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    No- 394, October ,10,1857.] THE LEADER. ...

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    America. Tiim Chief Ncwa From America Th...

    two persons on board . She started in company with foe Empire City , which she outdistanced towards nightfall . At first , the weather was fair and the wind favourable ; but , before they had been out a day , a gale came on . This increased till it gained the force of a hurricane . The billows rose to an immense height ; on the morning of the 11 th , a leak was discovered by the men in the engine department ; and , despite all efforts , the communication with the coal bunkers was soon cut off , so that the fires -went out . It is supposed that the vessel was then about a hundred and fifty miles to the west of the island of New Providence , between that island and the American coast . The hurricane appears to have had the nature of a whirlwind , and it is

    supposed that the Central America was caught in the A'ery centre of the vortex . After the fires had gone out , a strong effurt was made to reduce the amount of water by laling . This work wa 3 prosecuted enegetically , the women tailing their turn when the men were exhausted . They were so far successful , that it was found possible to light the fires again , and once more to get up steam ; but this was only for a very short time . The engines , or the pumps , soon got out of order ; the waves dashed against and over the drifting vessel ; and the catastrophe became but too evident . Still , the captain and officers did not lose heart . The foremast was cut * away , so as to get the vessel again head on ; but the mast in falling * vraa swept under the hull , where it remained for some time , striking with great force , and probably increasing the leak . By paying out enough hawser they got a ¦ drag , which brought them for a time head on : but the

    hawser soon parted . The hold and the lower cabins were now -quite full of water , which became hot from the boilers . In this trying juncture , the captain and other officers behaved with the utmost courage and skill , and did their best to diminish the apprehensions of the women and children . On the afternoon of the 12 th , the brig Marine , of Boston , hove in sight , and , although herself disabled by the gale , rendered assistance . The women and the young ones were removed in boats to tie brig ; and the rough Californian miners , who formed . a large proportion of the passengers , stood by with admirable self-denial , not attempting to thrust thumselves forward . As the last boat containing the women left , _ a tremendous sea broke over the Central America , which plunged and sank . The male passengers and crew were , hurled downwards into an awful gulf of blackness ; for night had by this time come on , and the sea was dark . They rose to the surface in a short time ; but large pieces -of the wreck were dashed against them , wounding many , and killing not a few . A flash of lightning burst forth at that moment , and showed the miserable creatures drifting at the mercy of the wind and storm . They tried to cheer one another ; and the utmost self-sacrifice and devotion were exhibited . A vessel at length picked up some of them , and took them to Norfolk , Virginia ; but many others must have perished during the night . Four hundred and twenty-six were still missing at the last advices ; but it was hoped that » ome of . these would still make their appearance . Some statements , of intense interest , made by the survivors of this fearful disaster , are published in the American journals . A Mr . George , who went down with , the vessel , says he heard no shriek from the passengers- — ' Tiothing but the seething rush and hiss of the waters . ' Oiubj- accounts , however , speak of a vast , collective cry of horror . Mr . George appeared to be hurled ' to a depth that seemed unfathomable , and into a darkness that ho had never dreamt of . Compared with it , the blackest night , without moon or star , ^ vas as the broad noonday . ' Ho lost his consciousness for a time , but soon recoveredit . " While swimming about , he heard one man call to " another , " If you are saved , Frank , send my love to my dear wife ; " but the other < Mly answered with a gurgle of the throat . Many of tie ehipwrecked passengers were seized with a fear of sharks . Respiration was difficult , owing to the masses of water . For two or three hours , the sea was not unpleasantly chill ; but , about one o ' clock on the morning of Suuduy , when the passengors had been nearly live hours in th « water , and a fresh wind had arisen , their hmbs began to feel benumbed . Mr . George thus describes hla Bensations on seeing the lights of a barque in flight : — " I never felt so thankful in alL my life . 1 never knew what gratitude was before . I do not know whether X cried or not , but I know I was astonished to hear any ¦ own laughter ringing in my cars . I do not know why * laughed . That verso , ' God moves in a mysterious T ™* y , ' kept passing in and out of me—through me , rattier , as if I had been the pipe of an organ . It did not ¦ como to me by my own volition , but somehow made me remember St . When the lights approached nearer , a ¦ fcoro of v ° ices sprang up around me , crying ' Ship ahoy !' -Boat ahoy ! ' and then I begun to about too . And 1 hud j wvor any doubt that I should bo saved till I saw the " gits pass fcy , about half a mile from whore I was , and recede ln the distance Then I began to give myself up tS t M ! deOcL But * Blowly driftccl toward her again , "u i could inako out her hull and one of her musts , and I waently I floated close to her , and shouted , and was « koii up . When I got on the deck , I could not otiind . A i " f V tUI Uhmi how ° xhaustod 1 was . " —" AI , S irlwho waa saved with her brother auy » : About ton o ' clock on Saturday , a gentleman canio

    down and took us up into the saloon ; my father was with us ; he handed me his money and told me to keep it—perhaps I might he saved and he not . This was before we caine in sight of the brig , After we got in sight of the vessel , I handed it back to him ; I told hiin . that it was too heavy . Then they called us up to the lifeboat . I came on in the second boat to the brig . I think the terror will never leave my heart . I felt as though 1 had almost as lief go down with the ship as get off . I have not heard from father since I left him on Saturday ; I think he is lost . "

