Year: 1869

the loss of the Pacific Mail Steamship Companys
steamer Hermann. on the night OF the 18th of
February at about O'Clock, she upon reef
about 100 miles down the coast Of Japan the weather


being S MISTY M etn ~ e her Off or eVe e rsS 81
saving the lives OF all on board OF whom over two
hundred perished' Inc SURVIVORS nSvlng landed,
Japanese boat to bring them up to Yokohama, where
they arrived at O'Clock this afternoon. Captain
Newell thus recounts the diBaster:-


THE CAPTAINS STORY.


| was ordered to take command of the Hermann
soon as that vessel should return to Yokohama from
Yeddo and did so on the morning OF the 18th OF
February There were then on board three hundred
and fifty passengers and crew Of eighty men. The
heavy southwesterly gale which had prevailed for
twenty-four hours previously had broken the wind
had veered to N. and f., and the barometer indicat
to the Straits OF Saugar. Outside of Cape Sagaln
we encountered heavy southwesterly swell


but wind fresh from N. and E. Passed the
at 43O p. NJ and then steered N. E; by E til7 p M.
then steered N. E. by e. y E. one hour; then E. N.
| making about seven knots per hour against the
strong wind. These courses should have taken the
ship about eight miles from the land at the point of
Kawatzu, but / supposed the heavy s. w.
would set her on shore, and therefore, thought
the distance from land might be about five miles.
The second officer was stationed forward in the
bows on the lookout The night was extremely
distinctly, and altered the ships course to the
eastward in the manner Delated above, to give the
point distance about seventy-lve mlles from 1oko-
hama) wide berth the native pilot on board having
told me that there was reef of the point although
its existence was not indicated on the chart, nor
mentioned in the sailing directions l steered this
course Z. by N. IN. from till o'clock had then
apprehensons whatever, and had just been aft to
the standard compass to examine the
made by it, and was going forward again when l
discovered breakers of the port-bow, and imme-
diatey after them ahead. / then ordered the
helm 'hard port" The ship at once answered the
movement OF the helm, but was caught by tremen-
dous roller and thrown with great violence upon the
rocks, striking first forward and then aft when
raised by the following swell. Successive seas
breaking upon the ship with great violence forced her
| nunr thn roof
rapidly. The vessel thus drfted in shore, the sea
breaking outside of her till she had settled fairly
was about one O'Clock A. M. She had by this time
broken open amdships; the bows were stove I'm, and
concluded after striking that 1t safest for the
people to cling to the wreck, as no boat could live in
boats should not be lowered. The fe-prcservers OF
which there were great number, were got up, and
some signa,rockets, when the people on shore
lighted fires in q little bay on which the
town of Kawatzu is situated. At 1890 ?. NJ the
port boats were swept away, two Of them being at
once swamped alongside. Some Of the crew jumped


into the third one, and got clear OF the wreck but
starboard boats lowered, which were quickly filled
with people, In two of them they cut the painter,
and attempted to reach the shore but were swamped
a short distance from the wreck. The third and last
boat cast adrift from the veysel, but remained
under the cover the wreck afforded from the break
eLs for about half an hour and then went
in towards the shore. As the wreck settled deeper
the people came upon the hurricane deck. Be-
tween midnight and A. M, one of the gunnes
fell upon the King rods, and thence rolling forward
upon the hurricane deck broke it OF amdshps,
causing loss of life number Of people collected
there. Before the chimney fell, the foremast had
gone. The sea reaching the hurricane deck broke
up the whole of it forward, but the after portion
ioated Of almost entire, and remained In this way
alongsidc and seemed to save forty or fifty pseplc
We then collected on the wheel-hopses and in the
rigging. The wind and sea moderated rapidly, the


former veerng to the south and west, and coming of
the land very cold and piercing Some OF the people
were washed ot-some tried to save themselves on
pieces of the noatng wreck The boats being mostly
Iuttll a
washed into the small bay by the surf, and those
persons who chung to them were saved.


1t Is impossible for me to estimate the loss OF life
The ship first struck the reef at p NJ, and had
not settled, that the dashed and broke up the
IN the Various
in the interval were carried in shore by the surf,
n ag at e by s I OF S
cold, and some OF those in the rigging proved unable
to endure it.


fourhs of mile from the shore, and near the bay
mentioned above. The ship struck about quarter
OF mile further out, but was swept by the heavy
rolling seas to the spot where she finally settled.
had little hope, from the appearance OF the coast,
that those who were in the boats during the night
were saved; but as it afterwards proved many OF
them About one hundred people still remained
on the wreck. Soon one OF the ships boats and
number OF native craft came of from the shore The
| latter would not come alongside 80 that l was
Obliged to transfer the people IRON tae wreck EN-
weather moderated still more, the Japanese boats
came alongside and helped to take % on the balance o,
4
by the ship during the night were safely landed on
shore.
Before closing would remark that the behavior of
| the Japanese was heroic. When the ship struck


these brave men, suddenly reused from sleep by the
awful crash seemed to comprehend their situation in
| q moment. No stampede; no disorder From the


first they were quiet and cool, retaining wonderfully
| their presence of mind and calmly awaiting the
commands of their leader. This oflcer called them
| ON board and after consulting with me as TO the


proper course to be pursued ordered his men to stay
i by the ship.


| On hearing this they retired to their rooms where
| they remained until driven from them by the water
| rising in the vessel None OF them attempted to


leave the ship without permission from the officer in
command.


ON arriving Tat Kawatzu, we mustered ffty-eight
officers and crew the first officer, ater-tender


and twenty OF the crew having been lost. We walked


sixty miles through the country meeting everywhere
with kindness, and reaching the head of Yeddo Bay
| obtained the boat which brought us to Yokohama.
| Burning of the Ship AdcIe-ProbabIe Loss of
| Ten Lives.


The ship Frederick, of ST. Johns, Captain Arm


strong, from Manila, arrived at New York yester-


morning OF January 6, of boatoad of the crew and
| passengers of the ship Adele which vessel on her
/ voyage from Bremen Tor Rangoon had accidentally
caught fire and been totally destroyed The follow
/ Frederick. At A. NJ, on the morning of January
G. when in latitude IL deg. 30
min. the Frederick discovered a small boat


containing ten persons, who making signals of
| distress. Captain Armstrong immediately brought
his ship TO the wind and soon had the boat along
| side and took the shipwrecked men aboard. They
| proved TO be Captain Hagedorn OF the Bremen ship


Adele six OF his crew, and three passengers. Cap


tain Hagedorn reported that on the 28d OF December
| in lat 1920 Ion $3.50, his ship, then bound on a
| voyage from Bremen TO Rangoon, loaded with COAL
| took fire in the hold from some unknown cause


They did everything possible 10 arrest the progress