The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-09
,l..,.o.,on vevs aad t,ourier. Tucsday. !


fcharIcs,on News aud Courier, tuesday,
The steamer City Point arrived at her
bier Ia this city ut O'Clock yesterday morn
ng from jacksonville, having on board Mr..
b. X. Owens, one OF the surviving passcn.
Eers. and six OF the crew OF the Inflated
|teamer Vera Cruz, an account OF the loss
II which has already been published. A
leporter for the Netos and Courier, who
keus down 10 the City Point yesterday
morning. found the survivors either lou1g-
|ng on the wharf or on board the vessel
leading the morning paper. The names OF
he survivors who came up on the City
Point are Charles Smith, second assistant
|ngineer; Charles Brandenburg, quarter
bastef; Mason Talbot, John Greenfield,
'ames Kelly, and Toomer Drumbold, sea-
ben.
CHARLES SMITH,
be second assistant engineer, made Tue FOL.
bwing statement: think 10 was about 2
o'clock Saturday afternoon when II came
n TO blow heavy from the northeast. The
Lind continued TO increase until at night a
epular hurricane was blowing. In the al
hrncou we threw over our deck-load, but
he ship continued to ship heavy seas. and
g midnight the hurrlcane-deck was blown
gay and The water came In faster than we
7puld get 1t out. AT 2 O'Clock Sunday morn
he our fires were put ont and the engine
kopped. We Put out drag TO help keep
Ter head TO the wind, but il was OF no use,
ne sea kept breaking over her. About 8
Pollock all bends were called to bail out the
hin. but as fast as we chucked out a bucket
hi a hoesbeadful came in. About o'clock
be captain called us all up, and said 1t was
o use, we couldn't do anything more, and
be sea was then making clean sweep over
:. We attempted TO clear away the boats,
nd one was got out, but IL was soon
mashed, and everybody on board either
ilIed or drowned. A few minutes later
he captain was killed and Knocked over
GARD by fragment OF the deck. The chief
engineer, first assistant, and myself, were
in the engiue-room up TO within ten minutes
or the sinking OF the ship, and when we
left the steam was still up on the donkey
engine and the pumps were still going when
she went down. We all left the engine
room together. / never saw the chief or
first assistant after that. When / came up
| started to go 10 the saloon for a life.pre
server. The passengers were all hudded
together in the Social Hall, all OF them hav-
ing on life. preseivers. They seemed to be
as cool and collected as possible. i saw no
signs OF confusion or panic. They were
standing holding on to each other as the
ship Iurched and rolled In the trough OF the
sea, but there was no shouting or screaming
that could hear. When the water was up
to their waists they all walked right ont
and into the sea. / went with them. We
saw the ship 90 down stern foremost, and
as she went down she broke to pieces, the
foremast going one way and the mainmast
the other. This was about 6 O'Clock SUM-
day morning. We were all left TO do the
best we could. We had no life-raft on
board, and our six boats had all been
smashed; so we were left TO do the best
we could with life-preseryers and float
inc pieces of the wreck. 1t was a fear
'ul scene in the water. The ladies
seemed TO be able 10 make no use
1t all OF their lfe-preservers. | saw
several OF them sink within fifteen minutes
lfter they were In the water. l managed
O keep afl0at, don't know how, but we
rot separated, and L never saw anybody
until | was washed ashore about O'Clock
Monday morning. We were all treated
With the greatest kindness by everybody
lfter we landed. Every attention was
us by Mr.. Bulterfar, to whose house
went, and at St. Augustine and Jackson
nile, and especially by the captain of the
City Point.
CHARLES GREENFIELD,
seaman, SAYS that he was in the engine.
room when the captain was killed. He
rushed out to get a life-preserver, and saw
he passengers in Social Hall. They APP
Deared 10 be cool and calm. After getting
INTO the water / saw two ladies pass 10y me;
hey were struggling wildly in the water
md went down in very few minutes.
vas washed ashore about o'clock in the
morning and went to Mr.. Daggett's house,
1t Port Orange, where l got some clothes.
From there | went to Mosquito Inlet,
" here we all 1.-THE survivors) met and pro-
,eeded TO st. Augustine.
Charles Brandenburg, quartermaster,
Toomer Drumbold and JAMES Kelly, sea-
men, agreed substantially in the statement
made by the second assistant engineer.
They said they were all washed ashore
naked, aud were Immediately taken care OF.
None OF the survivors are able to say eX-
lclly bow many of the crew and passengers
we're saved. They know only of themselves
md the passenger Mr.. Owens. Drumbold
'ays before leaving st. Augustine he heard
bat there were four survivors at New
smyrna. one of whom, he heard, was
1ouug Brazilian, passenger. who had just
finished his education in the United States,
md who was on his return home.
The survivors remained in the city yes
erday, and will depart for New York on the
steamer George w. Clyde, which leaves for
hat port this afternoon.