    A . passenger relates : — " Life-preservers were plenty , and each had secured one for himself . On coming up , I found plenty of things to cling to , and got hold of a door , which I held on to about fifteen minutes , till three Irishmen grabbed it , when I left it , as I was becoming so numb that I was obliged to warm up by a little swimming exercise . Though a large quantity of material was floating about , still there was a good deal of desperate struggling and fighting to appropriate articles promising the most security . I next got hold of a trunk , but it . soon fell to pieces . But a flour barrel directly came in my way ; in clinging to it , I soon got chilled and had occasionally to leave it and swim to get warm . But I did not let it get far out of my way . I observed the Irishmen still fighting for the door the Jast I saw of them , and the \ ' are doubtless lost . "

    Another passenger says :- — "Nearly all the passengers had Leeii provided with life-preservers , but many of them had lost all hope and become discouraged before the critical moment arrived , and , when the ship sank , tiiey lacked the energy to make any effort to save themselves , while others were affrighted out of all presence of mind and wanted the judgment to convert to their use means which might have been rendered available . The majority of the crew and a number of the passengers , at the time of the sinking of the ship , were below engaged in baling . "

    In the first part of the tempest , the miners seemed to pay some regard to their hard-earned wealth . " But , as the storm contiuued to rage , " say the American papers , " less of gold was thought of , and when , on Saturday , it became evident that they were likely at any moment to be buried beneath the waves , wealthy men divested fiernselves of their treasure-belts and scattered the gold upon the cabin floors , telling those to take it who would , lest its weight—a few ounces or pounds—carry them to their death . Full purses , containing in some instances

    2000 dollars , were laying untouched on sofas . Carpetbags were opened , and the shining metal was poured out on the floor with the prodigality of death ' s despair . One of tlie passengers , who has fortunately been rescued , opened a bag , and dashed about the cabin 20 , 000 dollars in gold dust , and told him who wanted to gratify his greed for gold to take it . But it was passed by untouched as the veriest dross . A few hours before he would have struck down the man who would have attempted to take a grain of that which he now spurned from him .

    " A passenger named Miller , who was lost , took a position at the top of the steps leading to the steerage , drew his revolver , and threatened to shoot down an } - one who refused to work at the pumps and attempted to get upon . deck . " According to the statement of a female survivor , — ' Tliere was not a tear shed that I am aware of on board the steamer up to the time we first espied the sail which wo believe brought us relief . There seemed to be a perfect calmness , which I could not have believed it

    possible for such a number of persons to exhibit under such fearful circumstances . But , when the brig hove in sight , there were tears of joy , and the men worked with renewed energy and hope . Tbe ladies begged of the men to work firmly and with all their strength , and said they would take hold and work themselves if the moil did not do their best . Some of the women begged to be allowed to assist , and some were so anxious that they even attempted to dress up in man ' s clothing , bo that they might go down and help in the task . '

    " Of the working at the pumps , a passenger says : — ' It was rather a novel spectacle to sco men at work many of whom had never been in the habit of physical labour , taking hold with strength and willingness equal to the heartiest . After a while , the work began to be rather a serious affair for the strength and muscles . To keep up tho spirits , songs were sung , and every imaginable joke retailed to excite laughter and cheer the spirits . Occasionally , a man , notwithstanding tho urgency of the occasion and the determination of most to make tho work as cheerful as possible , would fall

    from the ranles , and it waa utterly impossible to rouse them again to activity . Some were completely exhauatod physically , mid were obliged to retire- from work ; but it wad a fact that a few gavo up in donpair of tho possibility of saving tho steamer from sinking , and would not work . Tho example of those few had a bad elloct upon others , notwithstanding tho constant chcuriiig remarks of the captain and ofiicers that evorytlunij wiia working favourably . Tho men worked faithfully nil Friday night , although under the serious cliaadvuntugen of but little light and no water or relrusUmentH . ' " Mr . Payne status that ho was indebted to Captain Ilemdou for his life . I was ia frequent consultation

