Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-06

force terrible to behold. Among tine living
 and dying never passed 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-
 paliing; and sad, indeed, was it to see those
 heroic women struggling against timbers,
 waves and fate. I passed MT. Wallendge and
 son ten minutes after the sinking. They
 were about ten yards apart, chnging to diff
 ferent pieces of the wreck, and the little fel-
 low 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 might have done some
 thing for them both Thus could tell some-
 thing about each passenger, but as did not
 know their names cannot enter into details.
 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 stood by the
 mainmast till the water rushed in over the
 hurricane deck, and then I climbed up the
 rigging twenty-five feet and was washed off
 by the waves. An instant after fragments of
 the wreck piled in and over me. Twas stunned
 by blow across my head, checks and eyes, as
 I climbed first upon one thing and then upon
 another. For half an hour I rushed up one
 mountain of water, then down another, until
 finally caught hold of piece of the ship
 about tw enty-five feet long by ten feet wide
 This was the port side of the dining saloon.
 Through one window was the head and
 shoulders of a man. Thomas Grambool. He
 asked me to break the frame and get him out,
 but, as that was impossible, showed him
 down, and he came through the next open
 ing. We now threw of our ife-preservers
 and stuck to the fragment of the wreck,
 through thick and thin, for twenty four hours.
 During that time we were at least two-thirds
 under water. In the night we were both
 completely blind from the salt depositedin in our
 eyes. When we struck the surf at o'clock
 a. m. on Monday, our raft went to pieces and
 we were turned over as many as six times be-
 fore coming to the surface We were landed
 at Mir. Botefuhr's farm, near Daytona, Volun-
 sia county 60 miles south of St. Augustine and
 12 miles south of Mosquito Inlet. Chas Smith
 James H. Kelly and Mason Talbot, part of the
 crew of the Vera Cruz, landed near us within
 five miles of each other. Charles Braden-
 burg and John Greenfield, part of the crew,
 landed at Mosquito Inlet, while two others
 of the crew and two passengers are at Smyr-
 na, south of the inlet. Their names we were
 unable to learn. None of the lady passen- gers weressaved, and but three passengers and eight of the crew are known to have been saved out of eighty-two all told.
 Of forty-nine persons on board only ten, or, according to another dispatch, eleven persons are believed to be saved. It is hardly possi- ble that there can be any additions to this list The rescued are A. Nj. Owen of Ches- ter, Pa; o. P Tilver, Brazilian student on his way to Mexico. A third passenger is spoken of as safe by one of the survivors, but his name and whereabouts are not given. The members of the crew who are safe are Charles Brandenburg, quartermaster Thom- as Drumgoole, fourth assistant en- gineer; John Greenfield seaman; J. Kelly, seaman and assistant quar- termaster; Mason Talbot, seaman; Charles Smith, second assistant engineer; two seamen, names unknown. All the off cers except the four named above and the rest of the ships company, forty-two in all, have perished, so that the loss of life is 68 or 69
 The following account is given by Mason Talbot, who is at St. Augustine. He says We were about thirty miles from the coast when the great seas began to pile up over the ship and fill the hold. We were put to work at the pumps, but as fast as we made little headway another caught us and the water gradually gained so fast that pumping became useless. The water poured into the engine room and the firemen could not keep up the fires. These burned so low that it was impossible to make steam, and then danger began. The vessels head could not be kept to the wind Finally heavy drag was rigged forward and thrown over thesside. This helped matters some, and although we were tossing like an egg shell now the top of a mountain wave the next instant far down in the trough of the sea- we had hopes of weathering the gale. The passengers and many of the crew seemed to be panic stricken, and having provided themselves with life-preservers were only waiting the first favorable opportunity to abandon the vessel. The Gfeboats were cut loose and prepared for instant service. Life preservers were distributed to those who were unprovided, and everybody prayed for IL 1I..t condition of affairs was no better. It brought more coolness, however, to the officers and men, It was determined to abandon the ship, as the water had gained so rapidly during the night that it was evident she could not long remain afoat. One of the boats was strung over the side and manned with crew. Then the pas sengers tumbled into her as best they could. When she was filled the signal to let her go was given. The boat went down with run, put before she had gone ten feet the side of 5he ship coming up with roll struck it, and hose who were not crushed to death outright | were dropped half stunned into the sea, where they were drowned before our eyes. It pitiful scene to see them struggling almost within our grasp and then disappear one after another beneath the waves. An other boat was got ready and let of in the 1 same manner. It too was ground to spEnters against the side and it's occupants met the l ,ame fate as those before. Meantime the 1 steamer was slowly settling. Every sea shook her from stem to stern, and if she had lot been as stiff and strong as she was she must have been wrecked to pieces during the night. Those who now remained aboard were so unnerved by the horrible scenes which they had seen and the shrieks of the lrowning that they refused to enter the boats. The captain and some of the officers were in )ne of the boats. It was about 5:3O o'clock l when they went over the side. Such scene l have never before seen as that low presented. Men and women 1 were in the cabin praying and shrieking. All l ,f sudden there was a snapping sound as of l vas felt all over the vessel. She had broken completely in two. She gave one or two olunges, the water rushed in through the ! open seams and cracks, and the next minute he Vera Cruz went down with all on board.
 was cIinging to the deck and was sucked | Town with the vessel, and came up breath ] ess and choking with salt water. Then one ! person after another came to the top, grasp ng wildly for something to support them. I The water was dotted all over with heads and l filed with heavy pieces of wreck. Some of l hem were struck by this stuff and so much l stunned that they went down never to come | ID. I saw one or two women drowned in | his way. got hold of piece of the wreck, l ,ut the sea tore 1t away from me. When I !
 
 vas black with human beings. Some of | hem caught me and had to dive to get rid | if them I had to do the same thing to | void pieces of the wreck that had bolts 1 ticking out of them. Whoever l vas struck by one of tb6se bolts l vas sure to be maimed so as to become l helpless I was tossed up and down all day 1 until late in the afternoon. Occasionally as |
 rose to the crest of wave I could see a | human being on the crest of another, then I l vas down in the hollow again, lodging the l imbers Many times was down two or hree fathoms under the water, and if was l ucky enough to graspa timber it was al most sure to be snatched away from me next 1 moment I saw mother and her daughter | tightly clasped together. They rode past me | n wave and disappeared. Their bodies | anne ashore still clasped in the same embrace. III that Sunday night was tossed about, and
 nally at 7:30 Monday morning, having 'een in the water twenty-six hours, I was lurled on the beach. I lay there exhausted or long time The other six came ashore n the same beach, although at long distances part. The last I saw of General Torbert live he was on the after part of the ship with fr. Owen He breathing when he was
 A I,s fo-- |