laughing, at
us for the wave had not broken until it
passed him. We kept together until
dark, fighting for life. At about 7
o'clock heavy sea knocked US off our
raft and saw no more fit. shouted
and called to the others, but no reply
came. Twas alone with nothing but my
life.prcserver. I was tossed about for
FIVE or six hours, when I noticed
change in the waves. I felt for bottom
and found it. My God, how glad l was
It was dark as pitch, and one time
struck into deep water again. The re-
ccding water puzzled me, and it was two
hours before could tell which way to
20. Then I was dashed upon the beach.
I tried to stand up, but felt weak, and
staggered to the sandhills, and laid there
the rest Of the nigh
The next morning he walked for q
mile or two on the beach, when he met a
colored man, who took him to his house
and ministered to his comforts: While
there Mr.. Cook came in company with
sailor who had been saved, and on reach
ing the house he found MIR. Corrie there
in weak condition. He had wondered
on the beach two days and two nights,
with nothing to eat but two raw CRABS.
The party stayed for week at the house
of MIR. Lowd, who, with his wife, was
very kind. The point where they were
washed ashore was three miles below
Mosquito Inlet, nearly two hundred
miles from where the other survivors
landed. Senior Arrue says that be left
the wreck with his wife on his back.
After swimming two hours be was com;
pelled to tear her clothes off as they had
become heavy with sea water. At last
she seized a board, and a sea separated
them. He found her again in a very
weak condition. He again took her on
his back only to see her washed away
from him again, to be seen no more.
After that he met the raft to which MIR.
Silva and the man and the lady were
cliuging. They continued together un'
til separated by Il heavy sea, and he ney'
er saw any Of them until ne met Mr..
Silva on shore