    with him before I went , and he asked me what I though * of affairs . I said , ' Thank God , the women and children are all off , and we are strong . ' He replied , ' Yes , thauk God , and added , ' You take the next boat . ' This I did , but before I went he requested rne to go into his office and get his gold watch and chain , and , if saved , to carry them to his wife . Said he , ' Tell her , ' but his utterance was choked by deep emotion , and he said no more on that subject , but changed it by saying ha wished me to see the president of the company , Marshal G . Roberts , and the agents , andcommunicate \ vith thorn in relation to the disaster . "After saying this much , he walked away a few steps and sat down on a bench , with his lead in his hands , apparently overcome . He remained in that position a few moments , and then arose and resumed giving orders as the boat from the brig Marine returned .

    " The conduct of the head engineer , Ashby , waa strongly condemned , and some of tlie rescued passengers talked of ' lynching' him . It is alleged that < j ) abandoned the engine-room long before there was any necessity . It is also charged against him that in the boat there were two seats vacant , and a person jumped into one of them ; at this instant , Ashby , who was overseeing the shipment of the women and children , drew his bowie knife , and , raising it as if to strike the man , commanded him to get out . His arm was arrested by a person near , and the man retained his place . As the boat pushed off , Ashby jumped in ; a general murmur arose , and a cry was heard , Shoot him ! ' The captain called out that he depended upon him returning , which Ashby failed to do . One of the survivors also asserts that

    Ashby approached him , and threatened to cut the strap which held his life-preserver round his body ; the interference of a passenger prevented him from taking it away from him . * " Captain Johnson , of the Ellen , on board of whicti vessel many of the rescued received very kind treatment , makes the following statement : —' I was forced by the , wind to sail a little out of my course before I came up with the -wreck , anil , on altering it , a small bird flew across the ship once or twice , and then darted into my face . I , however , took no notice of this circumstance , and the same thing occurred again , which caused me to

    regard the circumstance as someLhing extraordinary ; and while thinking on it in this way the mysterious bird for the third time appeared and went through the very same extraordinary manoeuvres . Upon this , I was induced to realter my course into the original one which I had been steering , and in a short time I heard noises , and on trying to discover what they proceeded from , discovered that I was in the midst of people who had been shipwrecked . I proceeded instantly to rescue them , and in a few moments succeeded in getting four of them onboard . Not one of them could speak , all bdng perfectly senseless from exhaustion . After a few momenta

    we got another one on board . The lirst words he spoke were , ' W-here is my wifo ?—give me something to eat . ' " One of the survivors relates that he went to sleep ia the water ! Another tells a story which may take place among the most astonishing of paj'chological mysteries . He says : — " I guess I had been about four hours in the water and had floated away from tho rest , when , the waves ceased to make any noise , and I heard iny mother say , * Johnny , did you eat sister ' s grapes ? ' I hadu'c thought of it for twenty years at least . It had gone clean out of my mind . I had n sister that died of consumption more than thirty years ago , and when she was sick—I was a boy of eleven or so—a neighbour had sent her some early hot-house grapes . Well , those grapea were left in a room where I was , and—I ought to

    have been skinned alive for it , little rascal that 1 was—1 devoured thoin all . Mother came to me after I had gone to bed , when she couldn't find tlie fruit for sister to mois-ton her mouth with in the night , and said , ' Johnny , did you eat sister ' s grapes ? ' I did not add to the meanness of my conduct by telling a lie . I owned it , and my mother wont away hi tears , liut without flogging me . It occasioned me a qualm of conscience for many a year after ; but , as I said , for twenty years at least I had not thought of it , till , whon I was flouting about benumbed with cold , 1 heard it as plain as ever I heard her voice in my life . I heard mother say , ' Johnny , did you eat sister ' s grapes ? ' I don ' t know how to account for it . It did not scaro me , though I thought it was a presage of my death . " This reawakening of the conscience after so muny years is very remarkably .

    Wo read in the American journals : — " Several of tho passengers drank excessively of liquors on board tho ship , probably from their own private- stores , and made themselves very noisy and troublesome . Two of tho passengers of high social and political associations , refused to work , but got alarmingly drunk , so much bo that their more sober companions put thorn in thoir berths . In that condition they lay when tho steamer sank . Others , being completely exhausted , took to their berths , and went down with tho vessel . An elderly womoii implored tho cnpUin to allow her h nab and to go in th « boat with her ; hIio was refused . Vtiry kindly , but firmly , Captain llurndon told hor that no man could ? Ashby emphatically denies tho charges nmdo against him .

    No- 394, October ,10,1857.] The Leader. ...

    No- 394 , October , 10 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER . 9 & %

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 10, 1857, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10101857/page/7/