Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-21
SPECIAL BY TELEGRAPH TO THE RECORD UNIoS.l

SPECIAL BY TELEGRAPH TO THE RECORD UNIoS.l
New BEDFORD (Mass.), January 2OEh.-
The town is full of people looking for the
bodies of relatives and friends lost by the
wreck of the steamer City of Columbus.
There has been deplorable lack Of system
in regard to the disposal of the bodies picked
up at various points along the coast. Stray
bodies of victims have been recovered by
various crafts plying through Vineyard Sour
and taken to widely separated points. 1t is
reported that several bodies were picked up
by a schooner and landed at Edgsrtown,
Woods Hall and Vineyard Haven. Iii posi-
lively known that there are now eleven
bodies at Vineyard Haven, but the number
at other points cannot be sscertained at pres
ent, owing to the fact that there is no regular
communication between these various ports.
At daylight this morning several newspaper
correspondents chartered the tug Nellie for
cruise off Gay Head, with the object OF
boarding the wreck and making landing at
Gay Head, which latter point has not yet
been visited. Several gentlemen who lost
relatives by the disaster accepted invitations
to accompany the Nellie. at o'clock the
weather had moderated sufficiently to war.
rant the tugs venturiug into the Sound, and
within two hours the Nellie steamed within
sighting distance of
THE WRECKED STEAMER.
Upon approaching closer it was ascertained
that about fifty feet of her bow and deck were
out of water. The bow was resting upon the
rocks of Devils Bridge, while the stern was
slowed around point or two into deep water.
From a distance it appeared as If three bodies
were hanging to the ratings OF the mlzzsn
rigging. By the time the Nellie had run
within caunon-shot distance of the wreck the
snow changed to sleet, the wind began blow
ing fiercely from the northwest, and il was
found impossible to approach within quar-
ter Of = mile Of the City of Columbus, owing
to the fact that the ledge forming the Devils
Bridge extended that distance to the eastward
Of the wreck The Nellie skirted the buoy
on the east and ran within an eighth OF
nile of the wharf st Gay Head light. but
the Sea was running so high that the tug
could not approach the wharf, and & yawl
was launched, in which some correspondents
and visitors set out for Gay Head. 1t was
only with great difficulty that the party
landed, SIS the waves, twenty feet high, dashed
over the wharf.
TEN PERSONS SAVED.
The party proceeded to the lighthouse,
where it was ascertained that ten persons
landed safely from the wreck, all of whom
were alive, and, under the circumstances,
doing well. They are VIM. Spaulding, Of
Boston, purser; Henry Collins, OF Taunton,
second assistant engineer; John Hines, of
Bost n, fireman Thomas Butler, of Prince
Edwards Island, fireman ; VIM. \, McDon-
aid, of Boston. quartermaster Thomas
O'Leary, seaman Michael Kennedy and Ed
ward O'Bfieu, St. Johns, n. F., walters :;
James M Brown and J. Tibbetts, passengers.
Purser Spauldiug was found in the residence
Of the keeper of the lighthouse, his head
bandaged, aud wearing the clothes in which
he swsm from the wreck to the life boat.
While the officers and seamen were relating
their experiences to the correspondents, the
visitors, guided by native half-breeds, started
off to various poin' in the vicinity where the
bodies were placed after being picked up by
the natives along the beach. The first place
visited was the " meeting house, a diispi.
dated and storm beaten church, in one of the
widest places on the coast. There they
found five bodies-four men and one woman.
BODIES IDENTIFIED.
As the party entered the building and be-
held the outetretched forms upon the floor,
Mr. Belyes, of Lynn, cried out, THAT is my
dear niece, Alice" and he knelt before the
PROSTATE and dis6gured remains, weeping
convulsiyely. The remains were horribly
maugled. ard covered with blood from head
to foot. Another holy, that of George Kel.
logg, was Identified by q relative present.
The remaining three we're unidentified. One
OF them was that of q passenger who died in
the life boat while on its way from the wreck
to land Kellogg left the vessel in the
boat with Quartermsster Mcdonald, and
worked at The oars until he dropped
dead from exhaustion and exposure. The
party then proceeded to the beach, where it
was reported that number Of bodies were
lyirg. As one of the natives lifted the tar
paulin from the first victim, Rev. a. r. Dun
ming, OF Lawrence, recognized him as his
brother.iU-law, Henry Batchelder. The rev.
Grand gentleman was overcome with emotion,
aud wept Historically. The party then con-
tinued on the barren waste until they reached
a c.bin guarded by hslf-breed woman, where
the remains Of Mrs Belyea we're found, horri-
bly, mutilsted frem contact with the wrecksge
and rocks. The body of Mrs Atkinson was
u
which had evidently been torn from her head
in the agony of death. There were FIVE
other bodies in the hut-fcur men
ard one woman - unidentified. The
party proceeded along the beach back to
the Gay Head light. Along this stretch they
saw nine corpses, all more or less dishgured,
and their fsces wearing a haunting look Of
horror. None were identified. The latter
were removed to places Of shelter along the
coast. The natives refused to allow the re-
NJ oval of the bodies till the expenses of re-
covery we're paid. The bodies of Mrs. Belyea,
Mrs. Atkinson, Kellogg and Batchelder were
conveyed in an OK cart and put aboard the
ting.
THE PURsER's STORY.
Purser Spsulding, after describing how he
and the second steward went through the
cabin arousing the passengers, said 1.-The
vessel keeled over so far on the port side that
all the state.rooms on that side were sub.
merged. On the weather side of the deck
there were three or four passengers. When the
ship righted and settled, there was terrible
scene of confusion on deck. Men and women,
some with children in their arms. clambered
up to the deck, clingiug frsnticsllY to every
available projection, and crowded upon each
! other 20 fast that they could not be counted.
| As they rushed upon deck they were only to
/ be met by some monstrous wave, and swept
/ off into the sea. Groans. yells and curses
contended with the fury of the gale. Women
| shrieked, arc men shouted themselves hoarse.
Sea after sea swept over the ship, carrying off
/ everything not made of iron. 1t was blowing
hurricane. The moon shone brilliantly,
aud land wss plainly visible. 1 saw eight or
ten men hanging to the rigging. went to
the maintop with the steward and psssen.
ger. The after part CT the snip filed and
sank and the vessel rigbted. The sea at this
| time was making clean sweep over the ship.
| I saw life raft with six men on it. Oae Of
! the port boats was launched and upset
Then l saw the port boat, No. ). launched by
quartermsster Macdonald, and sailors Robert
Gallant sud Edwin Lsary. A passenger
named Tibbetts also got into the boat. When
| saw the lashings of the raft cut, thought
heye was = chance for SpauldiDg and l.
let myself down the msinstsy, but before
could reach the raft a monsterous wave swept
it overheard, carving those On it into tht
sea. They were all lost. | hung to the rop,
and endeavored to swing myself upon tht
hurricane house. but before l could do so tn,
waves had torn it away. The same gissnti,
wave caught me and swept me again int,
the per. rigging. l was badly burt, but sftel
a time managed to crawl into the msiutoI
again, where | stayed until 800 in he morn
inz, when l YVES taken off by the liie-boat.