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Lurgan Coat of Arms The Armagh Guardian

7 April, 1854  

SINKING OF EMIGRANT SHIPS

By the arrival of the American ship 'Pride of the Ocean', in the river on Saturday, from New York, intelligence has been received of the loss of the emigrant ship Sea Nymph bound to New York from Liverpool, &c.,(?) and but for the timely aid of the former vessel all on board would have perished. With crew and emigrants, the latter all Irish the number amounted to upwards of fifty.

She left Liverpool on the 21st February, and had scarcely been out more than a week before she experienced most terrible weather. This continued off and on until the 13th March, when increased to a hurricane, and her top masts, sails, and yards had been carried away over the ships sides. She then became utterly unmanageable, the fearful straining she had undergone caused her to leak down, and as she lay in the trough of the tempestuous sea, which kept breaking over and sweeping her deck, her foundering was momentarily expected. She continued in this critical position for twenty-four hours, the crew doing their best in keeping the leek down, by pumping and clearing away the wreck.

At length the 'Pride of the Ocean', bound for London, appeared in sight, and on observing the signal of distress, instantly bore down to the Sea Nymph. Two of the boats were lowered, and, after much difficulty, the emigrants, men, women, and children, were dropped into them as the boat rose with the sea alongside. After several trips, all were got on board of the Pride of the Ocean, which has brought them to London. The Sea Nymph was fast settling down when last seen.

Another loss is reported by Issac Webb, which reached Liverpool on Friday from New York, with 50 passengers, of the ship 'Russell Sturges', bound to Boston, United States, from the Mersey. She was met with on the 16th March, in a sinking state, having encountered the same heavy gale at the Sea Lymph. The Issac Webb succeeded in taking off the emigrants and the rainbow the captain and the crew.

Another loss has been announced in the wreck of the Jullie, from Newcastle to New York, which lost her topmasts and yards, in a gale, on the 12th of March. Two of the hands perished: the remainder were taken off by ship Roger. The barque Orline, from St. John's, for Barbadoes, was dismasted in a gale, and filled. The second mate and a seaman were drowned in the cabin. The captain's wife and a sailor died from exposure on the wreck. The survivors were without, and, to sustain life, devoured the flesh of a dead sailor. They were taken off by the Saxonville, in a very deplorable state, and landed at Boston. Two other Liverpool and New York ships are missing.

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