Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-23
The Story Of the Wrecking Of the Vera
Cruz-Thrilling Incidents.

A. R. Owen, Chief Engineer of the
steamer Vera Cruz, destroyed in a hur-
| ricane off the coast of Florida, and who
was one of the few survivors, has made
a graphic statement of the disaster
which has been published in the N. 7.
| Herald, and from which we take the fol-
| lowing extracts:
1.-The real blast of the cyclone struck us on
the port bow at about twenty-five minutes to
| two p. IN. Saturday, and lifted the ship almost
| on her beam-ends. From this time it became
| next to impossible to walk about without
| clnging to chairs, tables, and other stationary
! furniture of the cabin, and ali movable
| objects in the saloon were quickly thrown
from port to starboard, walking was sc, exceed
northeast, and the vessel was steering south by
east.
main saloon were carried away, and the waves
poured considerable water into the saloon and
staterooms, setting all adrift. BY, BY midnight
with and assisting each other, yet good cheer
| wit and humor between them all. The serv-
| ants as they passed around them, added to the
| good feeling. Major-Gcneral TOrbert, United
States army, had been washed out of his state
room NO. 81, which was the first on the port
bow, early SATURDAY evening: o. He then came
thrown against table in the afternoon and
had cut his right cheek. which troubled him
considerably, as it bled freely, but he was in
his best and kindest humor, speaking cheer
| ing word here, assisting man there, and at
ho saaon oor for pa
of the night, but was flooded out, and then
came and laid with me, bringing his water
| proof which we threw over us to protect US
| from the water dripping in from the top and
sides; At one o'clock p. m the engine-room
ara was not on eotten u
even if in proper order A. At two p. m. the
| fires out, Immediately stopping the engines.
The donkey-engine then started, and was
s urriediy below. calling for General Torbert,
| and said that the Captain had sent him to tell
the to come and assist the Grew or
| got up. I went to the deck and to the floor OF
| the engtne-room. where assisted to pass the
line near the top. passing water while was
| there. 1t was of no use. The sea was con-
the and ing
| donkey-engine was working, but not to any
| purpose. After this went to the saloon and
pieces and fast filling. and nothing remained
but for US to get lfepresee av s, upon the
that he did not 20 to pass buckets
1.-THE General came to me Immediately after
| old, and said: Romeo you and must take
| this little boy and care for him between us
| live, and argued that it would be mercy to let
| the little fellow go down with the ship, but the
General kindly insisted. and said, ~ cannot
| save him. Take him until come back. The
| next minute the sea came into the saloon more
water, and smashing the most of the port side.
| The little fellow and myself were rolled over
among the chairs and tables; and l lost HIM m.
| father. called to General Torbert to come
to the deck with me. He said, Il will go aft
| and meet you above never saw General
/ Torbert again alive.
"The passenpers now crowded into the
Social hall, which was at the top of the saloon
steps. Here they said farewell to each other.
ed sympathy one to the other. Never before,
perhaps, was there a set of passengers SO quiet
ing. Nj. Alexander Wallendge brought his
| little boy to and said, MIR. Owen, will give
get get him l to IaSd' 1 said no; did not expect
| to live five minutes after the ship went down.
| told him it would be mercy to himself and
| his son to go down as quick as possible. told
| him could see nothing to hope for in storm
| like this. l said, Let us look at it as if our
chaEacterson the worlds stage were aboet,
Miss Sadie Fay asked me in her sweetest
and the others that there was nothing t to be-
| done but to stick to the ship until we werc
washed from her and then to cling to the frag-
ments as long possible, and this plan was
carried out by every passenger. The Captain
| was seen just before the sea smashed in the
| utes past four a. m, but whether he got ex-
| cited and jumped overheard or was swept
| away Is not known to any OF us.
MIR. Paris, the First Officer, the Second
| Mate, and one or two more of the crew took
| to the starboard-bow boat and were killed be-
fore the boat could be got free. Mr.. Miller
| sunk. The Quartermaster, William O'Neal,
and q sailor name name unknown, stood at the
came near the passengers during the storm,
nor did he send to inquire into their condition.
| passengers may be left to SO thoughtless and
| indifferent man. 1t was six a. IN. when the
| ship went down, breaking in the middle, and
| filling the sea with fragments of stores
| trunks and merchandise.
ITO say there were ten million pieces of
wrecked stores all olashing together five min
| utes after the ship went to pieces would be
| gross exaggeration, but even with such a
| statement no idea could be conceived as to
the state Of the case. Men, women, children,
| horses, cats and rats mixed in and went in,
! through and over this mass. The waves were
| fifty feet high, not in Swells and ridges, but
! in peaks like sugar-loaves. Four peaks beat
| ing like surf, tore into each other. When we
| went upon one it was not to go down ON the
| other side, but to be turned over at the top
and sent rolling through the air at the OPP
about two or three hours, after which the
waves took a more natural character, and
came in swelling ridges, and we whirled down
and over them to the opposite side.
General Torbert was picked up by Charles
Smith, one of the crew, about fifteen minutes
after the ship sunk. Hewas then weak, and
could crawl ON the fragments of the wreck
only with assistance. When the fragment on
later later Mr. II: Smith came up '' on another another
piece, and never saw the General again alive
The wind was so terrific that when q plank,
raft, box trunk would reach the top of q
wave it whirled through the air with a
force terrible to behold. Among the living
and dying l never passed a person who was
not bleeding from some wound inflicted by
passing fragments, and half of them were
dead or dying within fifteen minutes after
they took to the waves This was most ap-
paling; and sad, indeed, was it to see those
heroic women struggling against timbers,
waves and fate. l passed air. Wallendge and
son ten minutes after the sinking. They were
about ten yards apart, clinging TO different
pieces of the wreck, and the little fellow
looked as calm and handsome as when playing
in the saloon two days before. His father
was depressed, but only for his son; no
thought of himself entered his head. Would
to God that could have done something for
them both. Thus could tell something about
each passenger, but as L did not know their
names L cannot enter into details.
THE stewarGeSS was jammed in the saloon
among doors and tables, and sank with the
ship. She was crying bitterly and appealed to
me for help, when the water poured in upon
her like Niagara. l stood by the mainmast
till the water rushed in over the hurricane
deck, and then l climbed up the rigging
twenty-five feet and washed off by the
waves. An instant after fragments of the
wreck piled in and over me. L was stunned
by blow across my head, cheek and eyes as |
oil bod srN