The sun., 1880-09-05
THELOST CITY OF VERA CRUZ
,,nyuoSAL PARTICULARS RE6ARD-
,vo THE TERRIBLE DISASTER,

x.ue. OF All the Survivors Not Yet
'y..vn ut the once OF the Steamship Conn
..x-,pxious Inquiries by those who had
x.,st,yes or Friends on Hoard the Vessel.
sr AUGUSTINE, Fla, Sept. 4.-From tho
-, suryiyors OF the Inflated Vera Cruz.
rSn.a arrival from tho Halifax River was tele-
''.nhed last night. few additional particulars
!, the steamships loss were obtained
,,.yous to their departure. They know
,ris of the manner in which tho gallant
o.ntsin and tho greater part OF crew and pas
.,nqsrs met their death. The Vera Cruz was
h.,ting with tho storm thirty miles of the
n .osst. where the sea broke over her.
mi, was Just at daybreak on Sunday
,ornng, The wave submerged the furnaces
and put out tho lights. leaving the
,.,eI helpless and in darkness. Tho Cap
/ hln was swept from his post on deck and car
dsd away by q wavo He was the first man
Iost, All was confusion and panic on board.
md passengers and crew realized that escape
from death was almost impossible. Some Of the
boats had been swept from their fastenngs
others we're lowered only to pe swamped
In the heavy sea. Each OF the sur
yiyors can only tell the pnrt he himself
took In the struggle for life Mr.. Owen. Gen.
Torberts companion. thinks that other persons
han himself and the men rescued with him
may have drilted on RATS further to the south.
md been carried ashore at some spot on tho
past. but Of this there appears to be little hope.
Mr.. owen went to Daytoria and had the re-
! mains OF Gen. Torbert temporarily inferred
I here. He has telegraphed to Milford. Del. the
Generals home. that he has made prepara-
ions for taking the remains home.
Men are watching all along the coast for bod
les from the wreck. and it is reported here that
tl,n
| te absence OF telegraphic communication no
! particulars can be learned. Articles Of mer-
.handse. part of it from the Vera Cruz. and
pieces OF her timbers are hourly picked up.
The surviving members Of tho Vera Cruzs
viii await assistance from the owners OF the
fessel TO enable them to reach their homes.
Tho centre, OF the storm was not far below
here. Incoming vessels say that ii did not
Iouch Key West. and advices from Cedar Keys
bay that no damage was done at that place.
Therc we're many painful scenes at the office
NF. Alexandra Il Sons yesterday Many rela-
lives and to 81
laughter Of Mrs. Jane, Whidbee the steward;
nt weeping all day. She pressed eagerly for
ward when any stir in the office led her to sup;
ppSH TFyod. e' She begged that if any news Of her
mother was received during the night word
should Be sent sent to her home s. East Tenth
nnen and Has nes The wife 4 ~ john Pos}
81 her weeping. that her husband was an inter
prefer on the ship. He was n native OF Porlu-
gal, and had been at sea for twenty-seyen years.
The brother OF Dennis and John Casey. walters.
wes in the Office all day, waiting for news. He
,aid that Dennis Casey lives at 2l9 Avenue A.
hmies, and their mother is overcome with
Mrs. John Casey was also present. dressed
In nd mn N ipI hv hpr txy0
children. She was much affected. but was per-
,uaded to go home and lsaye Rer 6rohSJ hN. in
vile Of one OF the quartermasters. was present
In company with the wife OF Frank Graham.
one OF the sailors. They could hardly be per-
he @ saved d.
The mother OF the Bronx brothers, who were
II irsnd ND to shS Inquire after her sons Edwin BronE
the first assistant engineer. was 80 years old
md bis brother Henry was s5 Neither hSd
Fas friend Of First ofieeT Harris, called on
saved. She sT said he was great friend Of Capt
semmes, the Confederate ,privateer. and sailed
On the celebrated sship Kipgfisher His v wife
man John Nee, who lived at 400 West Twenty
fourth street. was eagerly inQuiring oil day for
the list OF the saved.
"A patient but persistent inquirer was Mr..
Martin OF 25l West i2itn street tho brother OF
Mrs, Felipe HERNANDEZ He said thnt Mr.. Her
country over threo years. He has been com
bmissi04 msreR9nt & y the siEar o1sness lie
Hernandaz, was the. youngest child of large
family, and great favorite among very large
circle Of acquaintances, She was returning TO
ia the p y GN Maraas M sef Mqntao
VINO owns three large plantations near Matan-
Zes She had been married but two years. 1t
was the trunk of Mrs. hernandez that was the
first article found ON the Florida const that led
g the belief that the steamship bad been lost.
sae S was the only passenger inquired for at tho
Friends OF Mr.. A. X. Owon OF Chester Pa, telc-
graphed for news OF him early In the day Later
them announcing his safety. Tho only despatch
received BY, tho Messrs. Alexandra yesterday
during business hours containing information
WAS the following from ST. Augustine. Fla:
Thomas Drunsolt jno Greenneid Chas Branienburg
,dsy sIss ny 5Sv dS he S.y
TeS ded S one sya safs ay es Ges p o
Gen dSrGcr, is;1ns lost r.o.s v.. ,n,,....
A throng OF eager relatives crowded to the
Counter to hear Mr.. John Z. Alexandra read
ms despatch. which was received about half
past 3. The punctuation OF the latter part left
II in doubt whether the persons spoken Of were
saved or buried. Kind Efforts we're made to
make make the anxious women, present believe that
mere @ were persons saved whose names were
not gven. and that their friends were among
mem. But most Of them went away sorrow
ing. and wanted to know when another despatch
Mr.. John r. Alexandra said he had done all
ne could to get the list Of saved forwarded at
onoo. He had telegraphed Instructions to Mr..
Eels. the agent OF the Board of Underwriters. to
send OIL the rescued persons at once. and had
received despatch in reply that they would
start. All tho names Of the saved that ne knew
were those in the despatch from Mr.. EelIs. A
despateh to the Board OF Underwriters from
nr. Eells merely said that the ship had foun-
aered on Sunday morning: that the Captain
Tas lost; that all hands went down: that only
three passengers and eight OF the crew were
paved that these were waiting in distress at
Jacksonville. When Mr.. John E. Alexandra
telegraphed 70 send them on at his expense Mr.
Eells replied promptly that they would start
lmmediacly. Ho did not say by what route
they would come, Mr.. John L. Alexandre could
hot. therefore. tell when they would arrive but
Tuesday. i"
n, Mr.. Alexandre, in reply to question as to the
llie-savinR apparatus Of the vessel said that no
sleamship was ever better provided than she
was. ho said his father was an old seaman and
Knew We'll oil that was necessary to make a ship
,aie. With this vessel great pains were taken
p make her strong. and she WAS put on the dry
iSSl,, 5oek on her last voyage when many experts
ihought 1t an unnecessary precauti0n.
!, Mr.. Joseph Alexandra. Jr. the second son OF
the senior member OF the firm, remarked that
ne considered II much the safer way to place
the passengers quarters below docks. This
InI aint ha afa n in khan n.ili