The Baltimore County union., 1882-05-20
THE LATE LIEUT.. HERNDoN.

Dating from the National Observa-
tory, a, Washington, ID. c.. October
10Th, 1889, Lieut.. Mathew +. Maury,
OF Virginia, (who was subsequently
Commodore in the United States Navy
wrote the letter suhjoined to the then
Secretary OF the Navy. II will be seen
that i, fully explains the meaning OF the
name "Hcrndon." which may be now
seen upon tall granite shaft in the
naval grounds at Annapolis:
".SV On the I,ih day of September
last. at sea, near the outer edge of the
Gulf Stream, 81 degrees IS minutes
north, the United States mail steamship
CrRrai dmc,7fd with the California
mails. most of the passengers and crew,
and large amount Of treasure on board,
foundered in a gale of wind.
"'rhc law requires the vessels of this
line TO be commanded by officers OF the
Navy, and Commander William Lewis
Herndon, OF Virginia, had this one
He went down with his ship, leaving 4
glorious example of devotion TO duty,
Christian conduct and true heroism.
"The Central .fmSyGfd, 4, the time
of her loss, was bound from Aspinwall, /,
ria Havana, to New York. She had
on board, as nearly as has been ascer-
tanned, about two millions in gold, and
tour hundred and seventy.four paSSen-
gers, besides 4 crew, all told, of one
hundred and one souls total five hun
dred and seventy five.
"She touched At Havana on the 9TH
of September last, and put to sea again
at nine O'Clock on the morning of the
Sth. The ship was apparently in good
order the time seemed propitious and
all hands were in fine health and spirits,
for the prospects of safe and speedy
passage home were very cheering. The
breeze was from the trade-wind quarter
at northeast bu, 4, midnight of the
9th i, freshened to 4 gale, which con-
,inued TO increase till the forenoon oi
Friday, September the nth, when i;
blew with great violence from northeast.
"Up TO this time the ship behaved
admirably. Nothing had occurred
worthy of note, or in any way calcula-
ted TO excite suspicious OF her prowess,
until the forenoon of that day, when il
was discovered tha; she had sprung !
leak.
"rhe sea was running high the ship
was very much keeled over on the star.
board side, and laboring heavily. The
leak was so large that by p. m. the
water had risen high enough to ex;in'
guish the fires on one side and stop I'll,
engine.
"Bailing gangs were set to work, tbs
passengers cheerfully assisted, and al
hands were sent over on the windwart
side to trim ship. Being relieved in :
measure, she righted, and the fires wer,
relighted. But there was very heav,
sea on, and in spite of pumps and bail
ing gangs, with their buckets, whips anc
barrels, the water gained upon then
until il reached the furnaces and exiin
guished the fires again, never to be re
kindled. This was Friday.
"The ship was now At the mercy o.
the waves, and was wallowing in th'
trough of the sea like log.
"Crcw and passengers worked man
fully, pumping and bailing all Friday
afternoon and nigh, I; and when da,
dawned upon them, the violence of th'
storm was still increasing.
"All that energy, professional skill
and seamanship could do to weather tn
storm and save the ship, had been done
The tempest was still raging; resource
were exhausted; the working partie
were tagged out, and the Captain fore
saw that his ship must go down.
"Still there was some chance TO
hope; he nigh; save life even il he los
the ship, mails and treasures. He wa
in 4 frequented part of the ocean, ant
a passing vessel might come to the res
cue Of crew and passengers, If the
could but manage to keep the ship afioa
until the gale abated. He encourages
them with this hope.
"The flag was hoisted union down
that every vessel as she hove in sigh
might know they were in distress an
wanted help. =
"Finally, about noon Of Saturday, tn
| attn, the gaze DeBan 10 aoate anu VI
sky to brighten. Avessel hove in sight
saw the signal Of distress, fan down I
the steamer, was hailed, answered, an
was asked for help. She could Civ
none and kept on her course.
"At about p. m. the brig Marin
Captain Burt, Of Boston, bound frol
the West Indies to New York, hear
minute-gu and saw the steamers sil
nails Of distress. She ran down to oh
sinking ship, and though very muc
crippled herself by the gale, promise
to lay by. She passed under the stean
er's stern, spoke, rounded to and keI
her word.
"rhe steamers boats were ordered
be lowered; the Marine had none thi
could live in such sea.
"Now came another trying time.-
Who Of this crew should be selected
man the boats1 Would they desert hi
when they got of from the ships The
were some who he knew would not.
| ~. 4. t.-.e da.neead that chin