The National tribune., 1882-04-08
CHAPTER FROM THE PAST.
HEROIC DEATH OF THE PRESIDENTS
FATHER-lN-LAW.
Grsyi,c Account OF The Loss Of The Central Amer.
ica--Lieutcnant Herndou'S Last Message
20 His U:le-Touchins incidents
OF The Great Disaster.

ci iae steamer Central America IN 1857, and
;he heroic death Of her commander, Captain
Iirrndou, I. S. y, VAS written by Lieuten-
ant Maury, Of the United States Naval OBJ
sorvatoTy, shortly after its occurrence. 1t is
. vivid picture Of heroism and danger:
SIR: On the 18th day of September
last, at sea, the United States mail steam
ship Central America, with the California
mails, most of the passengers and crew, and
= Large amount Of treasure on board, ioun-
Gered in gale Of wind.
The law requires the vessels of this line
to be commanded by officers Of the navy, aud
Commander William Lewis Herndou had
this one. He went down with his ship,
leaving glowing example OF devotion to
duty, Christian conduct, and true leroisn.
The Department has already been officially
informed of this wreck and disaster, and of
how nobly Hcrndon stood to his post and
gloriously pcTished; how the women and
children were all saved; and how he did all
that man could do, or officer should, to save
his ship and crew also. But the particulars
have been given to the Department. only in a
perishable form Of newspaper records.
AS a tribute to his memory, as material
for history, as an heirloom Of the navy, and
q legacy TO his country, l desire to place on
record IN the Department this simple writing
and memorial OF him. We were intimates;
have known him from boyhood; he was
my kinsman; the ties of cOnsanguinity, as
well as our professional avocations brought
us frequently and much together We were
close friends. Under these circumstances, I
ask your leave to file a report of that gale
and his loss. | aim to embody in it q simple
narrative of incidents, derived from state
ments which the survivors from the wreck
have made, either publicly through the
prints of the day, or privately to his family
and friends. These incidents, in the silent
influence Of the lessons they teach, constitute
an inheritance of rare value to his country
men; they are the heirloom of which 1 spoke,
and will, am persuaded, be productive Of
much good to the service.
The Central America, at the time of her
loss, was bound from Aspinwall, via Havana,
TO New York. She had on board, as nearly
as has been ascertained, about $4,000, 900 in
gold, and 474 passengers, besides a crew, all
told, of 10l souls: total SO. She touched
at Havana on the 7th of September last, and
put 10 sea again at nine o'clock on the morn
iug % the oth The snip was apparently in
gUOd order, Tie time seemed pTopitlouS, and
all h..uds were in fine health and spirits, for
tile prospects of safe and speedy passage
l,lue "oIo very cheering. The breeze was
ir0ul JAe uradewind quarter ut northeast =
bat ~ IuidHiSh Of the 9th it freshened to a
,slr, which continued 10 increase till the
tu-noo4 Of Friday, September II, when it
blew With great violence from north north
cast
Up 70 this time the ship behaved admira-
bly,. Nothing had occurred worthy of note,
"r'a ,'uy way calculated to excite suspicious /
Of her prowess, until the forenoon of that /
Gay, when it was discovered that she had |
sprung aleak. The sea was running high; /
the ship was very much keeled over on the /
Starboard side, and laboring heavily. The /
leak was so large that by one p. N. the /
water had risen high enough to extinguish .
the fires on one side and stop the engine /
Bailing gangs were set to work, the passen-
gers cheerfully assisting, and all hands were
sent over On the windward side TO trim ship. |
Being relieved in a measure, she righted .
and the fires were relighted. But there was
very heavy sea on, and, in spite of pumps
and bailing gangs, with their buckets, whips
and barrels, the water gained upon them
until it reached the furnaces and extin-
guIshed the fires again, never to be rellindled.
This was Friday.
The ship was now at the mercy of the |.
waves, and was walIowing in the trough Of
the sea like a log. She was q side-wheel
steamer, with not little top-hamper, and
therefore an ugly thing to manage in such
situation. The storm spencer had been
blown away, and the foreyard was sent
down during the night. Attempts were
made to get the ship before the wind, but
no canvas was stout enough to Withstand
the raging of the storm. After the headsails
had been blown away the captain ordered
the olew OF the foresail to be lashed down TO
the deck, thinking TO hoist the yard up only
little way, show canvas and get her off;
but by the time the yard was well clear Of
the bulwarks the sail was taken right out
of the bolt ropes, so great was the force Of
the wind and such the fury Of the gale. The
foremast was then cut away, the foreyard
was converted into drag and got over
board; bits Of canvas also were spread in
the rigging aft, hoping by these expedients
rs a last resort, 10 bring the ship head TO
wind, but all to no purpose; She refused to
come. Crew and passengers worked man
fully, pumping and bailing all Friday after
noon and night; and when day dawned
upon them the violence Of the storm was
sill increasing All that energy, professional
skill, and seamanship could do 10 weather
the storm and save the ship had been done
The tempest was still raging; resources were
exhausted; the working parties were7
tagged out, and the captain foresgw that his
snip must 20 down.
sGI there was some chance for hope; he
might aaye life, even if lie lost the ship,
l..4tis and treasure lie was in lregueuted
pagt Of tile ocean, and a passing vessel
might come 10 the rescue Of crew aud pas
SEN scEs, if they could but manage TO keep ]
tine ship ahoat until the gale abated. lie j
encouraged them with this hope, aud asked
Tor a rally, They responded with cheers. ,