Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-09-14
Saved from the Sea.


The steamship Charleston arrived ct New
York on Thursday, having among her pssseu-
gers a. X. Owen. OF Chester, Pa, one of the
passengers of the lost steamer Vera Cruz, and
Eve OF the crew. Owen told the story of the
wreck and his es,ape. He gives thrilling de-
scrption Of the closing sc.aes Of the great wreck.
He said yesterday:
The scene in the social ball just before the
vessel went down was affecting. There was 90
excitement, no screaming and no praying.
Every one was calm and every one seemed to
feel that there was no hope Of escape. | saw
lady take her husbands hand 10 hers, put
her cheek against bis, and bid him cheer up.
She thanked him for his goodness to her, and
talked Of meeting him above. do not koow
their names. knew very few of the psssen.
gers by name. As the vessel went down aud
the water came toto the bail, We all went out
into the water. The stewardess was iaumsd
in The cabin beneath some furniture, and went
down with the vessel. Edward Lane had bis
thigh broken early Sunday morning. and one of
the 6renen had his head crushed.
The Vera Cruz went down at o'clock on
Sunday morning She b'oke in two. the stern
and bow coming up, as the smoke stack went
down. / am certain OF this although the own.
ers of the vessel say this could not have hap.
pened. the vessel was 80 strong. | saw several
pieces of her hull come ashore afterWsrd. As
she went down, passengers, crew aud fragments
we're all on the waves together. The waves
we're the most peculiar | ever saw. They
seemed to be fifty feet high, aud were in four
peaks. like big sugar loaves, breaking at the top
like surf, and pitching toward each other.
These curious characteristics indicated that
the wind was blowing 10 circle and that We
were nearly, If not quite, 10 the centre of the
CYCLONE. The effect on the people 10 ths water
was terrific. We shot up to the top OF wave;
then, iostead of going over it, We were tumb!ed
back, over and over, to tho bottom, then ran
up the other side, TO be again tumbled back.
Imagine the water covered with people aud
foatiDg mats, timbers a9d other wreckage, aud
you have the situation. | suppose that most
of the eighty odd struggling persons we're dead
within ten minutes. Most of them must have
been killed by the h,ating debris.
These peculiar waves lasted for two hours,
and then came the usual heavy sea, rolllog and
breaking 10 regular order. For half 40 hour
was tossed like cork in this osldron. had
life preserVer and am good swimmer. Then
| saw piec, OF the dining saloon, in which
we're windows. floating near me, and on it Thos.
Dromgool. The windows were very close to-
gether, and he was sitting in one of them.
got on the end. The piece was about twenty.
FIVE feet long. We saw persons h,ating on
pieces Of the wreck all that day.
"For twenty-five bouys,' continued the
speaker, "DromgooI aud | h,ated on that
wreck. 1t was fearful. Three tourths of the
time we were under water While the Cyclone
lasted We were tossed in all directions; but when
h. harm 10 Shn1 hln
took more uuifor@ shape. The waves ran
Tremendously, and every wave turned our raft
completely over. The raft would run up twenty.
five feet, and then turn completely over. was
often thrown at least thirty feet further. did
not try to keep hold. and the further was
thrown the better for mY great danger lay 10
being struck by the wreck. l was perfectly ct
home 10 the water, and could easily catch the
raft by swimming.
Not 50 Drungool, who cannot swim. So he
hung 90 like grim death to the piece between
two windows, and around this piece he revolved
like an acrobat around horizontal bar. When
he saw the Ssvs oonlug right down upon him
he would 20 uudar the raft, and so as it turned
he would come up all right This he continued
during % hours. We had o, idea where We
were aud before loIg W, could not see. Our
eyes became encrusted with the salt and We
could not open them, except with the thumb
and 6oger. 10 this way We were able to peer
out little at times, to watch, lest We might be
struck by pieces of the wreck. We passed .
good deal OF it during the day.
The water Was very warm, 80 that as long ss
We were 10 it we were comfortable, but the
| wind and rain wers very cold. We hosted
nearly all that night 1t was as dark as Ink
By aud by We heard roar and the waves be.
gan to pitch up and down again. We oould
| zee nothing. The waves got to be very violent.
Our raft turned six times end for end without
| stop; then it began 70 break up. We cluag
to smaller pieces, spd very soon we're washed
| up ou smooth beach. We had heard the
breakers 90 the coast. We went up on the
beach, laid down 10 the sand aud waited for
daybreak. We then walked to Mr.. Batefuhe's.
Everybody treated as kindly.