The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-09

and communicated the danger TO him.
He now realized that there WSs danger
and at once gave orders for the ship to b.
put under sail and start out to sea- anC
he Of the same time ordered the lndianl
to get of. Seven OF the crews men rar
up the ropes 10 spread the sails, and other
commenced hauling up the anchor. But
1t was too late now. The massacre hAc
commenced. When the ssvARes saw tha
the ship was about to sail, they drew thei!
knives and sprung upon the men to Kill
them.
or what followed nothing is known, MOI
even Of this, except upon the testimony o
the Indian interpreter who was an ey'
witneas to 1t all. But, there was desperate
resistance from the crew, though they
were taken by surprise, and were for thu
most part unarmed. They fought Will
hatchetp or hSndspikes, or whatever theJ
could catch up from the deck. The cap
tain had butCher.kn and with it die
fearful work, striking down every savsg'
within reach OF him. He tried to MAKE
his way TO the cabin where there were
muskets, but be was killed before ht
could reach It. Nearly all the crew wst
already dead. The seven men who hat
gone aloit to make sail, saw with theil
horror what was going on. They lei
Themselves down by the ropes, and tried
to get between the decks. Three were
killed in the attempt, and the other foul
succeeded in reaching the cabin, where
they opened FIRE upon the eavaVes with
fatal effect, and the ship was soon cleared
The Indians fed in their canoes for the
shore.
The men sailed forth from the cabin
and opened FIRE on the canoes With the
ship's artillery, and did much execution
among them. 0nly Ave Of the crew were
alive-the four man who had reached the
cabin and Mr.. Lewis, the ships clerk
who wac wounded, but still alive.
Itseems tEat the ship wRs fated 10 be
destroyed, and that nothing could save 1t +;
for the very winds now had set toward
the land, and it was impossible to get the
vessel out 10 sea. Sothere 1t remained all
day within few hundred feet Of the shore
and unable to get RwSy; and thus 1t was
when night came on.
AS soon az 1t was dark, the largest boat
on the ship Was gotten ready, and the
men intended to put oil, and coast their
way to some less hostile shore. But,
when they were ready to start, Mr.. Lewis
declined to 90. He said that he was NOR
tally wounded and could live only few
dayu anyway, and he was determined to
stay where he was and have revenge on
the savaSeH. Thus, with reluctance, the
other men pulled away and left him.
He was ss good as his word, and his
vengeance was terrible. Few tragedies in
history equal it in desperate GOODNESS. l
can only compare 1t to the revenge Of the
blind Sampson, In the Bible, who pulled
down the house upon his enemies,
although himself periahed with them. 1t
was so with Mr.. Lewis. He wrought fear.
full destruction upon the savsges, bat his
eyes never beheld the ruin. He persisted
with them.
When morning dawned, the Indiana
from the shore saw that the chip was still
there, It's sails Hopping loosely in the Wind,
and not a man was 10 be seen on board.
But they were suspicious, and for a long
time would not venture from land. Fl.
nally, however, boat came oil, but kept
at safe distance, to reconuoitre. MIR.
Lewis now came upon the deck and sly
nailed TO them to come on board, ana
made to them overtures OF pesce. Thie
dispellod their Tears, and they came on
board. Others from the shore, mean
while, had come of, and in lew minutes
the ship was full Of Indians, and others
were Clambering up the sides, eager to get
on board and share the plumber which
they expected to find. Those on board
saw not eoul for Mr.. Lewis had diaap.
peRred.
Suddenly there was q tremendous ex-
plosion, and the chip was blown into ten
Thousand pieces, while splintered spars
and broken maats, and tim6srs, and human
arms and legs, and hesdless trunks, all
went up together in roar Of smoke, like
Cipders from the crater Of volcano. Mr.
Lowis had set FIRE to the powder magazine,
and thus had found his revenge.
The destruction among the savages wac
never ascertsined; in numbers, but 1t
almost annihilated whole tribe, for the
chief had assembled all his warriors 10
take part in the attack on the ship. For
days afterwards mHtilated bodies and de-
tsched limbs were thrown up on the
shores Of the neighboring islands, and the
remnant OF the late powerful tribe sat sui
len and despairing round their fires, and
brooded over the calamity which had
come upon them, but which they could
not understand.
The Indian interpreter was on eye wit.
ness Of all this, and II was ultimately
through him that report OF the disaster
reached the traders at Astoria. Had it
not been for him, the world would never
have known the late OF the ship, and 1t
would have passed into mysterious history
like 60 many other ships that have never
returned.
We're it not for making this article too
long, would follow tho four men who
went of in their boat during the night.
However, ! will State that they ultimate
ly periBhed by the hand OF the sava4es Of
this very island.
So, when l recalled all this tragical story,
1t was no wonder that felt interested
when told that our vessel was riding at
anchor in the identical spot where the
Tonquin went down. The whole scene
passed before my imagination &c though I
Was looking ct it. But there have been
some changes sincs then. The inhabitants
Of the shore have passed away, and the
beach ia now silent, save the low Childing
OF the waves against the rocks. But, l
could fancy that could see the hundreds
OF warriors crowding there, unconscious
Of the doom that vas hanging over them.
The forests, back from the beach, think
have not changed since then. The dense
wilderness OF pines is dark and almost
impenetrahle, and slauda out in bold re-
lief against the dullness Of tho summer
eky. But, the winds OF the summer are az
warm and bland now Rs then; and l
WATCHED the sun go down into the blue
ocean, and the darkness hid the aosne
from my eyes.
HAVING in our official capacity as mem.