Year: 1870

The London Daily Standard of October 20
publishes the statement of John NJ Garland, the
sole survivor of the steamer Cambria


Il lett Ireland twelve months since for Ame-
rica. On the Sth inst / sailed for the old coun-
try on board the Cambria, from New York. |
was q steersge passenger. We had good COM
plement of passengers on board, but cannot tell
the exact number. The weather was calm at
first, and we all expected fine voyage. At the
end of the week, however-on Friday or Satur-
day, l don't remember which-a high wind
arose, and the sea became troubled.


'The gale gradually increased, until on We'd
nesday it blew perfect hurricane. The ship
however, got along bravely, and 1 believe no
one had any Doubt at least had none-as to
our reaching shore in perfect safety. Oa We'd
nesday night the weather was very bad. The
wind blew furiously and a heavy rain fell,
and what with the rain and the waves which
broke over the gunwale, could see nothing
outside the ship. l don't think any one could
see objects at even q short distance. | remained
on deck that night till about IL o'clock then
went below. / had seated myself at my bunk,
thinking over old times and my near approach
to home, when suddenly there was q horrid
crash, and went spinning forward on my face
on the floor. | did not lose my senses, although
was a good deal frightened, and getting to my
feet hurried up on deck. Here l found pas
sengers running to and fro in great excitement
but cannot say there was much crying or shout
ing. was myself much put about heard
the order given, Launch the boats, but l can
not say whose voice it was; and l also heard
some one saying There's a mighty big hole in
the boat


"Our vessel, now know, had struck the rock
at Innistrahull bow on, but at that time really
saw nothing beyond the boat itself-the night
was so dark, and there was SO much binding
rain and spray. | did not see the light on Innis-
trahull. Some time before the wreck / saw two
lights but do not know the Irish coast, and i
cannot tell you where they were. AS have said,
the order was given to lower the boats There
were seven small boats, think, on board, four of
which were lowered. One of them was in the
fore-part, the others in the off-part, or cabin
end. l saw the three boats in the cabin end in
course of being lowered, but did not see them
in the water, and know nothing whatever az
to their fate. When the boat in the steerage
end was lowered l got into it with Others
There was in ALL to the best of my judgment
ten or eleven of US, all steerage passengers,
think, beside two seamen. No provisions were
taken on board; we were near shore. Our boat
however, was scarcely launched when she cap,
sized. When the boat lurched over got hold
of it, but | cannot say what part of it; anc
when it righted again managed to scramble in


II never saw living soul after that. die
not hear single cry'when the boat keeled over
and l never afterwards saw any of my com
panions. was very much put about. mus
have grasped the boat quite mechanically, anC
when l got into 1t again don't know that
Cambria go down. The waves carried my boa
quickly away from her. When l recovered
myself / noticed some one lying in the bottom
OF the boat stopped down and found that i
Gownwards y0us Sic was w0mS dead yTFSE TSEe bod
was dressed in black silk gown
but did not pay attention to anything else: l
believe she was steerage passenger, but l dc
not know her name. Ny reason for thinking
she was a steerage passenger is that, when on
board the Cambria, boy whom knew told mi
that he knew young woman that was going
to some place between Enniskillen and Irvines
town. / don't remember exactly where, ant
from what he said of her believe that that Wa
the young woman who was in my boat.


'Well, | saw that nothing could be done TO
her, poor thing; and, to tell the truth did no
feel able to do much for myself. The oars wer
tied with small ropes to the boat and was nc
equal to the eXertion of recovering them; l jus
let the boat drift aimlessly along. The win
and the waves carried me along all morning wit
my melancholy burden-the poor thing at th
bottom of the boat. After daybreak the win
moderated somewhat, and the rain took o
slightly. The sea, however, continued TO ru
high the waves lashed over my boat, and ever
moment l expected her to go down. l had n
knowledge of the coast, although saw ii not fl
Off and know no more than the dead where
was or where was drifting to. At21S ocloc
that afternoon, after fourteen and a half hour
drifting heplessly in the storm, was picke
up by the Enterprise, Captain Gillespie,
LOugh Foyle. j was almost insensible at I'll
time. A rope was was passed around my bod
and was drawn on deck. 1 brought
Londonderry, and have since been almost el
tirely confined to bed. lost all my clothes an
eleven guneas in money. Besides Lus br,
ther of mine in America intrusted me wit
parcels of goods TO friends at home, aul the.
have all been lost.