The Osceola times., 1881-02-12
DIED TOGETHER.
Pathetic Incident of the Wreck of the ship
I.riC.
san Francisco Alta California.

Uric.
san Francisco Alta California.
Henry Wass0u. formerly chief officer
Of the Ship Eric the Red, who has ar
rived from the other side of the Pacific,
tells a thrilling story, the main points OF
which are rs follows: On the night OF
September rs. the Erie sighted Cape OF
way light. and every one ON board was
confident that the voyage would soon be
at an end and were looking forward 20
be at Melbourne on the morrow The
light breeze which prevailed was just
sufficient To- give the ship headway. At
midnight the second officer called the
captain on deck and reported that a
heavy fog had settled over the land,
which was scarcely visible. Orders were
given at about l:30 q. II. TO wear ship,
but there was not sufficient wind to ac-
complish the maneuvre. The vessel re-
fused to 90 around. The light, which
had up to this time been invisible sud
denly shone out and made visible TO all
the perilous situation they were in. \
long narrow ridge of cruel rocks runs out
some few miles from the cape. 1t was
between this ridge and the high, precipl-
tOus coast that the vessel lay, slowly dritt-
ing to her doom. The only passengers
were n gentleman named Gould and ms
wife. They had been married at Bath but
a few weeks previous to the ycssels De
parture from New York. Mrs. Gould had
developed incipient consumption, and
by the advice of the doctors had under
taken sea voyage with view to COM
bat the dire malady. Theyoung couple had
enioyed themselves during the trip and
were eagerly looking forward TO the ter
mination of the voyage The vessel was
now rapidly drifting to destruction and
no power on earth could avert her break
ing on the reef. Capt Doane and his
| officers stood on the poop giving orders
| to the crew TO set the boats out. Two OF
| them were launched, but the current
| carried them among the breakers, where
| they were Immediately smashed to pieces,
| At 3 4 m, just as daylight broke, the i'll
| fated ship with one bound struck upon
| the rect The shock took six of her crew
who were clustered on the forecastlc
/ head right off their feet, and q succeeding
/ sea sweeping over the ship carried them
/ with it. Mr. and Mrs Gould were with
| the survivors on the poop With tear
| fll countenanccs and looks of horrOrthe
saw their ends approaching. The captain
/ cxhOrted them to allow him to have
/ them lashcd to q spar, but hcrthrOugll
| fear or hope of being saved through
some other method, they steadily refused
| The ship was now grinding and crashing
among the breakers. The sharp rocks
were PLAYING havoc with the timbcrs
and the huge waves rolling in shore
would lift her again and again only tc
/ bring them nearer LO Il strutuJn Bl1e
/ lights and rockers were burned, but the
! lght-kccpers state that, owing 10 the
| heavy fog they never saw them. Morn
ing came at ast;the breeze had ireSheucd
To Il gale. but still pull Of mist huns
over the land. At / p. m. the house ol
| deck got loose, and upon it the Captain
| Mrs Gould and sixteen others embarked
. One heavy sen lifted it of the deck, and
| they found themselves adriit on the
ocean. Their fate was, however, not YET
| decided. The sea was washing over ia,
frail house. One huge wave swept Mr.
| and Mrs. Gould and three sailors iuto th,
vdwuing gulf. 1t was impossible 90 save
them. Ropes there were none and thcy
/ disappeared almost Immediately. Whcr
last seen they were clinging to cacl
/ other. The next morning the mounted
] troopers tI-d-th Ia N'HI l44lt- bl' ~"
/ shore for the dead found the bodies
iuterlockcd in each others arms. United
i'm life. they were not divided in death
Their still embrace rendering it impos
sible to separate them, they were buried
in one coffin. The bodies of five of the
crew were found at various points along
the coast bearing mark, of bruises from
contact with the rocks. The survivors
after remaining on the dcrk-houSc for
twenty hours were picked up by the
steamer Dawn on her passage from Adcl.
aide to Melbourne. They were kindly
received by United States Consul and
! clothing provided for them.