The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-25

WRECK OF H GENERAL GRANT.
been taken on the morning before, and
the captain, a skillful navigator, had every
reason to believe that he knew his position
exactly.s
On the night of Sunday, May IS, land
was sighted on the weather bow. The
wind at the time was northwest and the
course steered east by north. The watch
below was instantly called upon deck, the
yards were squared away to clear the yes
sci from the land, and a southeasterly
course was laid. After half an hour she
was hauled up to the eastward again, only
to sight the Auckland islands dead ahead.
The ship was put.on the port tack, but
hardly had steerage way, as the wind was
light and Il short, choppy sea prevailed.
For two hours the gallant craft struggled
against the mysterious magnetic power
for which the Auckland stands arc noted
among sealnen and which seemed to have
her in its grasp, but it soon became APP
parent to all that she was drifting bodily
toward the islands.
The land on the lee beam looked like a
bank of fog. The wind died away tt a
dead calm. and the craft became unman
ageable. To lower boats to tow her was
useless on account of the nasty sea u
ming, and the southwest swell surged the
hapless craft with her human freight
nearer and nearer to the fatal rocks.
The General Grant had q fill passenger
list of about 60-pcrsons, including several
women and children. She had an assert
ed cargo, in addition to-which she had
safely stored away-and insured four heavy
boxes of gold she was taking to London.
In addition to this sum-, many of the pas
sengers were returning miners who had
intrusted their savings with the captain
for safe keeping. A conservative estimate
of the gold on board is $3.50, 600.
The ship carried a crew of about "a men
and was well provided with boats, but
they were powerless to avert the doom
which threatened. In all there were SO
unfortunates crowded on the deck when
the first crash came about l O'Clock in the
morning.
Raised on the top of a heavy swell, the
ship was hurled against the point of a pro
jecting rock and broke q piece of it away.
With the next sea she WAS dragged astern
to another point, which carried awry her
rudder and spanker boom, thro 5ng the
sailor at the wheel to the deck and break
ing several of his ribs.
The two points Of rock upon which the
y 4Al 6ll u b4AS ~ ~
cave nearly 300 feet deep, and into this she
was drawn by some irresistible force, sur
rounded by dark masses of rock and with
25 fathoms of water under her stern.
The crew lighted lamps and torches and
held them over the side to ascertain whith-
er they were being dragged, but on all
sides and above them were savage rocks,
against which the water was sullenly
and on which there was scarce
L. 1Jobhold for a bird.
Soon the royal mast struck tho narrow
ing roof and calne down with a fearful
crash, bringing down a mass of rock with
1t. Topmast and lower mast followed, the
accompanying rocks tearing the decks to
pieces. Just before dawn the mizzen top
gallant mast came down with a crash, but
Notwithstanding the terrors of the awful
night the passengers were orderly and
obedient. "But it may be imagined"
said one of the survivors, 'thow eagerly
we longed for the first streak of day
light"
The Grant had two quarter boats, each
20 feet over all and 5 feet beam, besides a
long boat 80 feet on the keel and Z feet
beam. At daylight one of the quarter
boats was launched over the stern by means
of a spar rugged for that purpose, and in
this boat were three ablebodied seamen.
An anchor and rope were placed in this
boat, and she was sent to see if a landing
could be made outside of the cave and re-
turn at once TO report. For some unknown
reason, however, she did not come back,
and the other quarter boat was then
launched. In her was placed some SO tins
Of boulli and some beef and pork.
Captain Loughlin, who did his duty
nobly, intended to dispatch this boat with
women and children on board to join the
one first launched, but his intention was
in some way frustrated. The boat was
filled with men, and one woman, Mrs.
Jewell, the stewardess, in being low
cred from the ship, fell into the sea. Her
husband jumped IN after her, and both
were among tho survivors.
There was i heavy sea runnlnr. D the