Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1880 — A Passenger’s Thrilling Story. [ARTICLE]

A Passenger’s Thrilling Story.

Mr. A. K. Owen, one of the surviving passengers of the ill-fated steamer Vera Cruz, tells the following story of the disaster : At 1 p. m. last Saturday, I heard Capt. Van Sice say to First Officer Harris: “Ihave just noticed that the barometer is falling rapidly. We are going to have a hurricane.” Orders were given to cut up and throw overboard some cars for a Mexican railroad and some barrels of oils and acids, constituting the deck load. The clycone struck us on the port bow a few minutes later. It was accompanied by a terrible rain, and lifted the ship almost on her beam ends. It was almost impossible to get about witl out support. All movable articles were thrown from port starboard. The wind was northeast, and the vessel was steering south by east during the evening. The windows of the main saloon were carried away ; the waves broke over the ship, filling the saloon and state-rooms. At midnight the passengers were lying or sitting on the floor talking with or assisting each other. Many of them had been severely cut and bruised against the furniture. Good cheer prevailed, and all were quiet and composed. The servants were kind and attentive. Gen. Torbert had been washed out of stateroom No. 5 early in the evening, and his right cheek was badly bruised. At la. m. Sunday tiie engine-room was still dry. A drag was put out, but it reversed, and was useless. It had not been gotten ready till then, and was too small to render service. At 2 a. m.the ship took a heavy sea, the water putting out the fires and stopping the engine. The donkey engine was started at the pumps, and was working when the steamer sank. The purser came below*,calling for Gen. Torbert, and said that the Captain wanted the assistance of the passengers or the vessel would sink. I immediately got up and went to the decs, and the engine-room and assisted in bailing for one hour, Capt. Van Sice also passing buckets. The sea was constantly breaking over the vessel, coming between the decks in large quantities, the donkey engine going to no purposo. Finally we abandoned alt hope of saving the vessel. There was no excitement on board, and each man ■ assisted liis neighbor in arranging life-preservers. Gen. Torbert was a perfect sunbeam, encouraging and assisting everybody. The storm was most terrific, such waves and wind as cannot be described. The ship was listed over on her beams by every wave. It w*as only possible to crawl from one point to another. The storm was so thick we couldn’t see 100 yards ; and it was impossible to face the wind and rain. At 4:12 a. m., tlie sea broke into the engine room, making a crash like a battery of artillery and dashing passengers and furniture into one mass. The passengers crowded Social Hall, at the top of the stairs, said their farewells, adjusted their life-preservers, and expressed words of sympathy, They took my advice, and remained on the ship till she w r ent down. The Captain was seen just before 4:12 a. m., when the sea smashed the port side of the upper deck. Whether he leit the ship or was washed overboard, Ido not know. Harris, the first mate, and one or two seamen took the boat at the startfcard bow. but were killed before the boat could be lowered. Miller, the first engineer, and his assistants stuck to the ship till she sank. O’Neil, the quartermaster, and a seaman whose name I do not know stood at the wheel till the vessel sank, about 6 a. m. The ship broke in half, filling the sea with wreckage of all descriptions. No idea can be formed of the appearance of that immense quantity of freight dashing together, wjfh njpn, women, children and horses swimming or sinking through, the surging mass, and with the waves fifty feet high, not in swells or ridges, but in peaks, breaking like surf toward each other. Win nwe rose on one, it was not to go down on the other side, but to be whirled over the top and sent rolling or flying through the air to the opposite wave, and so backward and forward. This lasted two or three hours. Then the waves began to come in swelling ridges, and we rolled or fell down on the opposite side. The wind was so terrific that planks were lifted by it. dropping among the living and dying people. All were bleeding from wounds, and half were dead and dying in fifteen minutes. The scene was appalling. I and Thomas Dnmgoole, fourth assistant engineer, got on a piece of the dining-saloon, twenty-five by ten feet across. Wo were in the water twenty-two hours. We both went blind at night from the salt water in our eyes. When we struck the breakers at 4 a. m. Monday our craft went to pieces. Wo were whirled through the breakers to the beach, twelve miles north of Mosquito inlet. I think we had drifted fifty miles. Gen. Torbert came ashore near New Britain, six miles above me. His body was discovered in the surf at 8 o’clock on Monday morning. He still had oil liis life-preserver. When Mi 1 . Pitts caught him his heart was stiff beating and warm, fresh blood was running from a wound over his right eye. Everything was done to restore him, without avail. He was probably hurt among the breakers, being struck by a Elank to which he was clinging. I brought the ody to Halifax river and buried it in a palmetto grove.