FIRE ISLAND BEACH,
Thursday morning, July 25, 1850.
DEAR FRIEND,--I am writing this at the house of Smith Oakes, within
one mile of the wreck. He is the one who rendered most assistance,
William H. Channing came down with me, but I have not seen Arthur
Fuller, nor Greeley, nor Marcus Spring. Spring and Charles Sumner were
here yesterday, but left soon. Mr. Oakes and wife tell me (all the
survivors came, or were brought, directly to their house) that the
ship struck at ten minutes after four A. M., and all hands, being
mostly in their nightclothes, made haste to the forecastle, the water
coming in at once. There they remained; the passengers _in_ the
forecastle, the crew above it, doing what they could. Every wave
lifted the forecastle roof and washed over those within. The first man
got ashore at nine; many from nine to noon. At flood-tide, about half
past three o'clock, when the ship broke up entirely, they came out of
the forecastle, and Margaret sat with her back to the foremast, with
her hands on her knees, her husband and child already drowned. A great
wave came and washed her aft. The steward (?) had just before taken
her child and started for shore. Both were drowned.
The broken desk, in a bag, containing no very valuable papers; a large
black leather trunk, with an upper and under compartment, the upper
holding books and papers; a carpetbag, probably Ossoli's, and one of
his shoes (?) are all the Ossoli effects known to have been found.
Four bodies remain to be found: the two Ossolis, Horace Sumner, and a
sailor. I have visited the child's grave. Its body will probably be
taken away to-day. The wreck is to be sold at auction, excepting the
hull, to-day.
The mortar would not go off. Mrs. Hasty, the captain's wife, told Mrs.
Oakes that she and Margaret divided their money, and tied up the
halves in handkerchiefs around their persons; that Margaret took sixty
or seventy dollars. Mrs. Hasty, who can tell all about Margaret up to
eleven o'clock on Friday, is said to be going to Portland, New
England, to-day. She and Mrs. Fuller must, and probably will, come
together. The cook, the last to leave, and the steward (?) will know
the rest. I shall try to see them. In the meanwhile I shall do what I
can to recover property and obtain particulars hereabouts. William H.
Channing--did I write it?--has come with me. Arthur Fuller[43] has
this moment reached the house. He reached the beach last night. We got
here yesterday noon. A good part of the wreck still holds together
where she struck, and something may come ashore with her fragments.
The last body was found on Tuesday, three miles west. Mrs. Oakes dried
the papers which were in the trunk, and she says they appeared to be
of various kinds. "Would they cover that table?" (a small round one).
"They would if spread out. Some were tied up." There were twenty or
thirty books "in the same half of the trunk. Another smaller trunk,
empty, came ashore, but there was no mark on it." She speaks of
Paulina as if she might have been a sort of nurse to the child. I
expect to go to Patchogue, whence the pilferers must have chiefly
come, and advertise, etc.