New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-05
A SURVIVORS ACCOUNT.

SURVIVORS, ACCOUNT.
IHg CITY OF VERA CRUZ SHIPS HEAVY sEAs-A
NIGHT OF ANGUIsH-DoATs DAsRED To PIECES
THE STEAMERS AT LENGTH BROKEN IN Two
SAVED MEN AT ST. AUGUSTINE.
iBY TELEGRAPH IRIDUSBl
ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. Sept. ALL doubt is
dispelled that the City OF Vera Cruz has become
total wreck. Seven came to this city last night
from the Halifax River, where they had been all
washed ashore. One of them is A. X. Owen, a pas
sengtr. The Others are engineer al oiler and
four scamen Talbot, one of the seamen gives the
following narrative:
About thirty miles off Shore" he says, eve
began to snip heavy seas and water was found in
the hold. As fast as we could clear her she filed
again by another sea. This state of things soon
made the fires burn low. aud we could not make
steam enough to keep head on the wind. We then
put out heavy drag forward. and managed for
while to keep heruto the wind. Everything was
in panic. The lifebOats were cut loose ready for
action, and all hands were supplied with life-pre-
servers. AT daylight on Sunday the boats were
lowered and manned they no sooner got their
cargo than they were overturned and smashed 10
atoms against the steamer. all hands being
swept away or their lives dashed ont
against the vessels sides. Boat after
boat was dashed to pieces in the
same manner until only few Of the passengers
Wuiiib NtHtult 10 4tdNc lDc slCdu4tl' i4c NhptdlH
aud officers lost their lives N one Of tie boats at
half-past in the morning a heavy struck the
steamer forward, aud crushed her fore and aft All
the fires ana lights Were put ont. and everything
was IN a perfect bediam-people screaming and
shrieking for help all sides. The steamer was
broken IN two. After few surges she foundeyed
and went down, carrying with her al who were on
board.
An AWFUL SCENE.
=. TO o,v'1c
then pieces of drift staff, and sometimes or two
men. lie women made no effort to save themselves,
and were drowned in my sight. A mother AID her
daughter clasp,d to each other during the
gale, and they came ashore that way. drowned.
From that time until O'Clock IN the afternoon l
could sc occasionally OF two men they rode
upon the crest of wave. 1t was useless 10 try to
hold On TO anything, the would tear it from
your grasp and drive You two three fathoms |
under tire surface. and when Tegaining it you |
would have to grasp something else. l was CON- |
PEELED to dive or dodge away from pieces OF DRIFT
stuff which would have killed he if were mt by |!
them After t O'clock l / came |
ashore on the Florida coast
'AbOut halt past z on Monday morning, having |
been about twenty-six hours in the water | soon
found NY other companions, as We al came ashore
about TIE same time, although distance apart.
TIE DKATH OF GENERAL TORBERT.
General Icr0crt aboard. The last time i |
saw INN alive he WAS att with Mr.. Owen,
q young man who WAS saved with u.s. /
saw General Torbert again dead at Port Or
ange, where me came ashore insensble. A
boy found him and dragged him up as far as he
could, aud ran for assistance; when they got
back lie was dead. Bruises on his head indicate
that Ne was struck by drift stun ana stunned. His
body was buried on a farm at Daytona.
" One OF our number swan from the wreck with
out the ad OF life preServcr; he was entirely nude
and came ashore FIRST. We are all more OF less
bruised from the striking and bufetmg of the seas
and driftwood.'
The body of young man has come ashore at
Matanzas; it had only SHIRT and drawers on. A
few miles further south the body of
all Old gentleman, who appears to
have been about ffty-eght or sixty
years Old was washed ashore together with those
of elderly lady and young girl and child.
Rings and jewelry have been taken from these
bodies, and will be kept to aid in their identilca-
ton.
1t Will crafty friends of the drowned passeng gers
and crew 10 know that letters have been found,
and that they will be retained until further in
luiry is made respecting them.
Many trunks have ashore and been red
but 1T is believed that all the personal property
taken, at least the greater part of it, be
powered III Is deemed unfortunate that there Is
fe-savng station on this coast to protect wrecked
property, and prevent II from being lost stolen
No portion OF the wreck has come ashore, except
sofa yeIed with red plush and some pieces of /
furniture formed in part of iron-castings, which are
stamped: m. d ii, IhrenkhelseT, New-YoIk pat
nted May %. 1876"
Word has been received here that three more men
nave been saved. further SOUTH 1t is expected that
hey will be either here to-day OF that they VIII be
heard from. :,
There are seven or eight WRECKS on this beach
within "A dIstance of fifty miles. One is lying oil .
about one and one-half miles at sea. "
'be Is capsized, and apparently anchored The :
,rig Caroline Eddy is ashore at Mantanzas. Cap
ain George Warren and all the crew have been
aved. She wa bound from Fcrnandina to New
'ork and was loaded with lumber 1t is impossible
present to give names of the other wrecked vcs-
els. V
THE COAST STREWN WITH WRECKS r
iISoR DisAsTRRs-THK GENERAL EFFECT OF The :,
HURRICANE. q
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE o