The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-01-19
AN OCEAN TRAGEDY.
THE TERRIBLE FATE WHICH 6EFsL
The CENTRAL AMERICA.

the Ellen 10 the Rescue.
And who that remembers can hear
without q thrill the name of the steam
ship Central America, which sank in a
rreat storm on Sepl -, 1857, with most
# her officers and crew, nearly 400 pas
senSers and 81. 500, 900 in gold?
The Central America was crowded
with treasure laden people from Cali
fCrnia on their way 10 New York. Aft
ar leaving Havana on Sept. she ran
into a storm. The steamer began to
leak. and Captain Hernden called upon
the passengers to form lines and pass
the buckets. Hour after hour the tenn
pest howled. and the huge vessel groaned
as the immense seas broke against her.
Hour after hour the men with the buck
cts toiled for their lives; slowly the Wa
ter gained on them.
The officers exhorted the bucket gangs
not 10 pause for moment if the ship
was 10 be saved. The wind roarej and
the storm increased in fury. Every pas
senger stuck to his post and worked IN
ii he fell 10 the deck exhausted. Then
the women offered 10 take the places Of
their wornout, fainting husbands and
brothers. but none Of the men would al
low il. As the horror Of the situation
gradually dawned on the minds Of the
Won en- and children the air was filled
with sounds Of terror. but above the
aging hurricane and the cries of lamen-
tsriou rose the chorus Of the bucket
men:
HeAve. oh. heave, oh! stamp and so,
Wen be Jolly blather, oh.
AL day long they sang this song and
fought for life against the steadily MS
ing water. Mrs. EaSton. q bride on her
honeymoon trip, passed bottles of wine
to the heroic men 10 strengthen them in
their desperate work. All night long
the struggle w2S continued. and still the
ocean gained inch by inch. The women
begged. with tears in their eyes, TO be
allowed 10 help. They cheered the brave
fellows and wept when they saw them
fall 70 the deck with white faces and
trembling limbs.
During the next day the peril Of the
steamer was increased by the lack Of food
and water. The hurricane tossed the
sinking hull about and shattered her
Spars and maSts. While the tired and
sleepless men stuck 70 the buckets the
women knelt and prayed TO God for as
s;Stance.
About > o'clock in the afternoon q sail
was seen 10 windward Guns were fired
and signals Of distress hoisted- The
strange vessel. which turned out TO be
the brig Marine OF Boston, answered the
signals and tried 10 approach, but the
gale blew her about three miles away.
Then the boats were made ready, and
the women and children prepared them
selves. They had 70 strip of nearly ell
Of their clothes and put on life preserv-
ers Many OF the women had gold,
which they could not carry with the
them. Twoof them went 10 their state
rooms and took out bags OF so gold
p;eces. which they threw down II the
cabin. inviting the others TO take what
they pleased. The money rolled and
TnEied about On The floor. while the TWO
weeping women explained that they were
returning home 70 enjoy the fortune
which they had made in California, and
that they would b bsEgars i tle ship
was Ios-. None Of the women dared 70
take more than two pieces OF gold lest il
might weigh them down
The men still remained a. their work.
saving that they would remain On board
until another ship arrived. IS the Marine
could ro- t4ke al the passengers, and
the women and children must be saved
f-s-. Among those heroes was Billy
Birch tha famous minstrel
Two % the IiteboaIS were smashed by
the saa. but three boats were filed with
women and children. many Q: the latter
bang infants. The last boat to leave
carried the chief engineer. BE solemnly
r-o-niSai the captain 70 return. but the
moment he go7 into the boat he drew q
knife and threatened 70 Kill any one who
followed him La-e- on. when the WON
- and children were put O. board tbs
Marine. re chief engineer, Ike the COW
ard and lar he was, refused 70 return
Now the sinking steamship was 50 low
n ne OCEAN that almost evs-y wave
szsu. ksr deck. Some OF the passengers
Eot into the rigging. while Others tried
70 build a raft Night came OF The
storm continued 70 -age- The ship Quiv-
s-ed and ca-ee-e5. Rockets scared up
into the believing. angry heavens Slow
II -.a vessel filed with water, and the
doomed host cIingng 70 h. deck and
rig-ng prepared fO- death The-e was
10 7zasuznz ard 10 shrieEng, 10 wiring
nz q hands The captain STOOD az the
wheel ID TIE last
Al a. oncs the ship, as Il il a. agony
q death hzrsslf. made plunge a! az
angle o. Is degrees, and with 81 appal-
ing shrek from the engulfsd mass she
disappeared. and nez-ly 800 human BE-
nE ws-e Ieft struggling among the
hs-os waters Inc scene was hoOfying,
and many who were saved afte-ws-d
TINTED 81 ths nere memory q II
Afew hsld On 70 plAnE and spars al
thrsugh the Wild night, and as the day
h-oka ths Norwegian bark Ellen arrived
and picked I'D q Of tie men
Il was forced o1- Of ny course Just