Hide Article Text (OCR)
ANOTHER DREADFUL SHIPWRECK-THREE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT LIVES LOST.Our English files by the Niagara announce 0110 of the most terrible catastrophes on record —the total loss of the ship Annie Jane* Mason, commander, belonging to Liverpool, whioh was driven ashore on the iron bound const of Barra Island, during the recent gales, on the night of Wednesday, the 28th tilt., when no fewer than 348 passengers—men, women and children— mot with a watery grave. The Annie Jane was a Inrgc vessel, and sailed from Liverpool, for Quebec and Montreal, on the 9th of last month, with some 450 emigrants, most of them Irish families.We give below portions of the fenrful narr-tive:• * * * At tho time tho ship struck,all the officers and crew were below, but there wcro also on deck a large number of male pas. sengers, who held on by ropes and rigging, and with feelings of despair contemplated their fate. Meanwhile, the great majority of passengers, including all the women and children, were below in their berliui, but the striking of the ship gave them a fearful wakening. Many rushed on deck in a state of nakedness; wives clung to their husbands, and children clung to both, some mnto from terrog, and others uttering uppaling screams and eagerly shrieking,“Is thoro hope V'The scene is described by tho survivors as the most agonizing which it could enter into tho heart of man to conceive. After tho first shock was over tho passengers rushed to tho boats, three of which were placed between the mizen-inast and the poop, and the fourth lay on the top of the cooking house forward. The light boat had already been lost. But tho boats were of no earthly use, for they were all fixed down and secured, or lay bottom up. While the passengers were thus clustered around, the boats, and within a very few minutes after the* ship grounded, she was struck by a sea of fearful potency, which instantly carried away the dense mass of human beings into the watery waste, and boats and bulwarks went along with them. At least one hundred of our fellow creatures porish-ed at this fell swoop. Tho wild wail of tho sufferers was heard fora moment, and then all was still.Tho groat majority of tho worfien and children as well as houio of the male passengers, remained below, cither paralyzed by terror or afraid that they would bo washed a way in the event of their coming on deck. But their time Imd also conic. The frightful thumping of the great ship, taken in connection w ith her cargo of railway iron, must have immediately beaten the bottom out of her; and while Iwr fabric was in this weakened state, another dreadful sea broke on board and literally crushed tlmt part of the deck situated between the mainmast and the miz-enmast, down upon the berths below, which were occupied by terror stricken women and sleeping children. They were killed rather than drowned, as was fully evidenced by the naked, mutilated ami gashed bodies which were after-wnrdscnBton shore. The main and mizenrnasta went nt the same moment. This second branch of Utecatastrophe took place within a very few minutes after the passengers and part of the crew had been swept away from the deck along with the boats. The most of the remaining crew and passengers now took refuge on the poop, which was a very high one, and each succeeding assault of the sea carried away its victim or victims. In short, within one hour after tho Annio Jane struck, the remaining stumps of her masts went by tho board, and sho broke into three pieces. An additional number perished nt this disruption; and all the survivors remained on the poop, with the exception of seven men, who had secured themselves on tho to-gallnnt forecastle. Tho poop fortunately floated well, and as it vine about high water, tho wreck was drifted inward by the wind and each heave of the sea, when it finally grounded about 4 o’clock A. M. Tho forecastle with tho seven men, cauio ashore much about tho snine timo.Such as were saved, remained by until the tide ebbed, when they waded ashore,the water taking them nearly to tho armpits. At daylight tho hay was strewn with dead bodies, to tho number of nearly throe hundred, greatly disfigured, many of thcin without limbs and heads,and nonrlv all naked, thereby showing how instant must have been their death, and the fearful struggle of the waters which in so short a timo made such havoecOnly one child was saved. It belonged to a humble Irish woman, w ho, with her two children was about to join her husband in America. She struggled hard to preserve them both, ono on bvr back, and gracing tho other in her arms; but when the ship parted, tho latter was dashed into the sen, and tho other remained.
Newspaper Details
Grand River Times
Grand Haven, Michigan, US
Wed, Nov 16, 1853
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Greg B.
USA 20 Apr 2023
Other Publications Near Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand River Times
The Grand Haven News
